Learn to playBabydollas made famous by Dominic Fikeon drums
Master the groove shifts, build a swung 16th-note feel, then nail the switch to straight time with open hi-hats and confident coordination.
With our step-by-step drum lesson you can recreate the beat behind Babydoll. We’ve broken down the main sections of the song and will take you through each part beat by beat, with video demonstrations.
Babydoll
Drums Tutorial - Step by Step
A section
After the guitar intro, come in with the 2 bar repeating groove, playing an open hi-hat on beat 3-& every second bar.
B section
Move to the B section. Split the 1/16 notes between snare and hi-hat - make them blend, and accent the backbeat on beat 4. Watch for the crashes.
Outro
Now return to the A section groove to finish the song.
Combine and play
Combine the sections to play the full arrangement.
Learn to play
Babydoll
with Melodics
Behind the track
Babydoll
by Dominic Fike
Fike made 'Babydoll' in 2018 while under house arrest in Naples, Florida, recording in a borrowed room with a black Epiphone, a laptop, and a direct sightline to the parking lot so he could watch for his probation officer. Those bedroom sessions sparked a label bidding war while he sat in county jail. Columbia signed him for a reported four million dollars. The track itself runs just 97 seconds - and it took until 2025 to finally reach the Hot 100, where it peaked at number sixteen.
Tips for learning Babydoll on drums
Tip 1: Slow it down
Break it down: Tackle each section of Babydoll 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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Chop Suey - System of a Down
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FAQs
- Babydoll is an intermediate level song. Fortunately, there are beginner versions of the song available on Melodics to check out!
- You will need command of 1/16 note swing grooves.
- 84 bpm
- Check above for answer
- D minor
- 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.