Learn to playElephantas made famous by Tame Impalaon drums
The drum beat for "Elephant" by Tame Impala is a driving, stomping groove with a steady kick-snare pattern, tight hi-hats, and a retro rock feel, propelling the song's momentum.
With our step-by-step drum lesson you can recreate the beat behind SONG NAME. We’ve broken down the main sections of the song and will take you through each part beat by beat, with video demonstrations.
Elephant
Drums Tutorial - Step by Step
Verse 1
Start with a hi-hat shuffle groove. Catch the syncopated hits with the riff. Play a triplet fill on the snare in bar 11, and finish with double stops on the toms.
Verse 2
Continue the shuffle groove, and in bar 7, play a crash on beat 2 before moving to the ride for 2 bars. Finish with another double stop fill to move into the break.
Break (pt. 1)
Play the shuffle groove on the ride through this first part of the break.
Break (pt. 2)
Continue the ride shuffle. Watch for the triplet fills in bars 7 and 12.
Verse 3
Return to the hi-hat groove for the final verse. For the final fill, play triplets with the guitars, and observe the sticking closely to get through the final 1/16 note fill. Return to the groove for the last 2 bars.
Combine and play
Now combine the sections to play the full arrangement.
Learn to play
Elephant
with Melodics
Behind the track
Elephant
by Tame Impala
"Elephant" by Tame Impala features a bold, psychedelic rock composition with a dominant, gritty bassline, fuzzy guitar riffs, and steady, punchy drums. The song has a retro, 70s-inspired feel with layered synths that enhance its hypnotic atmosphere. Kevin Parker's vocal performance is delivered with a detached, almost robotic tone, adding to the song's swagger and confident energy. His voice, often filtered with reverb and effects, complements the track's raw, psychedelic vibe, creating a powerful blend of modern and classic rock elements.
Tips for learning Elephant on drums
Tip 1: Slow it down
Break it down: Tackle each section of 'Elephant' 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
- Elephant is an advanced rock song on the drums. Fortunately, there are beginner versions of the song available on Melodics to check out!
- To play Elephant, you will need a good handle on a rock shuffle beat, and command of triplet and 1/16 note fills.
- 123 bpm
- 4/4
- 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.