What are the hardest drum songs? That’s subjective, of course. Everyone learns drums at a different pace, and it’s important to determine the right pace for you. Sometimes, however, you want to challenge yourself and see what you can do. Take a break from your normal practice routine and try your hand at these challenging drum songs, chosen by San Diego, CA drum instructor Maegan W…
Calling all drummers!
If you’re ready for a challenge, here are some of the hardest drum songs (in my humble opinion) for you to tackle on your drum kit.
What is the Hardest Drum Song?
So what is the hardest song to play on drums? Here are some top contenders:
- “La Villa Strangiato” – Rush
- “Moby Dick” – Led Zeppelin
- “Ticks and Leeches” – Tool
- “Goliath” – The Mars Volta
- “Sedation Deprivation” – Nerve (Jojo Mayer)
- “Bleed” – Meshuggah
- “The Violation” – Fleshgod Apocalypse
- “A Night in Tunisia” – Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
- “Caravan” – Whiplash
- “Sing, Sing, Sing” – Gene Krupa
If you’re learning to play the drums, be sure to check out this video. It has all kinds of information on basic drum rudiments to help make mastering all kinds of drum songs – including the tough ones! – a bit easier.
What Makes the Hardest Song to Play on Drums?
These songs are often listed among the list of the hardest song on the drums options because they include several, if not all, of the following criteria:
- Precise dynamic control and execution: Every level of every note is intended and complimentary to the music.
- Technicality: Most, if not all, of these songs contain very unique and challenging grooves and fills. They may seem simple at first, but they are much more difficult than they appear.
- Speed: Many of these songs have grooves and fills played at high speeds for the amount of notes being played. They include complex beats played at top speeds.
- Polyrhythms: Hard drum songs usually contain poly rhythms, or the simultaneous use of two or more conflicting rhythms.
- Odd meter: Many of these songs are in odd time or odd meter. Common time is 4/4 and anything else is considered odd. Challenging drum songs will often incorporate several different time signatures in one song.
If you’re still up to the challenge, let’s get to the list!
What is the Hardest Drum to Play?
Before we dive into the list of the hardest drum songs, let’s address the elephant in the room. Are all types of drums equally difficult to play?
The difficulty level of playing drums can vary depending on a number of factors, such as the type of music you’re playing, the tempo and time signature, and your individual skill level.
However, in my experience, the one drum that consistently throws drummers for a loop is the bass drum.
You might be thinking, “But wait, isn’t the bass drum the easiest drum to play? You just stomp on a pedal, right?” Wrong. While playing a basic pattern on the bass drum may be relatively simple, mastering it is a whole different story. Not only do you have to maintain a consistent beat, but you also have to control the volume and sustain of each hit.
Moving on to the cymbals, you might be surprised to learn that they can be some of the trickiest drums to play.
While it’s true that a simple crash cymbal hit can be relatively easy, adding more complex patterns or techniques like choking or utilizing the bell of the cymbal can add a layer of difficulty. Plus, cymbals are notorious for being finicky and unpredictable, so getting a clean and consistent sound can be a feat in itself.
Of course, no discussion of difficult drums would be complete without mentioning the drum set staple, the hi-hat. This deceptively simple drum can be a real challenge to play well. It requires a delicate touch and precise timing to get a tight and clean sound.
12 Hardest Drum Songs to Master
Curious about some of the hardest drum songs? While the hardest drum song will vary depending on your skill level, playing preferences, and other factors, these are some of the hardest songs to play on drums – of all time! Most drummers agree that these tunes are just downright tricky to master.
Drum roll please…..
1. “La Villa Strangiato” – Rush
The hardest song to play on the drums, , in our opinion, is “La Villa Strangiato” by Rush.
This song contains almost all of the criteria on our list, along with other aspects that make it extremely challenging.
Not only are there a ton of different parts to learn, but the technicality, speed, and precision put it on another level.
2. “Moby Dick” – Led Zeppelin
“Moby Dick” is probably the hardest Led Zeppelin drum song of all time. This hardest drum song features some crazy footwork by John Bonham and great bass dynamics. There is a world of difference between playing these hand-foot combinations, and playing them with dynamics.
If you want to nail this song, you need to play with complete control and finesse.
3. “Ticks and Leeches” – Tool
This song can be described in one word: insane! But seriously, the polyrhythms are hard enough to figure out, let alone play all at once.
Watch the video, and pay close attention to Danny Carey’s precision.
This song is also physically demanding and requires a good deal of endurance.
4. “Goliath” – The Mars Volta
(or anything from The Mars Volta, really)
Start with a nasty groove in multiple time signatures, then add a blazing fast double bass beat, crazy fills, and blast beats (and that’s all before the breakdown).
Try this song, if you dare!
5. “Sedation Deprivation” – Nerve (Jojo Mayer)
Let’s compare this one to our list of criteria for the hardest drum songs:
Odd meter? Check!
Blazing speed? Check!
Insane Poly rhythms? Double check!
Funky breakbeats? Check!
The list goes on…
This one may take a while, but will be well worth it once you’ve got it down; it has a hypnotizing groove and a smooth feel.
6. “Bleed” – Meshuggah
Though it might not be the hardest song ever on drums, it is quite challenging, especially as a beginner!
A progressive metal offering, it has a truly mind-altering pattern that’s breathtaking to listen to but very difficult to master. It’s played in 4/4 time but has double bass speed along with intricate polyrhythms, demanding footwork, and more.
Get ready to break a sweat when you play this song on the drums – it requires a lot of stamina, to say the least!
7. “Dance of Eternity” – Dream Theater
This song is probably one of the hardest metal songs to play on drums. It is technically part of the progressive metal genre and what makes it so tricky is that it uses many different time signature variations.
You’re not sticking to 4/4 with this one!
All the complex time signatures make this song one of the hardest drum songs in and of itself. However when you throw in all kinds of drum fills, grooves, and high speed sections, it is very, very difficult.
And did we mention that there’s barely any repetition to fall back on?
8. “Blackened” – Metallica
This is the hardest Metallica song on drums that you’ll find! Some drummers claim that Metallica songs are tricky in general, so it might be easy to find other competitors in this category.
However, this song has a lot of timing variations and plenty of other complicated drumming techniques that make it a real beast to master.
9. “The Violation” – Fleshgod Apocalypse
This is perhaps the hardest drum song in the death metal genre.
A headbanger, it has a powerful drum performance with relentless beats. Its speed makes it more challenging, too.
10. “A Night in Tunisia” – Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
Another one of the hardest songs to play on drums is “A Night in Tunisia.”
Actually, we take that back – this song is just hard, period. Like most jazz songs, it has a lot of refined and complex drum sections (along with plenty of intricate drum solos) that make it absolutely beautiful, but also very difficult to get the hang of.
11. “Caravan” – Whiplash
Another one of the hardest drumming songs is “Caravan” by Whiplash. With a mixture of jazz and samba tempos thrown in the mix, this song has an excellent tune and it’s super fun to play – however, it’s challenging.
You’ll need to master your technique in order to play this song, but once you get the hang of it, it’s one of the most fun songs to play on the drums because there’s plenty of room for innovation and improvisation.
12. “Sing, Sing, Sing” – Gene Krupa
Yet another one of the hardest drum songs is “Sing, Sing, Sing” by Gene Krupa. It includes all kinds of instruments in the drumset, including cymbals, snare, tom-toms, and more.
It’s a great song to aspire to play as you’re learning how to play the drums – but don’t get discouraged if you don’t get the hang of it right away. It’s a real tough one!
Tips for Mastering the Hardest Songs on Drums
Now that you know some of the hardest drum songs, how do you get better at playing them? While it’s great to seek out the hardest songs to drum to improve your skills and keep challenging yourself, there are a few tips you can follow to make these hardest drumming songs a bit easier to master.
Here are our best tips:
Break it Down
The first step to mastering any song is breaking it down into manageable sections. You don’t have to tackle the entire song at once. Instead, focus on the most challenging parts and practice them until you get them right.
Once you’ve mastered those sections, move on to the next ones until you can play the entire song with ease. This will not only help you tackle the hardest parts but also, it will boost your confidence and motivation to keep working on the song.
Start Slow
It can be tempting to play a song at its original tempo, but that’s not always the best idea. Start by playing the song at a slower tempo, so you can focus on the rhythm and timing.
Once you’ve got the basics down, gradually increase the tempo until you can play it at the original tempo. It may take longer, but this approach will make sure that you understand the song’s structure and rhythm, making it easier to play in the long run.
Focus on Technique
Technique is everything when it comes to drumming. It’s important to maintain proper form and posture to ensure that you’re not injuring yourself and playing efficiently. When mastering a difficult song, pay special attention to the technique needed for specific parts.
For example, if you’re struggling with a fast-paced drum roll, practice the roll separately and focus on the right way to execute it. You’ll be surprised how much this will improve your playing skills.
Practice With a Metronome
Playing along with a metronome is an excellent way to improve your timing and accuracy. It will also help you stay on beat and maintain the right tempo. Practice small sections of the song repeatedly with the metronome until you can play them perfectly on time.
Gradually increase the tempo until you can play the whole song consistently and accurately.
Enjoy the Process
Finally, remember that mastering difficult songs takes time and effort. Don’t get too frustrated or discouraged if you can’t get it right the first time. Take breaks when needed, come back to the song later with fresh eyes, and try again.
Remember to take in the beauty and challenge of the music and enjoy the process of perfecting your skills.
What is the Hardest Style of Drumming?
By and large, jazz is considered the hardest style of drumming, followed closely by Latin and metal. Jazz has such a large range of material to master and since improvisation is often standard, it can be tough to ever know what to expect!
That said, you’ll find plenty of the hardest drumming songs regardless of the genre you choose to play in.
Of course, there are millions of songs that could be included in a list of the hardest drum songs, but these are my top five. My list may vary from other peoples’, but I wanted to include different types of music.
I hope you have fun with these songs, go ahead and have try to play some, or all of them. If you’re not quite ready to tackle the hardest drum songs, we’ve got some more options for you in our ultimate list of drum songs.
Want to improve your drum skills? Search here for a drum instructor near you!
Post Author: Maegan W.
Maegan W. teaches drums, songwriting, and more in San Diego, CA. She earned a degree in Percussion from the Musician’s Institute, and has been teaching private lessons since 2004. Learn more about Maegan here!
Photo by Sean Molin
Maile Proctor