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 (21–30)
All of the YouthFujifaburikku
It’s a classic rock song that’s still loved today and perfect for the end of summer! It has a mid-tempo, mellow feel, with no heavy beats or big fills, so it’s great for anyone who wants to start by learning to play one full song.
Overall, it moves along with a simple 8-beat groove, but there are parts—like the end of the chorus—where you need to lock in with the vocal rhythm, so listen closely to the surrounding parts as you play.
The key highlight is the closed rimshot at the beginning.
You can hear the crisp “kat-kat…” sound in the first verse’s A section.
This technique involves placing the stick on the snare head and striking the rim of the snare.
It’s a technique used in many other songs too, so be sure to master it to produce a clean sound.
Isn’t She LovelyStevie Wonder
This song, well-known from a famous tea commercial, is also a session standard.
Surprisingly, it seems to be sung by women quite often.
It’s so popular that it’s frequently performed without vocals as well.
It’s a tune beginners can handle even with a two-beat.
As long as you nail the hits, you’ll be spot on.
Recommended practice songs for intermediate drummers: A collection of tracks to develop expressiveness and performance skills (31–40)
astronomical observationBUMP OF CHICKEN
Many people who have played in bands have performed songs by BUMP OF CHICKEN.
Among their tracks, this one features simple, highly recommended drum phrases.
It’s primarily an 8-beat groove, but be careful—the tempo is fast! If you master the up-down stroke technique, which is essential for moving beyond the beginner level, you’ll be able to move your hands in a way that keeps a clean rhythm without getting tired, even at high tempos.
At the end of the chorus and in several other spots, there are rhythms that line up with phrases from the other instruments, so practice to synchronize with your bandmates and play in tight unison.
Cosmic GirlJamiroquai
One song from Jamiroquai.
For club-style tracks like this, you have to keep the rhythm tight or it just won’t come together.
Because precise closed hi-hat work is also required, it’s very effective as a kind of fundamental practice for checking your own movements.
swim04 Limited Sazabys
“Swim,” one of 04 Limited Sazabys’ signature songs and now a must at major festivals nationwide.
It’s a track marked by GEN’s crystal-clear high-tone vocals and a catchy guitar riff.
For the drums, there are three key points to watch: the fast tempo, the placement of the kick drum, and the sixteenth-note rolls right before the final big chorus.
Since the tempo is fast and the beat shifts frequently, it’s best to start practicing at a slow tempo and gradually work up to the original speed.
As for the kick drum, in the B section and the guitar solo, the kicks land on the off-beats of the eighth notes, which can feel awkward at first.
It’s fine to keep it slow—repeat the groove until your body internalizes the pattern.
Finally, for the sixteenth notes before the last big chorus, the accents are applied irregularly, so listen closely to the original and challenge yourself to recreate them.
rainbowELLEGARDEN
Here’s a song by ELLEGARDEN.
The tempo is on the slower side, and the contrast in volume and intensity between the chorus and the verse is very important.
It’s easy to play loudly, but playing softly is quite difficult, so this should make for great practice.
Re:makeONE OK ROCK
Among ONE OK ROCK’s many songs with difficult drum parts, this one is comparatively simple and easy to play.
There’s a bit of shuffle feel at times, but since the tempo isn’t that fast, it should be good for practice.
The chorus stays in straightforward quarter notes, so you can use it to work on producing a good sound and playing with more volume.
There’s also a small chorus-like vocal part over the simple drums, so it might be a good chance to practice singing while drumming.