Beginners Guide: 5 Tips For Buying Drums

As a beginner drummer, one of the most exciting moments is finally buying your own drum set. After all, there is nothing like learning how to play drums with your own kit at home. But as drum sets tend to be quite an investment and space-consuming, buying one is not something you do without consideration and careful comparison of different models and brands.

The quality of your kit will directly affect how good your playing will be. This is the main reason why it is crucial to choose the best but most affordable one that is perfect for a beginner like you. The great thing about the drum set is that it can easily be upgraded piece by piece, so you can also slowly save up for upgrades and other parts.

Here are some tips for beginners who are about to buy their first own kit.

1. Prioritize Quality over Price

 You might be able to find drums that are surprisingly cheaper than most of the beginner kits out there. Do not be tempted to buy a low-priced one as you can expect it to be of bad quality. If you want to save some money, you might consider shopping around for used but branded kits, however, you are not sure of the condition. So to be safe, consider shelling out a little bit more for the second or third cheapest model from known brands like Pearl, Yamaha, Tama, DW, Ludwig, or Mapex.

2. Buy With An Expert

Make sure that you also go to real music stores, instead of going to generic stores like Target or Wal-Mart. Not only will they have better instruments for sale, but the sellers will also know more about drums and be able to help you out. Just watch out for salespeople trying to make money off of you by making you buy unnecessary upgrades or parts. To avoid this, it is best to bring an experienced drummer to help identify what you need.

3. Choose a Full Set

Normally, beginner kits are standard 5-piece drum sets that include a bass drum, a snare drum, a floor tom and 2 hanging toms. Cymbals may also be included, consisting of hi-hats on a stand that has a foot pedal, and a crash/ride cymbal. You might expect the cymbals to be short-lived and low grade, though. When it comes to hardware, you have tom holders, cymbal stands, bass drum pedal, snare stands, and a throne. Some sets will even offer drumsticks and cover pads, but these can easily be purchased separately as well. The real beauty of buying a drum kit is that you can start with the very basic and collect all the necessities and slowly upgrade. But until then, you still have your complete set that you can already play with at home.

4. Try It Out

Do not bring home a drum set without even trying it out. As your first kit, it has to be something you are comfortable with, in addition to sounding really good. If you have just started learning and cannot play as much yet, you can always bring an experienced drummer with you to help test it.

5. Consider Getting A Few Extra Pieces

While your first drum set will have all the pieces necessary, they might not all be able to play like the kits of more advanced musicians. If you have already been learning how to play for a time, you might find that these kits limit your playing ability. So if you happen to have some extra budget, you should definitely consider buying extra pieces like decent cymbals. This way, as you learn and improve your skills, you can fully enjoy a better sound and playing experience.

Buying a drum set is not an impulse decision because of the hefty cost and the huge amount of space it requires at home. But if you are really serious and passionate about playing and love practicing for hours every day, then investing in one makes total sense. You will be able to save money by skipping renting a set and you will be able to play anytime you want (so long as you are not disturbing your neighbors). By following these tips, you can be sure to buy the best first personal drum kit.

Darren Perkins is a musician at Red Drum Music Studios and have been teaching drums and performing on Kit for over 40 years.

Beginners Guide: 5 Tips For Buying Drums