Quality instrument selection for learning music has an immense effect on whether or not someone stays committed. Therefore, purchasing the highest-grade beginner drum set possible should always be your goal.
Look for beginner sets with sturdy hardware and name-brand cymbals from trusted companies. Maple and birch shells provide a range of tones while poplar is often the choice when searching for budget-friendly drum sets.
Basics
Beginning a drumming career requires selecting the necessary equipment, which can be an intimidating challenge with all the choices out there. A kit provides a convenient solution, eliminating all guesswork in selecting individual components while guaranteeing sound quality – letting you focus on learning to play drums!
This selection of beginner drum sets spans multiple sizes and styles, so you are sure to find one that meets your individual needs. From 4-piece jazz setups that many jazz greats prefer to the giant rack of toms favored by rock legends such as Neil Peart – there’s sure to be something here for every drummer!
Cheap drum sets may tempt shoppers, but this is rarely advisable. Quality makes a difference between whether someone sticks with playing or not; and cheap sets tend to come equipped with extra pieces, hardware and features that distract students rather than helping them develop fundamental skills.
When shopping on a budget, all-in-one bundles may be your best bet. Just be careful to read all of the fine print carefully – online photos may mislead and it is essential that the kit contains everything needed – shells, cymbals, stand, bass drum pedal and throne included! Ideally you should test any kits prior to purchase to make sure that their height and reach suit your child or student perfectly.
Pearl Roadshow beginner drum kits provide all of the essential pieces at an economical price point of under $500, including high-quality snare drum, 14″ bass drum, 7″ and 13″ toms and Remo drum heads that are great for beginner musicians but can easily be upgraded later as needed.
Ludwig Breakbeats four-piece starter drum set offers another excellent solution, featuring cross-laminated poplar shells with Remo Pinstripe heads that can be easily swapped out. Furthermore, this kit includes the TD-1DMK digital drum module and Melodics for V-Drums software to help drummers improve their skills by playing along to songs or beats over 1/8” aux input.
Shell Materials
When selecting a beginner drum set, the shell material is an important deciding factor. The drum shell gives its tone to the instrument. Drum shells come in all sorts of materials ranging from wood and composites like Birch, Maple and Oak; though most beginner kits utilize cheaper versions like Poplar or Asian Mahogany as these are easier and quicker to make while offering similar great sound as more costly woods such as Birch or Maple.
A drum head’s choice is also essential in its tone and playability; this choice can affect its tone as well as playability. Beginning drum set players typically opt for standard or double-headed heads. As they gain more experience they may opt for single-headed drum heads; standard and double-headed drum heads differ only in that one has an opening in it while the other doesn’t.
Shells and drum heads play a large part in creating the overall sound, but hardware also plays an integral part. A high quality beginner drum set should feature direct drive pedals which offer fast and accurate speed control as well as chain or belt driven kick drum pedals which help novice drummers maintain steady beats without moving pedals around too often.
A good drum set should also include a snare and pair of cymbals to complete its setup. Although some drummers prefer heavier hi-hats over darker sounding snares, others will often add crash and ride cymbals for even more depth to their sound.
Many drum manufacturers also provide shell packs, or shell sets, which include only drums and hardware (excluding cymbals and thrones) to allow new drummers to test the waters without making an outright investment. It should be noted, however, that most shell packs don’t indicate which drum heads are included; therefore you may end up with generic heads on your drums that do not provide as good an experience compared to branded options you can purchase separately.
Hardware
An ideal beginner drum set should include all of the hardware necessary to begin playing – this means throne, drumsticks, cymbal stand, snare stand and hi-hat stand – as well as chain drive kick pedals favored by many drummers for their smooth and quiet operation.
As beginners tend to play at low volumes in their homes, beginners will require a kit that plays well at low volumes as well. Finally, tuning and assembly should be straightforward – while cheap drum sets may seem tempting as ways of saving money, purchasing them tends to produce subpar sound quality, be more difficult to tune, and can even cause damage due to inferior components.
When purchasing a drum set, it is essential to take into account both the size of its user as well as their desired musical genre. A 24-in. bass drum would not be suitable for children who stand four feet tall as this will make reaching it impossible; on the contrary, smaller sets with 20in bass drums and 10 and 12-in rack toms may be more manageable for young players.
Before buying either an acoustic or electronic drum set, buyers are advised to conduct extensive research to select a brand and model they feel most at ease with. While this applies to any instrument purchase, this advice holds especially true for beginners who will find their ability to learn greatly affected by the quality and ease-of-use of their instrument.
Although acoustic sets tend to be easier and have better tones than their electronic counterparts, an electronic set can still make for a great option for beginning players. There are various models available ranging from Roland V-Drums for entry-level learners through cheaper Alesis models like Kat KT-150s. Roland also makes popular options like their TD-1DMK and TD-02KV drum sets which offer superior drum and cymbal sounds while boasting superior build quality.
Cymbals
A great beginner drum set should include all of the essential equipment for playing drums, such as kick, snare and hi-hats as well as toms, crashes and rides cymbals. Some kits may include cymbal stands; make sure that any included one is quality and can support its weight as some cheap models made of one-ply materials may not support its load. Check the hardware to see how its assembled, as well as images for confirmation; any piece with loose or tight parts or with knobs similar to standard hardware store wing nuts should not be trusted as quality piece of equipment.
Beginner drum sets should feature high-quality cymbals made of quality materials that sound good, such as metal. There is a difference between high-grade metal cymbals and cheap plastic ones, and you should make your choice accordingly to ensure they last as long as you do!
As part of your beginner drum set setup, choose a cymbal that makes learning easy for beginners. A suitable beginner cymbal should feature crisp yet not too many overtones and be made either from brass or bronze; bronze usually yields better sound quality due to being more natural sounding; however bronze can be more expensive and may need additional maintenance than brass models.
Wood used in drum shell construction is also a key consideration when selecting a beginner kit. Mahogany and poplar are two commonly used woods for drumming beginners; Mahogany typically offers richer tones compared to poplar but won’t be noticed until later on in your playing experience. Poplar offers more affordability, offering good sounding drums. Later on as your experience grows you may upgrade your shells with higher-grade varieties like mahogany or rosewood.