Aerosmith Songs on Drums: 5 Joey Kramer Classics to Learn

Aerosmith have been one of America’s biggest rock bands since the 1970s, and behind every one of their hits sits founding drummer Joey Kramer. If you want to learn Aerosmith songs on drums, you will cover a lot of ground: funk rock grooves, swung ballads and huge, slow power ballads that test your control.

This post is for drummers of all levels who want to learn these songs properly, whether for a covers band, a wedding or function gig, or simply for fun at home. We look at five Aerosmith tracks, what each drum part teaches and one practical tip for each song.

Every song links to a note-for-note drum transcription available as a PDF, written from the original recording. You can find all of our Aerosmith titles on the Aerosmith drum sheet music page.

Joey Kramer and the Aerosmith groove

Aerosmith formed in Boston in 1970, and Joey Kramer has been their drummer from the start. His style mixes hard rock power with a strong sense of funk and swing. He plays for the song, which makes his parts perfect for learning how to support a singer and a guitar riff at the same time. The five songs below cover more than two decades of the band’s recordings, from their 1973 debut to their late-’90s success.

1. Dream On – Aerosmith (1973)

Dream On comes from the band’s self-titled debut album, Aerosmith (1973), and remains one of their signature songs. It is a slow ballad that gradually builds towards a dramatic, heavier ending.

What it teaches: the main skill here is patience. The drums have to support the song quietly in the early sections and then grow with the band without jumping ahead. It is excellent practice for dynamics, controlled cymbal work and keeping a slow tempo steady while the intensity rises.

Practice tip: play the song along with the recording at three volume levels – very soft, medium and loud – and mark in your transcription where each section of the song should sit on that scale.

2. Walk This Way – Aerosmith (1975)

Walk This Way is from Toys In The Attic (1975) and is one of the most famous funk rock grooves ever recorded. The song opens with Joey Kramer’s drum beat, and in 1986 Run-DMC recorded their own version with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, bringing the song to a whole new audience.

What it teaches: this is the most groove-focused song in the list. It helps you develop tight coordination between your bass drum, snare and hi-hat, along with the feel needed to make a funk rock beat sit in the pocket. A light, controlled touch on the snare and hi-hat matters just as much as volume here.

Practice tip: loop the main groove at a slower tempo and play it with your eyes closed, listening for an even hi-hat and a relaxed feel. Bring it back up to the recording’s tempo only when it feels natural.

3. Crazy – Aerosmith (1993)

Crazy is one of the hit ballads from Get A Grip (1993). It is a rock ballad with a swung feel, which makes it a great step up from straight rock beats.

What it teaches: playing a swung ballad well is all about the space between the notes. The song helps you feel a triplet-based pulse at a slow tempo, keep your hi-hat or ride relaxed and make the backbeat sound full without overplaying. It also trains you to build into the choruses smoothly.

Practice tip: before you play the groove, count triplets out loud (“1-trip-let, 2-trip-let”) along with the recording. Then play just the hi-hat and snare on top of that count until the swing feels comfortable.

4. Crying – Aerosmith (1993)

Also from Get A Grip, Crying is another swung rock ballad and makes a natural partner to Crazy. If you learn both, you will have two of the band’s best-known ’90s songs ready for your set.

What it teaches: Crying reinforces the swung ballad feel while asking for a bit more power and drive in its bigger sections. It is good practice for moving between a laid-back verse groove and a heavier chorus while keeping the same swing and tempo throughout.

Practice tip: practise Crying straight after Crazy. Notice how the swing feel is shared between the two songs, and focus on keeping your triplet feel consistent as the dynamics change.

5. I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing – Aerosmith (1998)

I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing was released in 1998 for the film Armageddon. Written by Diane Warren, it became Aerosmith’s first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. It is a big power ballad and a staple of wedding and function sets.

What it teaches: power ballads demand control. The drums need to stay steady at a slow tempo and still sound huge in the choruses. This song teaches you to place fills and crashes with purpose, play with a full sound without rushing and follow the dynamic shape of a long arrangement.

Practice tip: practise each chorus with a metronome and record yourself. Listen back for any rushing in the fills, which is the most common problem when a slow song gets loud.

Get the complete set

If you want to learn several Aerosmith songs at once, the Aerosmith Ultimate Drum Collection brings five Aerosmith drum transcriptions together in one purchase. It is a practical option if you are building a full Aerosmith set for a covers band.

How to practise these songs

1. Listen to each song several times while following the transcription, so you know the structure before you play.
2. Start with Walk This Way to work on funk rock coordination, then move to the ballads for slow-tempo control.
3. For Crazy and Crying, practise the swung feel separately with a metronome, counting triplets until it feels natural.
4. Work on dynamics in Dream On and I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing, playing the quiet sections very softly and the big sections with full power.
5. Play along with the original recordings to match Joey Kramer’s feel, then record yourself and compare.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the drummer in Aerosmith?

Joey Kramer is Aerosmith’s founding drummer and played on all five songs in this post, from Dream On (1973) and Walk This Way (1975) to Crazy, Crying (1993) and I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing (1998).

What is the easiest Aerosmith song to play on drums?

The ballads are usually the most approachable for newer drummers because the tempos are slower, although they still need good control. Walk This Way is more demanding because of its funk rock coordination and feel. Start with the song you know best and work slowly with the transcription.

Where can I buy Aerosmith drum sheet music?

You can buy note-for-note Aerosmith drum transcriptions as PDF downloads from our store, either as single songs or as the Aerosmith Ultimate Drum Collection. Each one is written from the original recording.

Find every title on our Aerosmith drum sheet music page, or browse the full drum sheet music store for more rock songs to learn.