Recommended practice songs for intermediate drummers: a collection of tracks to develop expressiveness and performance skills
Playing the drums gets really fun once you can hit a certain level, doesn’t it? Still, many people probably struggle—tripping up on songs with difficult phrases, or finding it hard to express groove and match the feel of the song even with simple patterns.
In this article, we’ll introduce recommended practice songs for those who’ve just moved beyond the beginner stage or are aiming to level up further.
We’ve picked plenty of recent popular tracks too, so feel free to use this as a guide when choosing your practice songs.
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Recommended practice songs for intermediate drummers: A collection of tracks to develop expressiveness and performance skills (91–100)
SiriusAoi Eiru
It’s a light and upbeat song.
The key is to keep the fills just as light and snappy.
Also, there are some slightly complex hand-and-foot combinations in the fills, which makes it really cool.
From the halftime groove into the chorus, let’s ramp up the energy all at once.
Thinking in Yura Yura Teikokuyurayura teikoku
Yura Yura Teikoku’s popularity still hasn’t faded, and among their songs, “Thinking Yura Yura Teikoku” is a brisk BPM 190—perfect for practicing up-tempo drumming.
If you can steadily play at BPM 190, covering many bands will become easier.
Why not try covering it as a goal?
MercyMuse
If you want to nail some cool Western rock, I recommend Muse’s work.
“Merc” is a rock track built around a simple beat.
The drumming is dynamic, so it should be really fun to play.
There’s a section in the chorus with rapid-fire bass drum hits; if you focus on mastering that, you’ll be able to apply it to other songs as well.
YMMSuchmos
This is a perfectly stylish number for practicing that comfortable laid-back feel.
The key is whether you can bring out the behind-the-beat groove on the snare without getting swept away by the song’s tempo.
It’s especially recommended for players who usually stick to straight-ahead rock, as a way to broaden your skill set.
secret base ~What You Gave Me~ZONE
It’s a signature song by ZONE and a timeless classic loved across generations! Since it’s a ballad with a relaxed tempo, you’ll be able to play it if you practice steadily.
The beat used in this song, which is based on an 8-beat, is also common in many other songs, so this is a great chance to master it.
With ballads like this that have a laid-back tempo, it’s easy to drift too slow or too fast, so I recommend practicing with a metronome.
