Learn to playEveryday Peopleas made famous by Sly and the Family Stoneon drums
Start with a simple kick-snare pulse, build into the groove, then play the full two-bar offbeat pattern. The challenge is holding the pocket without dragging.
With our step-by-step drum lesson you can recreate the beat behind Everyday People. We’ve broken down the main sections of the song and will take you through each part beat by beat, with video demonstrations.
Everyday People
Drums Tutorial - Step by Step
Verse
Lay down the 2 bar groove that goes throughout the song. Watch for the missing kick on beat 1 of the second bar.
Chorus
Continue the groove through the chorus. In bar 4, play a fill using alternating hands, followed by a crash leading into verse 2.
Chorus 2
Play the chorus again, with a fill variation, and no crash.
Outro
Play fills in bars 2 and 4, and finish the song on a crash.
Combine and play
Now combine the sections to play the full arrangement.
Learn to play
Everyday People
with Melodics
Behind the track
Everyday People
by Sly and the Family Stone
Sly Stone came up playing in a Pentecostal church in Vallejo, California, absorbing the feel of music that was meant to move a room before he ever touched a studio board. By the time he assembled Sly and the Family Stone, he was pulling from gospel, funk, soul, and psychedelic rock simultaneously, with a lineup that reflected what he believed music could say about the world. "Everyday People" reached number one in February 1969, and when it did, Sly and the Family Stone became the first major US act to top the charts with a racially integrated, mixed-gender group. There was no blueprint for what they were doing - the themes in their songs weren't a concept, they were lived.
Tips for learning Everyday People on drums
Tip 1: Slow it down
Break it down: Tackle each section of Everyday People 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
- Everyday People is an intermediate level song. Fortunately, there are beginner versions of the song available on Melodics to check out!
- You will need command of offbeat kick patterns and a steady, driving groove.
- 115 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.