Recommended Songs for Beginner Bands at School Culture Festivals
For students in bands, performing on the cultural festival stage is probably a major goal, isn’t it?
However, if you’ve only just started your instrument or have members with limited experience, choosing songs to play can be quite challenging.
The guitar might be easy but the drums are hard… or the drums are easy but the bass is hard… It’s tough to pick songs that are satisfying to listen to while keeping the difficulty under control.
So in this article, we’ll introduce recommended songs that beginners can definitely pull off if they practice hard.
The key is to be flexible—don’t cling too much to the original, and arrange the parts you absolutely can’t manage.
If you work on it with your bandmates while having fun as you prepare for your first stage, it’s sure to become a lifelong memory!
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[Culture Festival / School Festival] Recommended Songs for Beginner Bands (1–10)
The Old Man and the SeaNEW!Yorushika
Following “Matasaburō,” this is another song by Yorushika based on a literary work.
The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway’s masterpieces.
It’s a truly wonderful track that evokes the freshness of the sea.
Because the rhythm and sound are simple, it seems perfect for practicing maintaining a steady sense of tempo.
Rather than counting beat by beat, it will likely go well if you perceive the flow as a whole.
For the guitar, aim for precise, unwavering cutting that doesn’t falter even without drums.
Don’t become background music.NEW!Hanbureddāzu
A song characterized by a simple yet powerful sound.
It’s a piece included on the 2021 album “Guitar.” The drums are based on a classic straight-ahead 8-beat, and with two guitars and a bass playing simple parts, it’s highly recommended for beginners.
The drums have a dry, pleasant tone, so it might help to focus on a light, flicking touch rather than hitting with brute force.
Try playing it while keeping the band ensemble in mind!
Flower of FateNEW!Togenashi Togeari
A song by the in-anime band Togenashi Togeari from the anime Girls Band Cry, released in June 2024.
It’s a track that captures a shift in feelings upon encountering destiny, brimming with positive emotion.
The dramatic, fast-paced arrangement and bright, uplifting melody line are striking.
Since there are many phrases where the keyboard and guitar play in similar timing, it’s best for the two players to focus on syncing their breaths.
[School Culture Festival] Recommended Songs for Beginner Bands (11–20)
Cherry BombNEW!Silent Siren
This is one of Silent Siren’s signature songs, notable for its opening slapped bass phrase.
If you’re a beginner, the word “slap” might make you hesitant, but the phrase isn’t that fast, and the fingering centers around the 2nd to 4th frets, so it’s not very complicated—definitely give it a try.
As for guitar and drums, at this song’s tempo, eighth-note bridge muting and an eighth-beat groove may be tough until you get used to them.
Start practicing at a slow tempo and train yourself to gradually speed up.
If I sing to the skyNEW!175R
One of the signature songs by 175R, the band that led the early-2000s youth punk boom.
The straightforward vocals and performance are just undeniably cool.
The first thing to watch out for when playing this song is the tempo.
At around BPM 230, it’s extremely fast, so every part should practice to keep up with the tempo and focus on playing each phrase carefully.
Also, there’s a section in the song where the groove shifts to feel like half-time, so be careful that your playing doesn’t fall out of sync with each other there.
Fragments of the FutureNEW!ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
This is a quintessential rock band track, marked by a powerful guitar sound and crisp drums.
The guitar parts are mainly power chords and octave playing, so the fretting should be relatively simple.
However, because the song’s bridge-muted sections are a key feature, take time to practice thoroughly—sound design matters, including your amp settings, to get a cool, tight tone.
For drums, the challenge will likely be the hi-hat patterns played in sixteenth notes.
Drill your stickwork—such as up-down (Moeller) techniques—so you can keep up with the song’s tempo.
A youth group defeated by desireNEW!ONE OK ROCK
There’s a rumor that this song’s lyrics were written by vocalist Taka as he reflected on his own past.
What sets the track apart is that it doesn’t use a typical straight 8-beat; instead, it features a swung 16-beat kind of groove.
When you play this song, listen to the recording repeatedly and learn how to feel the rhythm so you can lock into that groove.
To unify the band’s overall feel, it might help for all members to physically move in sync as well.
Try various approaches during band practice and see what works.