Things To Consider When Buying Your Child Their First Drum Set

Is your child interested in playing the drums? Here are a few things parents/caregivers should consider when buying a drum set for kids.

Size: Your growing child may be too big for some drum sets, but too small to properly reach around an adult sized set, too. How can we know which size drum set to purchase? Well, a general sweet spot for kids under 12 years old is usually a drum set whose bass drum is around 16" in diameter. Small children can easily reach around sets at this size, and sets this size are also big enough for adults who play small drum sets!

Quality Within Your Budget: We all have a budget to work under, and that is really important. Determine how much you are willing to spend on a drum set before you start shopping. There are drum sets available at a variety of price points, but truly, the least expensive drum sets on Amazon do not pass my quality recommendations! Try not to let the lowest priced Amazon listings set your price expectations! It's still worth investing in a drum set that is of good quality, as this will ensure that it lasts for a longer time and produces a better sound. It does not have to be the most expensive/best quality drum set out there, but there is a sort-of “baseline” quality that the most inexpensive drum sets on Amazon unfortunately do not meet. As a drum teacher, I have worked with many children in their homes and have seen their drum sets. The parents that went with the lowest cost child’s set ended up having broken parts, poor sounds, and a dissatisfied child. On the other hand, young students who had sturdy, well crafted drum sets (still on the budget side) progressed faster and enjoyed drumming so much more! Remember that you can always sell your instruments if it doesn't work out. A sturdier drum set will likely be easier to resell rather than a cheap and broken set.

Electric vs. Acoustic: One important decision to make when buying a drum set is whether to get an electric or an acoustic set. Electric drum sets are powered by an electronic drum module, which allows the player to adjust the drum sounds with a dial. They are also typically quieter than acoustic sets, which can be beneficial if you are concerned about noise levels. On the other hand, since acoustic drum sets are real drums, you will get an authentic, natural sound. This can be felt by the student and in many cases makes learning the drums more enjoyable. In addition, you can mute acoustic drums if you need to. Ultimately, the decision between electric and acoustic will depend on your personal preferences, living space, and to some degree, budget.

Accessories: In addition to the drum set itself, there can be a few extra items your child may need in order to be successful at the drums. For example, you may need ear protection and mute pads for acoustic sets, or an amplifier for an electronic set. There are many acessories for drum sets/percussion, but we can save that for another day!

With all that in mind, the following is my shopping list for parents buying a first drum set for young children.

Which Acoustic Drum Set Should I Buy?

For beginners (and even experienced players), it can be daunting trying to decide on drum sets, because there are so many pieces and parts. Many times full/complete drum sets are not even sold in the same package. In a way, it can be like buying clothes. You typically have to buy your shirt, pants, underwear, socks, shoes, accessories all separately to create an outfit. Rarely you buy everything together in one package. The same is true for most drum sets. Luckily for young beginners, there are a few “all-in-one” packages to choose from. If you are buying an acoustic set for a little one, I highly recommend the Pearl Roadshow Jr Set. It comes with literally EVERYTHING you need to get started, even sticks!

Which Electric Drum Set To Buy?

If you are certain on going electric, I recommend one like the Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit Bundle. This one comes with everything your child will need to start, even headphones. One thing I like about this set is the fact that there is a real kick pedal for the bass drum. Many of the entry level electric kits have a foot switch controller for the bass drum which is very limiting to playing drum set. The drums I'm recommending here has a regular pedal you'd find on an acoustic set, and will allow your child to develop a better and faster foot technique. Other than that, the construction of this drum set is reliable and the module has everything you would need without being too complex.

Electric drums do not have internal speakers, so if you wanted to hear them outside the headphones or make it possible for your drummer to “jam” with others, you may want to get a small amplifier speaker.

What are the additional things I may need to get along with a drum set for my child?

No matter what drum set you buy, it’s always a good idea to have something called a practice pad. A practice pad is a portable item that you can place on the drum or setup elsewhere to practice hand techniques and sticking exercises. Since it’s quiet and portable, your little one can practice with more flexibility in the day on or off the drum set. The EVANS Real Feel is a great choice that will last a very long time.

What are good drum sticks for beginners?

Although the drum sets I mentioned do indeed come with sticks, I still must recommend getting a quality professional set of sticks. Vic Firth American Hickory 5a sticks are a great general purpose drumstick. They are medium sized, professional, sturdy, and not too expensive. A drummer’s sticks are in many ways, the instrument! Everything else is at the mercy of those sticks! That is why I reccommend picking up a pair or two of these in addition to the stock sticks that come with the drum sets I mentioned.

Do beginning drummers need music stands?

A resounding, absolutely! Especially if your child is taking drum lessons, and learning out of sheets or books. Whether you go acoustic or electric you may need a music stand. They are portable and can be set around your drum set instead of setting your drums near a shelf or table, which may be akward and inconvenient.

Speaking of lessons (if you go that route), teachers typically like to document what you are working on and love to write down examples, comments, and suggestions. So, it’s a good idea to have a dedicated notebook. This will help everybody stay organized and allow you to track your progress throughout lessons. You can use regular notebook paper, but music manuscript paper is always nice when taking music lessons!

What can I do about how loud drums are and how should I protect my children's hearing?

If you do go acoustic, you may need to keep volume of everything in mind. We want to protect the hearing of ourselves and especially our children! Please please please get them ear protection! I recommend over-the-ear sound cancelling headphones like these.

As for the drums themselves, you may want to consider mute pads for the drums. This will help keep everyone in the home a tad more sane as your little rock star develops their skills! Make sure you look at the sizes of the mute pads and make sure they match the drum sizes! You will need to know the diameter of each drum order the mutes accordingly. You can pick each size you need directly on Amazon. You can even add cymbal mutes as well. I recommend Evan Soundoff Mutepads like these so practice sessions can go longer without bothering anyone. They can easily be taken off so you can go back and forth between using the pads and the full on drums.

Do I need a metronome to play drums?

Any musician needs a metronome to develop their timing. So yes, it’s incredibly important to practice along with a metronome when learning to play the drums. Luckily, metronomes are easy to come by on free phone apps, websites, and computer software, so you probably do not need to buy one. In fact, if you go with an electric set, there will surely be a metronome built into the module. But in case you would like to have a dedicated metronome device, you can try out this one.

I know this can seem like a lot at first, but I believe this shopping list gives you the best balance between cost, quality, enjoyment, and productivity of learning the instruments. Now, if prices are getting too high with items in my shopping list, I recommend settling with a single drum (likely a snare drum) with a practice pad rather than an entire flimsy and poorly constructed drum set. It’s perfectly valid to start with a few pieces and work your way up. If that sounds like something you are leaning toward, check out another article I have written that guides you through buying drum pieces part by part here.

Getting off on the right foot will make a more enjoyable experience for you and your child, and help foster their well being and growth. Who knows -- maybe they will be the next BIG THING! 🙂

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