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Things to Consider When Buying a Beginner Drum Kit

Does it have everything you need?

One of the things that catches some people off guard is that they get a bargain price only to find they hadn't bought a complete kit with all the hardware - often the really low prices for a particular model are because it's only a shell set - that means it only contains the drum shells and nothing else. Another common mistake is buying a set that doesn't include cymbals. Look at the detailed list of what's included before biting the bullet.

What does the word 'Hardware' mean in acoustic drums?

You may have seen listings or advertisements that say "all hardware included". What they are referring to is the hardware necessary to hold cymbals, hi-hats, snares, rack-mounted toms and any other percussion items in the kit. Many kits are sold without things like cymbal and snare stands because they're intended for drummers who already have that hardware and it's just the drums by themselves that they want to buy. Sometimes you'll see the phrase 'double braced hardware', this means there are two pieces of metal adding extra strength to the bracing.

What does the number of pieces mean?

Traditionally with acoustic drum kits we count the number of drums as the pieces - cymbals and other items are not included in the count. So when a drum set has a snare, kick drum and 3 toms, this adds up to 5 pieces, and this is the most common configuration. Unfortunately, this labeling isn't always followed by makers of electronic drum sets who often count any triggering device as a piece including electronic cymbals.

Why didn't we include 4-piece or 3-piece kits?

The standard configuration of a basic drum kit is to have 1 snare, 2 mounted toms, 1 floor tom, and 1 kick drum. This is the best configuration to start out with when you're learning because it's the setup many other kits will have that you'll have to play at times. This is important because drummers often have to share kits at places like drum lessons and in some live performance situations because drums take longer than other instruments to set up and to mic up when that's needed; EG: Many 'battle of the bands' type competitions require bands to share back-line equipment and drum kits. 6-piece kits are usually the same as a 5-piece kit with the addition of an extra floor tom.

Are tonewoods important?

Yes, but no. You may have heard things like 'mahogany is better than poplar wood' on the shells of your drums - but the distinctions in tone are subtle and when you're just starting out you probably won't notice much of a difference. Don't go spending extra money on a beginner drum set just to get 'better sounding' wood - just get the best kit you can afford for now and a couple of years down the road you'll develop the ears you need to tell what kinds of wood suit your style of music best.

Drum Sticks

Often these are included when you buy a drum set but not always. They're not very expensive so I recommend buying a couple of sets of different weights: Vic Firth 5A at Amazon - Vic Firth 5B at Amazon. If you would like to learn more about your stick options then read our guide: The Best Drum Sticks + Brushes & Mallets.

Cymbal Quality

One of the ways manufacturers are able to produce drum sets at these low prices is by providing only very basic cymbals. The vast majority of people who have bought a beginner set and continued playing drums on an ongoing basis tended to get new cymbals including hi-hats, a crash and ride - this is probably the most common point made in verified customer reviews. You usually won't find any "Big Four" brand cymbals such as Zildjian, Sabian, Meinl or Paiste included with the cheapest kits.

Drum Sizes

In this guide we state the diameter first, then the depth. So a 14" x 5.5" snare is 14" in diameter and 5.5" deep. I point this out because sometimes manufacturers and retailers state the measurements the other way around.

Drum Rug

One long-standing struggle a drummer faces is the drum set moving around on hard floors. This is due to the vibrations a drum set produces. Although the rubber feet of the stands and bass drum can help, I recommend getting a drum carpet or rug. This prevents the drums from slipping and sliding around while you play. This has an added bonus of giving your drums a more focused sound.

Sound Dampening and Muffling

A common way to shape the sound of your drums is to use sound dampening and muffling to reduce unwanted overtones. There are many ways to do this such as with Sound Rings (link to Sweetwater) or MoonGel (link to Sweetwater). A cheap hack is to use tape and tissue paper, some drummers even place their heavy wallet on the snare drum to reduce the ring! Another thing you can try is placing a pillow inside the bass drum for a clear sound and punchy attack.

Ear Protection

This part of drumming is often overlooked but very important for drummers of all levels. Drums are loud and prolonged exposure will lead to hearing loss and damage. This is a nasty lesson that some learn the hard way. Check out our guide to musician's earplugs for some highly rated options.

Some Helpful Drum Terminology

• Ply - A ply is a single layer of wood. Drum shells are typically made from multiple layers of wood so a 6 Ply shell means it has 6 layers. More is not always better as less plies can also mean a more resonant sound.
• Drum Kit vs Drum Set - These terms are essentially interchangeable and mean the same thing at music retailers.
• Drum Throne vs Drum Stool - drummers sit on thrones, pianists sit on stools - other than that they mean the same thing.
• Kick Drum vs Bass Drum - In terms of drum sets these are also interchangeable and mean the same thing. Technically a kick drum is designed to be used with a kick pedal but there are bass drums not designed for that purpose such as ones you might see played in an orchestra or marching band.
• Cymbals - Crash, Splash, Ride, Hi-Hats... Hi-hats and Ride cymbals are often played continuously through parts of a song while crash cymbals are used for accent and in fills. Splash cymbals are just smaller, higher pitched versions of crash cymbals. For a basic standard set up you'll want to have hi-hats and at least 1 crash cymbal. Most budget drum sets only come with a single crash or a single combined crash/ride cymbal.
• Drum Heads - These are the "skins" that are installed and stretched over the open ends of the drum shells. You usually strike the batter head (the top head) and have a resonant head on the other side that increases sustain. These tend to wear out over time and are considered a consumable part akin to the strings on a guitar. Some popular drum head brands are Remo, Evans and Aquarian.
• The Drum Key - This is used to loosen and tighten the lugs on your drum heads in order to tune them to the pitch you want. Drum tuning advice is beyond the scope of this guide but here are some helpful references: What You Need to Know About Drum Tuning by Ben Meyer at Modern Drummer, and Drum Tuning by Gene Okamoto of Pearl Corporation. The drum skins often come loose or detached on a new kit so you'll also need the key to properly install/tune them when your kit is delivered.