Learn to play50 Ways To Leave Your Loveras made famous by Paul Simonon drums
The drum beat for "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" is a laid-back groove with a catchy shuffle feel, featuring a crisp snare, subdued kick, and subtle hi-hat accents.
With our step-by-step drum lesson you can recreate the beat behind 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. We’ve broken down the main sections of the song and will take you through each part beat by beat, with video demonstrations.
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
Drums Tutorial - Step by Step
Learn the groove
Learn the first part of the verse groove. You may want to use Practice Mode to slow down the 1/16 note pattern involving the pedal hi-hat, closed hi-hat, kick and snare. Play slightly flammed toms on beat 4 of every bar here.
Add the doubles
Add the second half of the pattern now, adding a six-stroke roll on the snare (R - R - L - L - R - L) to start, and a double stroke roll after the toms in every second bar - notice how the low tom is also missing from beat 3 in this bar.
A section
Now play the groove all the way through the A section. Watch for the variation where the double stroke roll is missing, and move into the chorus with an open hi-hat.
B section
Now move into the contrasting B section. Play the open hi-hat on beat 4-& every 4 bars. Watch for the kick variations, and syncopated 1/16 note snares.
Combine and play
Now combine the A and B section to play the full arrangement. The tune picks up with a double stroke roll on beat 4-&, and concludes with 6 bars of the A section groove.
Learn to play
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
with Melodics
Behind the track
50 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER
by PAUL SIMON
"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" by Paul Simon features a clever and catchy musical composition blending folk and pop elements. The song's arrangement includes acoustic guitar strumming, a groovy bassline, and subtle percussion, creating a laid-back and infectious groove.
Paul Simon's vocal performance is smooth and soulful, with his distinctive voice delivering the witty and relatable lyrics with charm and sincerity. The song's playful melody and clever wordplay, coupled with Simon's expressive delivery, make "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" a timeless classic that resonates with listeners of all generations.
Tips for learning 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover on drums
Tip 1: Slow it down
Break it down: Tackle each section of '50 Ways To Leave Your Lover' individually for precision mastery. With Melodics, you can slow the pace of the song and work up to full speed.
Tip 2: Review your performance
Identify growth areas: Listen to playback of your performance to learn where you need to develop your timing, technique & rhythm. Melodics provides instant feedback on your performance.
Tip 3: Practice makes perfect
Stay consistent: With regular, focused practice you'll see rapid progress when learning the song. Even a short session each day will make a huge difference.
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FAQs
- Playing "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" by Paul Simon on drums is moderately challenging. While the drum part is not overly complex, it requires a solid sense of rhythm and dynamics. Fortunately, there are beginner versions of the song available on Melodics to check out!
- Overall, while the drum part may not be overly technical, it requires attention to detail and a good sense of musicality to capture the song's vibe effectively.
- 103 bpm
- 4/4
- G major
- New songs are released every week on Melodics! And we love to take requests - the best place for this is within our Discord community where you can also connect with other music learners around the world. Check out https://melodics.com/info/community.