Learn to playAin't It Funas made famous by Paramoreon drums
Build from basic grooves and crashes to syncopated riffs, offbeat patterns and triplet fills, mastering Ilan’s evolving grooves and explosive dynamics.
With our step-by-step drum lesson you can recreate the beat behind Ain't It Fun. We’ve broken down the main sections of the song and will take you through each part beat by beat, with video demonstrations.
Ain't It Fun
Drums Tutorial - Step by Step
Verse
Start on kick and snare. Move to hi-hat, playing 1/16s on the snare, and catching the riff with the kick. Fill into the chorus, anticipating the crash.
Pre-chorus
Move to offbeats, using your other hand to fill in the 1/16s on the hi-hat.
Chorus
Play open hi-hat offbeats in the chorus.
Verse 2
Play through a verse - pre-chorus - chorus section with variations.
Bridge
Drop back to kick and snare. Play a triplet fill into the low tom groove.
Chorus 3
After the clap break, play a triplet fill into the chorus groove, with variations.
Outro
Play a variation on the verse groove in the outro. Add toms with your snare hand after 8 bars. Watch for the triplet variations in the kick and snare at the end.
Combine and play
Now combine the sections to play the full arrangement.
Learn to play
Ain't It Fun
with Melodics
Behind the track
Ain't It Fun
by Paramore
Taken from Paramore's fourth studio album, 'Ain't It Fun' became one of the band's biggest crossover moments, powered in large part by an unlikely production combination. Justin Meldal-Johnsen brought marimba and a full gospel choir into a pop-rock track without it feeling like a gimmick - it just works. Drummer Ilan Rubin, known for his explosive, technically demanding playing, laid down a part that swings harder than the song's radio-friendly surface suggests. The track won the Grammy for Best Rock Song in 2015, making it Paramore's first Grammy win.
Tips for learning Ain't It Fun on drums
Tip 1: Slow it down
Break it down: Tackle each section of Ain't It Fun 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.
- Get access to 100s of interactive lessons and popular songs
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FAQs
- Ain't It Fun is an advanced level song. Fortunately, there are beginner versions of the song available on Melodics to check out!
- You will need command of ghost notes and the ability to play advanced fills involving rudiments
- 104 bpm
- 4/4
- A 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.