It might sound outrageous, but no song is too difficult for a beginner drummer to play.

Everything can be simplified – even your favorite tricky tunes.

Whether you’re a new drummer or a pro, you can get through any song if you break it down.

Let’s look at one of the most popular rock songs of the 90s: “Californication” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The structure is pretty easy to follow, with closed-to-open hi-hats in the verse and a straight forward ride pattern in the chorus. Ghost notes and drags on the snare give the song texture and enough movement to inject the mid-paced song more oomph. RHCP drummer Chad Smith did a killer job with this one!

Watch the video above to see Domino Santantonio break down “Californication” into five levels. Figure out which level seems doable and try it out!

If you like this lesson, try the five levels of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana next.

(P.S. You can apply this “5 Levels” method to any of the thousands of drumless tracks in the Drumeo members area and start playing any song you want. Plus, get access to note-for-note sheet music, handy practice tools to slow down and loop drum parts and more. Try Drumeo free for a week!)

1. Beginner

Just play the quarter notes here. Keep it simple.

2. Weekend warrior

Add in another bass drum and change the pattern to 8th notes on the hi-hat. You can do it!

3. “I’ve taken lessons”

Time to add in some ghost notes. It’s starting to feel close to the actual drum part, isn’t it?

4. The cover band drummer

You’re groovin’ now! Make sure the open-close hi-hat pattern is crisp and don’t forget the drag at the end of the bar.

5. Chad Smith

If you’re a beginner drummer and enjoy Domino Santantonio’s style of teaching, she’s re-opening her sold-out 30-Day Drummer course with Drumeo. Over 8000 drummers participated in the workout style program last year and now it’s your turn!

The course runs from February 27 to March 27, 2023. Every day, you’ll get access to a new 10-minute drumming ‘workout’ where you’ll build on the skills you learned the previous day. You’ll drum along to Domino over an energizing instrumental track while she encourages you.

(And if you aren’t a beginner but need an excuse to practice every day, try 30-Day Drummer open-handed!)

By the end of the month, you’ll be able to play hundreds of your favorite pop and rock songs (and more) on the drums. For just $97, you’ll get to join the program and have lifetime access to all the videos. So down the road if you feel yourself falling out of the routine, you can jump right back in.

When you sign up for 30-Day Drummer, you’ll:

• Get a free practice pad ($79 value) and drumsticks if you register by Feb. 20 – no drum set required!
• Get access to a platform where you can connect with other drummers in the program and share your progress
• Get weekly live Q&A sessions with Domino
• Build good practice habits
• Improve your timing
• Boost your creativity
• Play musically

Spots are limited. Sign up now!

This pop drummer has never listened to Slipknot.

So naturally, we challenged her to play one of the metal band’s most popular songs.

Domino Santantonio is known for her upbeat pop drum covers of artists like Dua Lipa and SAINt JHN. For her, drumming to metal would be like trying to speak a language without being fluent.

But we love encouraging drummers to get outside of their comfort zone, and Domino was up for it. Though she opted not to use the double pedal we set up on her kit, she found a way to make Slipknot’s “Before I Forget” her own (get the full song transcription in Drumeo).

Without knowing Joey Jordison‘s famous drum part in advance, Domino managed to hit many of the punches. And while some of her ideas were very different from the original drum part she still made some accurate guesses.

Watch the video to see how she builds her parts, reevaluates her decision-making, and explains her thought process. You’ve never heard Slipknot like this before!

Learn from Domino as she encourages and coaches you through this month’s unprecedented drum workout program, 30-Day Drummer.

If you enjoy watching pro drummers sweat while attempting songs outside of their usual style, watch Larnell Lewis try “Enter Sandman” by Metallica and see what Dennis Chambers does with “Schism” by Tool.

Learning to play drums might look difficult, but it’s easier than you think. And you can start playing drum beats more quickly than you think, too!

In this video, Domino Santantonio will show you how to play one of the most popular beginner drum beats of all time, then coach you through a 5-minute drumming ‘workout’ as you build the beat into something you can play confidently.

It’s like a fitness video, but with drums!

Domino Santantonio is the host and instructor of 30-Day Drummer, a workout program that will challenge you to practice drums every day for one month. It’s built for new drummers, so you don’t need any experience to sign up!

The latest challenge is over, but here’s some info for next time!

When you sign up for 30-Day Drummer, you’ll:

• Get a free practice pad ($79 value) and drumsticks if you sign up by Feb. 20 – no drum set required!
• Get access to a platform where you can connect with other drummers in the program and share your progress
• Get weekly live Q&A sessions with Domino
• Build good practice habits
• Improve your timing
• Boost your creativity
• Play musically

This challenge only needs 10 minutes of your time every day. You decide where in your schedule these workouts fit best.

For just $97, you’ll get to join the program and have lifetime access to all the videos. So down the road if you feel yourself falling out of the routine, you can jump right back in. It costs less than private lessons and you’re guaranteed to be playing drum beats and fills by the end of the month.

Over 6000 drummers participated in the last 30-Day Drummer program. What are you waiting for?

Domino Santantonio is a pop drummer (and DrumeoCOACH) whose earliest influences – like Travis Barker – inspired her to take songs that were lacking acoustic drums and turn them into awesome rhythmic performances. The role of drums in popular music has changed over the years, and drummers have had to adapt to artificially-produced electronic beats taking the spotlight.

Playing pop songs on drums has let Domino connect with millions, especially since her energetic covers went viral on TikTok in 2020. People might know and love the song, but never thought about playing acoustic drums with it. Don’t push pop music away: use it as a challenge to test your creativity and have fun doing it!

Watch Domino play “Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa, and get inspired to create your own covers and share them with the world.

In a short period of time, Domino Santantonio has become one of TikTok’s most popular drummers, with over half a million followers and counting. Her fresh takes on today’s hottest pop songs – and her entertaining playing style – have propelled her to the top of the social media game. Before she got stuck in lockdown, she was also drumming with popular Quebec artist Roxane Bruneau.

This lesson on becoming a modern pop drummer focuses on two concepts: how to creatively translate electronic pop beats onto an acoustic drum kit without losing the essence of the song, and how to leverage social media as a modern drummer.

You’ll learn how Domino went viral (by covering trending songs on TikTok), how to choose the right songs when you’re making cover videos, why you shouldn’t be afraid of social media, and more.

Lesson Index:
0:00 – SONG: “Roses” by SAINt JHN (Imanbek Remix)
3:14 – Introduction
6:30 – How to be a modern drummer
10:30 – Reproducing electronic beats on acoustic drums
19:55 – The importance of social media
25:40 – How to boost your social media presence
30:13 – SONG: “Des P’tits Bouts De Toi” by Roxane Bruneau
34:33 – Tips to stay relevant as a drummer
41:09 – SONG: “Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa

If you liked this lesson, check out Domino’s full course ‘The Modern Pop Drummer’, coming this spring for Drumeo members. Click here to join!

About Domino:
Domino Santantonio is a professional touring and studio drummer who was known primarily for her work with Quebec artist Roxane Bruneau until she became a viral sensation on TikTok. After publishing a 15-second drum cover of Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie”, she received millions of views in just a few hours and now has over half a million followers on that platform alone.

Domino Plays:
Paiste Cymbals
Vic Firth Drumsticks

Follow Domino:
TikTok
Instagram
YouTube
Website

Domino Santantonio has become one of the top drummers on TikTok for her energy-infused pop covers. So we asked her to share her top 10 pop beats of the year!

Domino loves covering pop songs because they have lots of space for drummers to get creative, especially since most modern songs in the genre use electronic beats rather than acoustic drums. Her top 10 songs also have blues, reggaeton, 60s, and 80s influences.

1. “Blinding Lights” (The Weeknd): With its 80s throwback vibe, this tune reminds her of classic pop songs. Its driving beat is powerful and “makes you feel like drumming”. To add more strength to the chorus, Domino adds open hi-hat accents.

2. “Don’t Start Now” (Dua Lipa): With a solid four-on-the-floor kick and groovy hi-hats, this is one of Domino’s favorites.

3. “Yummy” (Justin Bieber): Pop meets hip-hop in one of the top pop beats of 2020, which has a slow and catchy feel and 16th notes on the hi-hats.

4. “Roses” (SAINt JHN – Imanbek Remix): Domino says this song “makes you want to train or be active”, and it really does have that energy to it. Because there isn’t much of an acoustic beat in it, she built on it in her own style.

5. “Rain On Me” (Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande): With a semi-swung disco beat feel on the hi-hats, she adds a few extra notes on the kick at the end of the phrase.

6. “Savage” (Megan Thee Stallion): Like “Yummy” but more uptempo, this song is really popular on TikTok.

7. “Mamacita” (Black Eyed Peas, Ozuna, J. Rey Soul): Reggaeton beats are really popular in modern pop, so this had to make the list.

8. “Midnight Sky” (Miley Cyrus): With a two-handed hi-hat pattern and a funky kick pattern, this one has “kind of a Bee Gees vibe to it”.

9. “Stuck With You” (Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber): This song is completely different from the others. It’s a 6/8 ballad, has some blues vibes, and there’s lots of room to add your own variations.

10. “Golden” (Harry Styles): This song is fun to play and it has a beat that incorporates the toms. Can you hear a bit of the 1960s surfacing?

What do you think of Domino’s choices? What were your favorite songs to drum along to in 2020?