Learn to playFreaksas made famous by Surf Curseon drums
Start with straight eighths, locking kick and snare to the riff. Add quarter-note stops, then build to fast sixteenth-note skips, trading floor tom and ride.
With our step-by-step drum lesson you can recreate the beat behind Freaks. We’ve broken down the main sections of the song and will take you through each part beat by beat, with video demonstrations.
Freaks
Drums Tutorial - Step by Step
Verse
Play a basic 1/8 note groove on the low tom, adding a snare on beat 4-a every 4 bars. Leading into the chorus, play 1/4 notes on kick, snare, and low tom.
Chorus
Hit the crash, and add snares on beat 2-&. Play 1/4 notes on kick and snare in every 4th bar, with the 1/16 note snare on beat 4-a.
Verse 2
Now combine a verse section with a chorus section.
Outro
Ride out on the verse groove, and play one final crash.
Combine and play
Now combine the sections to play the full arrangement.
Learn to play
Freaks
with Melodics
Behind the track
Freaks
by Surf Curse
Surf Curse formed in Reno in 2012 - Nick Rattigan and Jacob Rubeck - before relocating to LA and cutting their teeth at The Smell, the legendary all-ages venue that shaped a generation of DIY punk and indie acts. 'Freaks' appeared on their debut album in 2013 and spent years as an underground favourite before a TikTok wave pushed it to a mainstream audience nearly a decade after release. The song has since been certified 3× Platinum in the US, one of the more unlikely slow-burn success stories in recent indie rock. Rattigan has always played drums and sung lead simultaneously, a constraint that shaped how the part was written from the start.
Tips for learning Freaks on drums
Tip 1: Slow it down
Break it down: Tackle each section of Freaks 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
- Freaks is an advanced level song. Fortunately, there are beginner versions of the song available on Melodics to check out!
- You will need to be able to play fast 1/8 note grooves with basic 1/16 note snare patterns.
- 177 bpm
- Check above for answer
- 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.