9 Things You MUST Know Before Buying Your First Drum Set
So, you’re ready to buy your first drum set. This is an exciting time!
There are so many fun colors to choose from! Cymbals of all shapes and sizes! Wacky looking and sounding percussion instruments!
There is just so much to explore, and hit with a stick!
It’s a whole new world and you might feel overwhelmed.
But rest assured there are some excellent starter options that’ll allow you or the person you are buying for to dive right into making music.
Buy With Confidence!
I recently witnessed a parent buying a drum set for the first time at a local music store. He was completely unprepared and as a result, skeptical of the salesperson’s pitch.
He thought he was being ripped off and had a bad experience in the end. As far as I could tell, the salesperson was giving it to him straight; Dad just wasn’t ready to hear it.
I want you to be able to shop for your first drum set with confidence and come away from your experience happy.
I’m going to tell you exactly what parts make up a full acoustic drum set and I’ll share my 9 Things You MUST Know Before Buying Your First Drum Set.
I’ll also share some examples of the drum sets I like for beginners and as a bonus, my 4 Tips To Getting More Bang, Boom, Crash! for Your Buck.
You’ll also get a free PDF of my Drum Set Buying Guide For Beginners, complete with a checklist of the parts of the drum set and a list of major U.S. drum brands.
More than just DRUMS
Drum sets come in many different sizes and configurations, and wood and metal types. There is an infinite number of parts of a drum set that can be tweaked and customized. They’re kinda like race cars.
It can be very overwhelming and seem so... expensive. Don’t worry, for now, you can leave all of that for the pros.
Luckily for you, the newbie, there are standard drum sets and they come in pre-packaged kits.
Your basic drum set is made up of:
Drums:
Bass drum
Toms (1 or 2, may also be called Rack Toms)
Floor Tom
Snare drum
Cymbals:
Ride
Crash
Hi-hats (2 cymbals operated with a foot pedal)
Hardware:
Tom mounts and legs
Cymbal stands
Snare drum stand
Bass drum pedal
Hi-hat stand/pedal
Throne (seat)
Many beginner-level drum sets include everything I just listed and a pair of sticks! They come from major brands and are priced for entry.
First time buyers should give this type of package real consideration.
No Frills Drumming
The above list of gear is for a standard acoustic drum set. There are no hidden extras here.
You can’t skip buying a seat or a bass drum pedal or cymbals, unless you’ve got to budget for them and plan to pick them up later.
Tambourines, woodblocks, cowbells, etc… save all of that for future birthday presents.
This was the problem the parent at the music store was having. The kit he picked didn’t include everything listed above, and he didn’t know any better.
He thought the parts the salesperson was showing him were “extras” and “nice-to-haves”; and he walked away upset and with an incomplete drum set.
Drums can be expensive, but with research, you can find an option that gives you a complete drum set for a price you can afford.
…you can purchase a whole drum set part-by-part, but … you should wait on that sort of investment of time and money.
< Ludwig 5-piece Junior Drum Set with Cymbals and Hardware
9 CRITICAL Things To Know When Shopping For Drums
1. Do you have a kids menu?
There are drum kits for adults and drum kits for children (say, under 10 years old).
The kid options are considered “Junior” sizes. This is because a standard adult-sized bass drum at 22-inches tall can easily be as big as your youngster!
A drum set that fits your child’s size is going to be much more beneficial to them than one that’s too large.
If you’ve got a young’un, look for drum sets labeled “Junior” or “Jr.”, or look for drum sets where the bass drum is 16-inches or less in diameter.
On the flip side, if you’re an adult, you’ll want an adult-sized kit. Your standard bass drum size is 22-inches in diameter, though 20” and 24” are popular choices.
2. 4-Piece or 5-Piece?
We’re not talking chicken here (although I’m kinda hungry and chicken sounds pretty great right now).
You’ll see beginner drum sets described as 4 or 5-piece kits. This number refers to the drums only.
4-piece kits include: bass drum, floor tom, 1 tom and snare
5-piece kits include: bass drum, floor tom, 2 toms and snare
When you add “pieces,” you’re adding drums in various configurations.
How many you buy is totally up to you (a friend of mine had a 9-piece kit for his first!), but I’d recommend going with a 5-piece. That way you have the option to experiment with 4 or 5 pieces as opposed to being confined to a 4-piece setup.
3. What is Hardware?
Hardware is the catch-all term for the stands, legs and tom mounts for a drum set. It’s all of the metal stuff.
When you read a product’s description, it should either say “includes hardware” or have a list of included hardware.
Make sure it has all of the pieces mentioned above or you’ll be buying hardware separately.
4. Bass Drum Pedal and Throne
A beginner’s drum set should include a bass drum pedal and throne (seat).
Like everything else in drumming, there are intermediate and professional grade products that can be bought separately, or later when you want to upgrade.
It’ll be more cost effective to make sure your first drum set includes a pedal and throne. They can be expensive if you need to pick these up separately.
5. Color Matters
Buying an instrument is such a personal thing. When the right instrument is found it’s like finding a soulmate.
Drum sets come in so many different colors that it’s crucial to pick one that enthralls you.
When I first started, I remember looking at drums in catalogs and there was this black kit that jumped off the page every time I looked at it.
I was lucky enough to get that exact drum set from my parents for Christmas one year. It was a life-altering experience.
Listen to your heart. That connection matters.
6. Entry-level Drums For Adults
It’s more common for adult drum sets to be sold without cymbals, even for beginners, although I included links for two kits for adults with cymbals.
They’ll usually include hardware, but use my guide to make sure the one you want includes all the hardware you need.
You’ll actually get more mileage out of a kit of this level because they’re often near-professional-quality instruments at entry-level prices.
They make great first drums for anyone, including younger students who physically grow out of their junior-sized kit.
Make sure that your choice of drum set isn’t just a “Shell Pack” which includes only the bass drum and toms.
These are for players who already have hardware and cymbals or people building a new drum set piece-by-piece.
They don’t usually include any of the pieces listed above. Not even a snare drum.
7. Let’s Talk About Cymbals
You might decide to get an entry-level kit that doesn’t come with cymbals, or you want to upgrade from the ones that came with your kit.
Most brands have a line of entry-level cymbals. They’re also available in packs, to remove the guessing game of what to buy.
These cymbals are significantly better quality than the ones that come with a beginner set. Even the ones that come with name brand drums are typically low quality.
You’ll be able to find packs with the sounds you want at prices you can afford. Just remember, you’ll need a stand for each cymbal.
8. Play In The Majors
My experience’s been that the major brands guarantee a level of quality that’s just necessary from a musical instrument.
I don’t wish to offend anyone, but do your best to stay away from the $89 Walmart drum set. Yes, it’s sooo affordable, but it, and others like it, aren’t made very well.
My friend got one and it gave me splinters when I tried to change the heads and the metal bent easily.
The hardware was weak and screw threads stripped. The colored wrap on the drums cracked and peeled off.
I understand that you might have to get a drum set in this price range and I don’t want to make you feel bad. We work with what we have, always!
Use my buying guide and purchase a used drum set before getting something like this. They’re just too cheaply made.
I also caution you against buying toy drum sets. Hello Kitty drums are amazing and hilarious, but they’re not real instruments.
9. Batteries Not Included
Up to now, I’ve only mentioned acoustic drums. There are also electric drums to consider.
As drummer Nick D’Virgilio says in this excellent drum buying guide, electronic kits are an option when you need to be quiet, and they often come with everything you need to get started.
However, at this point drummers are going to be exposed to more acoustic drums than electronic, especially at school, so it’s best to get started on acoustic drums from the beginning.
Some examples of beginner sets
Here are some examples of beginner drum sets like the ones I’ve mentioned above. They come in many fun colors and include all of the parts you need to start right away.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, since almost all major brands have an entry level kit, but it should give you an idea of what I’m talking about.
Junior sized:
Ludwig 5-piece Junior Drum Set with Cymbals and Hardware
Ludwig Questlove Pocket Kit Drum Set
Pearl Roadshow Jr. 5-piece Complete Drum Set with Cymbals
Adult sized beginner with cymbals:
Pearl Roadshow 5-piece Complete Drum Set with Cymbals
Ludwig Element Evolution 5-piece Drum Set with Zildjian ZBT Cymbals
Adult sized beginner without cymbals:
Entry-Level Cymbal Lines
Sabian - B8X Series
Zildjian - Z Series
Drums can be expensive, but with research, you can find an option that gives you a complete drum set for a price you can afford.
Pearl Export EXL >
4 Tips For Getting More Bang, Boom, Crash! For Your Buck
1. Do Your Research
Since you’re reading this, you’re probably already taking your research seriously.
Try shopping on websites such as Sweetwater; Guitar Center; and Steve Weiss Music for beginner drum sets. You’ll find most of what’s available on these sites.
As you do that, remember that drum sets are highly customizable, and as quality increases, so does the price.
You’ll see a lot of single pieces for sale as well as expensive ones.
Don’t let that frighten you. Armed with my printout, you know exactly what pieces you’re looking for.
2. Skip the Jargon!
Humans love their jargon and drummers are no different. If you stick with a major brand you can ignore some of this, since you can rest easy knowing that they’re creating quality products.
You might see info about wood types, how many plies of wood there are or the degree of the bearing edges.
This isn’t necessarily just fancy marketing talk. It’s related to how the drums sound, and they’re advanced topics for real drum nerds.
Yes, cheaper drums use cheaper wood and less of it. You should probably expect that. However, major brands will still use better wood than the $89 Walmart special I mentioned above.
You can worry about what wood your drums are made of when you buy your second (or fourth) drum set.
3. Buy Used
Remember that you can also find used instruments online, and get some really good deals!
Use my guide and checklist to make sure that you’re getting all the parts you need. There’s also a list of major brands that you can trust for quality.
Keep in mind that used drums may need some extra TLC, like cleaning and replacing heads.
If the drums have been dropped, they may not be round anymore. You’ll need to buy replacement rims.
Some parts could be missing or broken and need to be replaced.
All of this adds up quickly and you might be better off just getting a new kit for the price. So keep that in mind.
Be sure to use caution when contacting strangers online.
4. Resist The Urge To Go Custom
As I briefly mentioned, you can purchase a whole drum set part-by-part, but since this is your first outing, you should wait on that sort of investment of time and money.
Stick with the variety of complete-package drums that include cymbals, hardware, sticks and sometimes extras like stick bags or swag.
There’ll be plenty of time in your future to build the custom kit of your dreams.
This is a Magical Moment
What a wonderful time! The purchase of a beginner’s instrument is truly special.
It’s an investment in someone’s future and it’s one that can send a real positive message. It shows support and caring.
It’s the gift of music! It’s the gift of human connection!
When you’re unprepared for a purchase like this one, all costs are surprise costs. But you’re prepared, you’ve got the info and your handy printouts.
Now go have some fun and bring the gift of music to someone’s life!