Selecting a Drum Set

You are ready to purchase your first drum set, and you likely have a number of questions. Current students are welcome to email specific questions and I will offer my insight and advice free of charge. However, here are some introductory concerns to keep in mind:

  1. Stick with a standard four or five piece drum set, which should include the following:
    1. Snare Drum
    2. Bass Drum
    3. Rack Tom (or two, in a five piece kit)
    4. Floor Tom
    5. Hi hat Cymbals
    6. Suspended Cymbal (Crash, Ride, or both)
  2. Select from a reputable brand such as Yamaha, Pearl, Tama, Mapex, Sonor, and Gretsch. If you are unsure of a brand's reputation, please email me before making the purchase. A beginner drum set of reasonable quality can be used for both practice and performance, but certain brands produce drums of definitively inferior quality and should be avoided.
  3. Drum heads are 80% of the sound quality your drums can achieve. By all means, utilize the stock heads as you learn and practice your drums, but when they are ready to be replaced select from Remo, Evans, or Aquarian, all of whom make excellent, professional quality drum heads that will enhance the sound and feel of your drums. We can allocate time during a lesson to learn how to change and tune your drum heads.
  4. Remember that much of your drum set can be upgraded over time, particularly the cymbals, pedals, and stands. In this way you can avoid spending too much at the outset of your percussion career and instead work on selecting superior pieces of equipment over time as necessary.
  5. Buy a drum set that you like! The more your like your drum set, the more likely you are to practice and grow as a percussionist!