Reviewing The Best Drum Sets For Beginners

Love seeing your favorite drummers whiplash it out on the stage? Inspired and not sure where to begin from? We've got you.

This section will help you get your hands on your first drum, within a budget, something that'll give you ample room for growth! If you've seen the list above, half the work is done - the other half you'll be done with once you're through with this buyer's guide. Let's start.

Breaking Down Different Parts of a Drum Kit

If you're a complete beginner or a parent planning to buy a drum kit for their kid, it's highly likely that you're unaware of the basics. Well, you won't be after you're done with this guide.

Bass

The bass drum is that big one that sits on the floor and has a pedal attached to it and makes that boomy sound. A track is almost bound to sound dull and thin without a bass!

Snare

The snare is that drum that normally goes between legs, has that thick thumpy sound that helps add pace and fullness to tracks. You can't imagine a fast track without a snare.

Toms

There normally are three kinds of toms - a mounted tom (it's usually the highest). The mid tom that comes second and then there's a floor tom. Toms are most prominent during those drum fills in tracks.

Cymbals

Cymbals help add a new dimension to your drums - the most common ones are hi-hats, rides, and crashes. Plus, there are other effects cymbals out there that help create cool splashy sounds so there's decent playing room here.

Pedals

Pedals are mainly used for bass drums, also known as kick drums. There's also a pedal for hi-hats that make the two of them clap together to make a nice 'chik' sound.

Hardware

Your basic drum kit will come ready with the stands/racks and everything. However, if you're buying a separate drum, it may or may not come with a stand so you'll have to improvise your purchase accordingly.

What Are Electronic Drums?

If you're buying a beginner drum set for the first time, this is probably something you don't have to worry about - unless you're planning on maintaining good relations with your neighbors.

Jokes apart, an electronic drum kit has the same components as an acoustic one, except that they're not real and rather made up of discs or shallow shells made up of rubber/silicone. Plus, the brain of an electronic drum kit is the module that helps detect the hits made to the drumheads and translates them into pre-recorded sounds.

You can start with a beginner roll-up drum set but we always suggest going with the real thing - since there's a matter of responsiveness and getting the feel of playing actual acoustic drums.

Once you've got your hands dirty with an acoustic kit, you can move to an electronic one.

How Much Should You Be Investing in Your First Drum Set?

Well, it depends on who you are and who you will be after getting your drum set. Are you just getting one as a hobby? Are you serious about it? Is it your passion? Do you see it as a potential kit that could shape up your future?

Once you have an answer to these questions, you'll know how much should you be investing. For starters, and especially if the kit is for a kid, there's no problem starting with 100-200 bucks. In fact, it's best if you start from there and let your kids find their way up from there.

However, if you're serious about it, you could take the budget up a notch and think about spending around $500-$1000 for a decent setup. Doing this will keep you from investing right after a few months and give you ample room for growth.

What Accessories Do I Need to Buy with a Drum Set?

So once you're done buying your drum set, make sure you've got the following to keep things safe and exciting!

Drumsticks

So we suggest beginners to start with 5A drumsticks, but as you get familiar with them, try experimenting with other drumsticks and see what works for you. Drumsticks are different in length, thickness, and shape of the tip.

Similarly, there are drum brushes that help you get a different sound texture so they're worth checking out too!

Drum cases

If you'll be traveling a lot or if your kid is in the school band and will have to carry the drum often, think about buying a nice drum case or a soft gig bag. It'll help keep your investment safe from the outside elements and accidents!

Maintenance tools

If you're buying an instrument, it falls on you to keep it clean and maintained as well. 

So you should know that you'll be polishing the hardware, lubricating stands and pedals, protecting your drum hoops, and more!