How to Play Another One Bites the Dust on Drums (Beginner Step-by-Step Guide)
- Rob Bishop
- May 28
- 5 min read
Updated: May 29
Rob Bishop | robbishopdrums.com
Quick Answer: Another One Bites the Dust by Queen uses a simple, repeated groove built on a steady kick and snare pattern — almost identical to the Billie Jean beat. It also introduces your first drum fills, including bars of mixed subdivisions (8th notes and 16th notes). It is one of the best beginner drum songs you can start with.
Why Another One Bites the Dust Is Perfect for Beginners
There are certain songs that just make sense to learn first on drums. Another One Bites the Dust by Queen is one of them.
The groove is immediately recognisable. The fills are genuinely achievable for a complete beginner. And by the time you have worked through the full song, you will have covered several key skills that most drummers spend months trying to develop separately.
This is the Rock and Pop Trinity version of the real thing which is slightly watered down, but you still get the actual groove, the fills — and it is well within reach from day one.
The Groove: Simpler Than You Think
If you have already looked at the Billie Jean drum beat, you are in a great position — because the Another One Bites the Dust groove is almost identical.
Both songs share that same locked-in, minimalist feel. Steady hi-hat, kick drum on beats 1 and 3, snare on beats 2 and 4. It is a groove that sits in the pocket and does not move.
The first section of the song is a repeated phrase — just groove, no fills. Your job here is simple: lock in, stay consistent, and count your bars. That last part is important for beginners to understand, and we will come back to it.
Your First Drum Fill: Counting Mixed Subdivisions
This is where things get interesting.
The second section introduces your very first drum fill — and it is a good one to start with. It is one bar long and uses a mixture of 8th notes and 16th notes across the bar.
Written out in counts, it looks like this:
Before you even play it, say that out loud. Slowly. Repeat it until it feels natural.
There is a saying that applies here more than almost anywhere else in drumming:
“If you can say it, you can play it.”
Say the rhythm first. Get it in your head, and transfer it to your hands. This approach works, and it is one of the fastest ways to internalise a new rhythm without guessing your way through it.
The good news is that this fill is written entirely on the snare drum, with one exception, beats 4+ moves to the floor tom. So apart from those notes, you are not worrying about any weird orchestration or moving around the kit. You are focusing entirely on the rhythm itself, which is exactly where your attention should be at this stage.
What This Song Is Teaching You
A lot of beginner drum songs ask you to do one thing at a time. Another One Bites the Dust asks you to do several things simultaneously — and that is why it is such an effective starting point.
1. Counting bars
The repeated groove section requires you to know where you are in the song structure. How many bars of groove before the fill? When does the next section start? This is not just music theory — it is a practical skill that every drummer needs, and this song gives you a natural reason to develop it early.
2. Understanding repeat sections
When you read drum notation, repeat signs tell you to play a section again without it being written out in full. Recognising these, knowing what they mean, and responding to them in real time is a skill. This song gives you your first experience of navigating that structure.
3. Playing through mixed subdivisions
In a single fill, you are covering quarter notes, 8th notes, and 16th notes. That is most of the rhythmic vocabulary you will need for a long time — introduced naturally through one bar of music, in the context of a song you already know and love.
#The Second Fill
Further into the song, a second fill appears. This one also uses mixed subdivisions — quarter notes, 8th notes, and 16th notes — in a single bar.
By this point you have already done the hard work of internalising the concept. The approach is the same: say it first, then play it. Count out loud. Move slowly before you move fast.
By the time you have worked through both fills in context, you have genuinely covered most of the subdivision work that will carry you through a significant period of your drumming development. Not bad for one song.
Learn Another One Bites the Dust in Full — Inside The Beginner Drum Course
In The Beginner Drum Course, I have broken down every section of Another One Bites the Dust bar by bar. Each section is written out clearly so you know exactly what you are playing and where. You do not need the graded book — everything you need is inside the course.
You will learn the groove, all fills, how to navigate the structure (follow along with me), and how to count your way through the whole song from start to finish.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Another One Bites the Dust hard to play on drums?
No. The main groove is straightforward and very similar to the Billie Jean beat. The fills introduce mixed subdivisions, but approached correctly — saying the rhythm before playing it — most beginners can get through the song within a few practice sessions.
What is the drum beat in Another One Bites the Dust?
The beat uses a steady hi-hat pattern with kick drum on beats 1 and 3 and snare on beats 2 and 4. It is a classic, locked-in groove that sits deep in the pocket. This also sounds like the Billie Jean groove.
Do I need to read music to learn this song?
No. In The Beginner Drum Course, each bar is written out and broken down so you can follow along without needing a graded book or advanced music reading skills.
What drum fills are in Another One Bites the Dust?
There are two main fills in the beginner version of the song with two smaller one beat fills. All use mixed subdivisions — a combination of 8th notes and 16th notes — and are written primarily on the snare drum with one note on the floor tom or top tom.
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