Harry Styles is a world-renowned musician. He can sing, play guitar and some piano, but can he also play the drums?
Harry Styles can play the drums. Although he does not play them often, he does know the basics of keeping a beat on a kit.
Fan videos prove that Harry can play the drums. However, he does not play the drums frequently and chooses to keep this talent a secret.
Harry Has Been Drumming for Years
An old video dating back to 2012 shows Harry Styles practicing the drums. He plays basic rhythms as well as more complicated fills, demonstrating that he can hold his own on the drums.
Harry definitely learned to play the drums at a young age, but his career always centered on singing. He earned fame in the band One Direction, where all five members sang but did not play instruments in performances. Harry used his voice in the band but did not take many opportunities to show off his drum skills.
Harry Performed a Casual Drum Feature With One Direction
When One Direction was still riding the waves of their early success, Harry played only a little bit of drums on stage. The band had a professional full-time drummer for the tour. Harry walked up to the kit and joined their drummer for a small drum feature, captured in this fan’s video:
Harry kept his rhythm steady and accented the back beats. He hit the snare on beats 2 and 4, the traditional beats to clap along to in rock music, and ended his miniature solo with a cymbal flourish.
Harry’s small drum moment was not very technical, but it did show his confidence. He managed to hit the drums on time and have a good time on stage in the process.
Harry Hops on the Drum Kit For Fun
In 2019, a brief video clip caught Harry playing drums in Tokyo, Japan. This time he sat behind the kit and played the drums in earnest. Harry held a steady beat to a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” in the video:
The video shows Harry at a small bar spontaneously playing drums with a cover band. This was not one of his massive stadium concerts, but rather an intimate gathering to make some music and play around.
Harry proved that he can play the drums in moments like these. He is not afraid to take a seat behind the kit and lay down some simple beats in a casual, fun setting with friends.
Harry Hires a Drummer For His Tours
Although Harry can play the drums himself, he is far too busy singing, dancing, and playing guitar during his spectacular solo concerts. He performs with a backing band that fills out the instrumental parts of his songs.
Harry’s live performances feature the talented drummer Sarah Jones from England. Sarah has played with numerous bands, including Hot Chip, Bloc Party, Bat For Lashes, and her solo project Pillow Person.
Sarah Jones shows that she can embrace any genre. Her previous work included drumming for post-punk, synthpop, and electronic music projects. She developed her talent, eventually garnering enough fame for Harry Styles to hear about her drumming and hire her.
Sarah started playing with Harry Styles in 2017 when she joined him on tour. Harry’s fans quickly took notice and became fans of her numerous other bands.
Sarah Jones also accompanied Harry Styles on his 2017 Saturday Night Live performance. The drummer was supposed to join the 2020 world tour as well, but these concerts were postponed due to the Coronavirus.
Why Doesn’t Harry Play the Drums More?
Harry has demonstrated that he can play the drums, although he does not sit behind a drum kit very often. He can play the drums relatively well in casual settings.
Harry tends to leave the drumming to the pros. He chooses to focus on his singing and guitar playing, which are essential to his live performances.