What are The Most Catchy Songs to Play on a Street Performer Drum?
This is the question I get asked a lot when people find out that I play drums. I am going to tell you my top 5 that you can use out on the street to make some extra money and have fun.
The first song that comes to mind is ‘Oye Como Va’ from Santana. This is one of my favorites because it has a latin feel to it and people tend to recognize it right away and you will have no problem making money off of this song. The next song that comes to mind is ‘Guantanamera’. This is another latin song with a very catchy drum beat.
The third song I would recommend would be ‘Hound Dog’ by Elvis Presley. What better way to make money then by playing an Elvis song? People love this one, you should too! The next song in line would be ‘Iko Iko’ by the Dixie Cups. A very simple but catchy drum beat that gets everyone going and singing along. And last but not least, ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ by Journey. There’s a reason why people are still singing this song 25 years later, because it rocks!
You’ve probably seen them: the guys on the street corner with a bucket for spare change, banging out tunes on an upturned plastic tub. They’re everywhere you go, in every major city around the world. But what makes these guys so popular? What are The Most Catchy Songs to Play on a Street Performer Drum?
For one thing, it’s the music. These drummers are often playing their own unique versions of popular songs, and they’re doing it at such a high level that it’s hard not to stop and listen. When you hear something like this being played right in front of your face, you can’t help but be impressed.
So what is it about these drum solos that makes people stop and listen? Well, it isn’t just the music. It’s also the presentation. These drummers have taken something as simple as hitting some plastic tubs with sticks and turned it into an art form. The way they move their hands and feet in time with each other is mesmerizing to watch. They make hitting plastic tubs look cool!
I used to work as a street performer in San Francisco for about 4 years. I was always trying to come up with new ideas on how to get people’s attention and how to make money.
I would like to share what I came up with along the way. So without further ado, I give you…
The Most Catchy Songs to Play on a Street Performer Drum
The idea is simple: come up with 3-10 songs that most people recognize and can sing along to, and then play them in rapid succession. The faster you do it, the better the effect. People will stop in their tracks, laugh, smile and dance along. They might even join you by clapping or singing along!
If you want to do this professionally, you need a lot of practice beforehand so that you can play all these songs in a row without messing up. It’s very important not to mess up here because the effect is ruined once you do! Don’t worry though, if you’re just doing it for fun (like at parties), it doesn’t matter if you mess up. It’ll be funny nonetheless!
Here are my top ten favorite drumming beats that are easy enough for anyone who has never played drums before but catchy enough to have people stop
I’m a street performer who plays drums. I’ve been doing it for about 3 months now, and I want to compile a list of the catchiest songs to play on my drum.
It’s not necessary that the song be able to get people’s feet tapping, but it must be able to get people’s attention. The song can be of any genre, old or new.
Here’s an example of what I mean:
“Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes is one of my favorites. The drum beat alone gets people’s attention. If you combine it with the bass line, they stop in their tracks! What are some other examples like this?
The most catchy songs to play on a drum are ones that are upbeat, have a steady beat and are easy to play. They should also be songs that the public can easily recognize, as this will help gain an audience.
You may want to consider simply playing the song in its entirety. This is especially true with Top 40 hits that are more about the lyrics and not so much about the drum beat. If you choose this route, make sure you practice enough to know the song well and can play it correctly.
In other cases, you may opt for just playing the drum part of a song or a more generic drumming pattern that works with several songs. For example, if you choose a drumming pattern that works well with “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey and “I Love Rock n’ Roll” by Joan Jett, you can have people make requests of these two songs without having to learn each individually.
You’ll also want to consider what kind of crowd will hear your music. If they’re mostly small children, consider playing nursery rhymes or popular children’s music like “The Wheels on the Bus” or “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” There are also many pop songs that work well for younger crowds, including “Call Me Maybe”
I’ll start off with a general rule that I think is pretty important:
In my opinion, the most catchy tunes are ones that people already know. If they don’t recognize it, you might as well be playing anything. The colder the audience, the more familiar the tune needs to be.
That being said, there’s a lot of ways to make something familiar. Here’s some ideas:
1) Cover classic rock songs
Most of your audience will recognize “Smoke on the Water”, “Hit Me with your Best Shot”, “Sweet Home Alabama”, and “Freebird”. They may not know who sang them originally or what album they’re from, but if you can play even half of it, people will recognize it, and that’s all that matters. Even better if you can play some of the solos.
2) Play classical music
If you’re good enough to pull this one off, this is where the real money is. Any classical music from around 1800 or earlier will be instantly recognizable by almost anyone over 40 years old. And if you’re playing in a high-traffic tourist area like Times Square or Fisherman’s Wharf, there will be plenty of old folks passing by every day. As soon as they hear the
A while back, I asked the readers of this blog to share the best content marketing examples they’ve seen recently.
I got hundreds of responses, but one in particular really caught my eye.
It was about a street performer named Josh Turner who plays drums on buckets in front of a famous department store called Macy’s in New York City.
Turner has been playing drums on buckets for years, and he’s become pretty good at it.
His videos have gone viral multiple times and racked up millions of views.
I wanted to know more about this guy: How much money does he make? What makes his videos go viral? And what advice does he have for other musicians?
So I reached out to see if he’d be willing to chat, and he said yes.