Learn to playMisery Businessas made famous by Paramoreon drums
Misery Business drives forward with punchy kick-snare interplay tight hi-hats, and energetic fills that accent transitions, giving the groove a sharp urgent pop-punk feel.
With our step-by-step drum lesson you can recreate the beat behind Misery Business. We’ve broken down the main sections of the song and will take you through each part beat by beat, with video demonstrations.
Misery Business
Drums Tutorial - Step by Step
Intro
Pick up with snare on beat 4. Play the offbeat groove on the crash, and watch for the fills.
Verse
Continue the offbeat rhythm, and include the toms every 2 bars. Halfway through, add the hi-hats. Build up on snare, and fill to lead into the chorus.
Chorus
Straighten out the groove for the chorus. After 8 bars, move to half-time, then play straight 4s between hi-hat and snare.
Bridge
Play 1/8 notes on the hi-hat, filling in the 1/16 notes with the other hand. Build up with 1/16 notes on snare to lead into the instrumental.
Instrumental
Play the chorus groove on the crash to start the instrumental, and halfway through, move to hi-hat.
Outro
Flip the groove, playing snare on 1 and 3 for the first 4 bars, before returning to the chorus groove. Watch for the fill variations, and finish on the intro groove.
Combine and play
Now combine the sections to play the full arrangement.
Learn to play
Misery Business
with Melodics
Behind the track
Misery Business
by Paramore
“Misery Business” by Paramore is built on a tight, high-energy pop-punk framework that blends aggression with melody. The composition centers around crunchy, palm-muted guitar riffs that open into brighter, driving chord progressions in the chorus, creating a strong dynamic contrast. The rhythm section is punchy and direct, with fast, propulsive drumming and a bassline that locks closely with the guitars to reinforce momentum. Structurally, the song follows a classic verse–chorus format but injects personality through a standout bridge that strips things back before surging into the final chorus.
Vocally, Hayley Williams delivers a performance that’s both sharp and charismatic. Her tone shifts between conversational, almost spoken phrasing in the verses and powerful, melodic belts in the chorus. She uses attitude as much as pitch—leaning into sneer, bite, and playful sarcasm—to match the song’s confrontational lyrics. Her control and clarity keep the hooks instantly memorable, while her emotional intensity gives the track its lasting impact.
Tips for learning Misery Business on drums
Tip 1: Slow it down
Break it down: Tackle each section of Misery Business 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
- Misery Business is an advanced level song. Fortunately, there are beginner versions of the song available on Melodics to check out!
- You will need advanced dexterity, ability to play at a fast tempo, and control of syncopation.
- 173 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.