When learning to play the drums, it can be difficult to know what to buy, where to spend money, and where to save money. This page aims to outline the basic requirements for drumming equipment, and to dispel any doubt as to what is worth buying, and what is not.

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There are four possible routes to take when buying equipment to learn the drums:

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• Acoustic drum kit

• Acoustic drum kit with mesh heads

• Electronic drum kit

• Practice pad

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Acoustic Drum Kits

Acoustic drum kits are what we generally refer to when we say drum kit. They are wooden shells wish heads attached to each side, and tigheten with metal hoops. They are acoustic, which means that when hit with a stick, the head causes a sound by vibrating.

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Contrary to popular belief, acoustic kits are not the most expensive option, and a good set can be found for a reasonable price. Buying new allows the student to choose exactly what they want, but buying a used kit second hand can be a great way to get a much higher quality instrument for the same money.

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As a general rule, you are buying the shells, not the heads. So long as the shells themselves are in good condition, rims can be cleaned and heads can be easily changed. There is a healthy marketplace on eBay and Facebook of second hand drum kits, where high quality kits can be bought for reasonable prices.

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It is worth avoiding small brands and sticking to the major drum companies. These are:

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• Pearl

• Gretsch

• Ludwig

• Tama

• Mapex

• Yamaha

• DW

• Sonor

• Premier

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These companies have been making drums for a long time, in some cases hundreds of years, and have a track record of solid kits and reasonable prices. Second hand is always the best value for money with these kits, as, if they have been looked after, they retain their value.

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Typically, a full drum kit comprises three parts: the shells; the hardware; the cymbals. The shells refer to the drums themselves; the hardware is all of the supporting stands and clamps that hold the drums in place, including cymbal stands, bass drum pedal, snare drum stand, and the stool; the cymbals are the actual cymbals themselves. Each cymbal needs its own stand.

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Beginner kits often come with the shells, a cheap set of hardware, and a cheap set of cymbals. Students can then upgrade individual cymbals later, and replace hardware as necessary. Shells come as a matched set, so you would not upgrade an individual drum.

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The problem with acoustic drum kits is that they are loud. Somebody playing a drum kit at full pelt can produce over 100 decibels of sound, which can be deafening within the same room, loud in the same house, and disruptive to neighbours.

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Acoustic Kits with Mesh Heads

One popular option is to buy a proper acoustic shell set and fit it with mesh heads. These are the same as normal drum heads, but much, much quieter. As with normal drum heads, they are matched to the size of the shell, and fitted and tuned the same way. They sound and feel very similar to normal heads, but are a fraction of the volume. This can be a great way to go, as the student still gets to play a full drum kit but without the nuisance of the noise.

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A set of mesh heads costs about the same as normal drum heads. Cymbals can be fitted with rubber mutes, or dedicated mesh cymbals exist as well.

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Electronic Kits

 Electronic kits are a great way to avoid the pitfalls of loud and large drum kits. They are very practical, take up less space, and can be used with headphones at the fraction of the volume. Unfortunately, they are very, very expensive, and the cheaper models are not worth the money.

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It is an unfortunate fact that electronic drum companies priced themselves out of the market, as even entry level models can cost hundreds and hundreds of pounds. Roland and Yamaha make the best electronic kits, but they are prohibitively expensive for most new students. Other companies like Millenium and Alesis are producing higher quality models at more reasonable prices, but the quality is dubious for longer term investments.

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Electronic kits generally come in either rubber or mesh. Rubber pads are louder and cheaper, and mesh pads are quieter and more expensive. Mesh pads are far superior, to the point where rubber pads are not really worth the money.

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Another way in which companies have cut costs is by introducing sensor-based foot pedals for the hi-hat and bass drum. This means that, instead of an actual beater hitting an actual pad, a sensor at the end of the pedal tracks the movement instead. Not only does this not feel like actually playing a drum, but it is prone to break or, at best, become very unresponsive.

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Therefore, it is only worth buying an electronic kit if it has mesh pads, and also uses a proper bass drum pedal on a dedicated bass drum pad.

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Practice Pad

The cheapest and simplest option is the humble practice pad. This is a small wooden pad with a rubber coating that is used as a drumming surface. It is the perfect way to practise technique, as well as to learn snare drum repertoire. For dedicated snare drummers, it is an invaluable tool. For drum kit players, it often leads to boredom for all but the most dedicated of practisers.

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Rules of Thumb

When buying a drum kit, there are a few simple rules of thumb to follow:

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• Buy the shells, not the heads. Heads can be replaced, shells can't.

• A cheap set of heads can be made to sound nice with good heads and tuning.

• Cheap cymbals sound cheap, and will always sound cheap. Investing in good cymbals can be a great way to improve the overall sound. This can be done one cymbal at a time.

• For shells, second hand provides the best value for money.

• Electronic kits are not worth it unless they have mesh heads and dedicated bass drum and hi-hat pedals that do not use sensors.

• Hardware can be upgraded later. You don't need high quality hardware unless you are moving the kit around a lot.

• Stick to the main brands, and avoid cheaper own-brand products.

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