Uptown Girl
Drum Sheet Music

Practice Billy Joel on Drums

Easy to Intermediate

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Choose your Drum Sheet Version

Two versions of the drum sheet - choose the one that fits your level and goals.

ORIGINAL VERSION

Difficulty Level:

Easy to Intermediate

Exactly as played on the original recording
All fills & ghost notes
Full arrangement

Purchase for only 1.90$

SIMPLIFIED VERSION

Difficulty Level:

Easy

Easier to learn
Simplified fills
Reduced ghost notes
Perfect for beginners & intermediates

Purchase for only 1.90$

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We recommend starting with the Simplified Version and moving to the Original Version once you're comfortable with the groove and structure.

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Drumming Techniques You'll Learn in Uptown Girl

Four-on-the-Floor Groove Consistency
High-Speed Up-Tempo Wrist Endurance
Precise Hi-Hat Articulation Control
Clean Sectional Fill Transitions
Solid Metric Foot Independence

Recommended For

This drum score is recommended for intermediate players looking to develop high-speed pop endurance and steady four-on-the-floor pocket control. It is highly valuable for drummers wanting to master clean off-beat hi-hat openings and improve their ability to execute rapid, energetic transition fills with absolute timing precision and metric stability.

Learn to play Uptown Girl on drums

Play Uptown Girl drum cover with our interactive drum sheet and synchronized video player. Follow every driving note in real time as the synchronized drum notation moves with the music. Slow down Liberty DeVitto’s fast, continuous four-on-the-floor rhythm using tempo control, loop challenging chorus transitions to lock in your hand-to-foot coordination, and utilize isolated drums to hear every crisp hi-hat opening clearly. Learning this track helps you develop exceptional high-velocity endurance and sharp timing precision across quick arrangement shifts. Our modern tools make analyzing this pop-rock groove faster and more effective than a static printable drum sheet. Grab your sticks and master this high-energy groove today!

Song information

Artist: Billy Joel

Drummer: Liberty DeVitto

Album: An Innocent Man

Released: 1983

Sheet Music Details

Length

3 pages of highly readable, clean drum score layouts.

Tempo

70-79

Time Signature

4/4

Key features

This complete drum transcription features a driving four-on-the-floor bass drum groove, continuous up-tempo eighth-note patterns, crisp off-beat hi-hat openings, and rapid single-stroke sectional fills that test your physical endurance, timing precision, and hand-to-foot coordination.

Song's Overview

Released in 1983 on Billy Joel's album An Innocent Man, Uptown Girl stands as a brilliant homage to the doo-wop and Motown sounds of the 1960s, driven by an unyielding pop-rock pulse. For musicians looking to learn Uptown Girl on drums, Liberty DeVitto's energetic performance provides an incredible study in high-tempo groove consistency and crisp accentuation. The primary asset of this Uptown Girl drum sheet is its relentless four-on-the-floor bass drum pattern paired with an upbeat, driving snare backbeat. DeVitto injects life into the straight-ahead pop structure by incorporating syncopated hi-hat barks and quick single-stroke rolls that mirror the vocal phrasing. Rather than overcomplicating the arrangement, the drumming focuses entirely on keeping a rigid temporal pocket that allows the complex vocal harmonies to soar. When practicing along with an Uptown Girl drum cover, drummers must maintain intense wrist endurance and precise limb independence to keep the driving eighth-note cymbal line from rushing against the constant foot pulse. Studying this arrangement teaches players how simple, energetic rock grooves can dictate the momentum of a fast-paced pop arrangement with absolute precision.

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About the Drummer

Liberty DeVitto is a veteran drummer best known for his long-time collaboration with Billy Joel, playing on many of his greatest hits. He is famous for his incredible "energy" and his ability to bring a rock edge to melodic pop songs. He is a respected figure for students learning drums for his professional session-level reliability.

Drumming Style

DeVitto’s style is high-energy and punchy, often featuring fast hi-hat work and creative, driving fills. When playing drums to "Uptown Girl," the focus is on a steady, "four-on-the-floor" feel that drives the song's optimistic energy. His parts are excellent for intermediate drum covers and pop-focused drum lessons.

Practice Advice

Start Below Full Speed

The track runs at a brisk 129 BPM. Use tempo control to slow the groove down to 100 BPM. Focus on aligning your bass drum strikes perfectly with the quarter-note click before building up to the original record speed.

Loop the Off-Beat Hi-Hats

Isolate the sections where the hi-hat opens quickly on the off-beats. Use looping sections to repeat these two-bar patterns until your left-foot pedal control feels completely natural and does not disrupt your steady snare backbeats.

Avoid Rushing the Fills

A common mistake is rushing the rapid single-stroke snare fills during the transitions. Maintain a relaxed grip and steady breathing to ensure you do not push the tempo ahead of the beat when exiting the fill.

Lock the Four-on-the-Floor Pocket

Keep the groove steady by treating your right foot like an unmoving metronome. Practice with a steady pulse, ensuring every bass drum drop hits with identical dynamic weight to ground the song's driving pop momentum.

Build Up-Tempo Wrist Stamina

The continuous driving eighth notes on the ride or hi-hat can cause forearm fatigue. Practice using small, controlled wrist movements rather than full arm extensions to keep your cymbal patterns clean and crisp throughout the song.

Learning Roadmap

Phase 1: Secure the Four-on-the-Floor Foundation

Isolate the core pop groove by locking your right foot into a steady quarter-note pattern. Pair this with a heavy snare backbeat on beats two and four at a reduced tempo to establish fundamental limb coordination.

Phase 2: Integrate Subdivided Hi-Hat Articulations

Add the continuous eighth-note hand pattern and incorporate the crisp, syncopated off-beat hi-hat openings. Work slowly to ensure the pedal releases do not compromise your steady bass drum and snare alignment.

Phase 3: Smooth Out Rapid Transition Fills

Analyze the energetic single-stroke rolls used to bridge the verses and choruses. Practice entering and exiting these fills cleanly, focusing on landing heavily on the crash cymbal right on the following downbeat.

Phase 4: Perform the Full High-Tempo Arrangement

Combine all sections and play along with the full song track. Focus on maintaining your physical endurance, consistent dynamic volumes, and absolute time-keeping precision from the opening vocal pickup until the final fade-out.

FAQ

Is Uptown Girl suitable for beginners?

It’s more suited for beginners with some experience. Using features like tempo control and looping can help you learn it at your own pace.

Can I learn Uptown Girl if I’m not very confident reading drum notation?

It’s possible to learn Uptown Girl by ear, especially if you break it into sections. Over time, you’ll also improve your ability to read drum notation.

Do I need a full drum kit to play Uptown Girl?

While some fills may require toms or cymbals, the core of Uptown Girl can be practiced on a smaller kit.

How will learning Uptown Girl improve my drumming skills?

By learning Uptown Girl, you’ll work on coordination between your hands and feet, as well as transitions between grooves and fills.

What skills do I need before learning Uptown Girl?

Before learning Uptown Girl, it helps to be comfortable with basic grooves, simple fills, and maintaining steady timing.