5 must-have drums for beginners

Drum kits come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. In the Freedrum app for example you can add up to 12 different drum units. Committing to a drum kit is different than committing to any other instrument because you have to buy multiple drums and that can get very expensive. 

But if you are just getting started and are not sure if or why someone would ever commit to a 12 piece drum kit, don't worry. Here is our guide to what we think is the best drums to start with and why. 

Snare drum

The snare drum is located in the centre of your five-piece drum kit. This drum gives a loud crack sound that you normally hear in upbeat songs.

This harsh sound is due to the snares shell, which is normally made from wood, mahogany or metals such as aluminium, bronze, brass or stainless steel. 

The "top" of the drum, also called the head (batter) is coated, while the bottom of the snare is thin and responsive. The rims are the hoops on the top and bottom that secure the drum heads on the snare.

All the parts of a drum kit are important. But if you practice your snare drum skills a lot, it can help you become a better drummer in all genres. Do some snare drum exercises regularly and you will most likely see improvements in your overall technique, rhythm and intonation

Bass drum

The bass drum also called the kick drum is the largest drum in a traditional drum kit. Most bass drum shells are made from woods like maple, heartwood birch, and mahogany, but you can also find bass drum shells made from metals.

You play the bass drum by stepping on the drum's kick pedal. This produces a thumping sound. The bass drum is very important to the drum kit because it’s the most central part of a band’s timekeeping.

Toms

The toms, or tom-toms, are mounted either above the bass drum or held up by adjustable legs. In a five-piece drum kit, there are two types of toms: the rack toms and the floor toms. The floor and rack toms are most commonly used during drum fills. Like the other drums in the kit, the toms are generally made from wood or metal.

Hi-Hat & Cymbals

In addition to these basic parts of a drum set, you can also add cymbals like the hi-hat, crash and ride cymbals. These add accents to your music and can serve as transitions from one passage in a song to the next. 

Cymbals come in endless shapes colours and effects. You can experiment with different sounds in a wide range of cymbals.

Before you buy...

Even though this is "only" a five-piece drum kit, it can still be quite expansive and does take up a lot of space.

The good news here is that there are all sorts of alternatives to an acoustic drum kit if you don't feel like spending hundreds of dollars before you know if drumming is for you. Make sure you check out our store to get your Freedrum kit!