Beginner electronic drum kits are a great way to learn to play the drums. One of the biggest bonuses of electronic drum sets is that they are virtually silent while you play them. Because they are electronic you can put on headphones and hear every sound that is created, while keeping peace with the neighbors. These kits can also be plugged into dedicated drum amplifiers to produce an enormous sound. It is possible to choose from a large selection of samples for each component such as the hi-hats, cymbals, drums and tom toms. You can experiment with various noises, frequencies and beats.

The technology has really advanced in the last few years as a result of the kits becoming so popular. The drum kits are affordable, more realistic and quiet. Beginning drummers need not worry about making a racket with their enthusiastic first efforts. The kits have newly designed cushioned tom pads, snare heads and kick beaters. There are kits for various levels of expertise and even if you buy the most expensive set, it will not produce a better sound if you are a beginning player. Beginner drum kits are affordable and let the novice drummer quickly improve with continued practice. The drum kits are a lot of fun and you can upgrade as you get better.

Electronic drum kits are easy to transport and fit into small spaces. They are compact and lightweight. Once you have finished your practice the drum kit can be folded up and put away. Since the kits are electric it is possible to produce a huge range of sounds. Every component of the kit has a range of samples that you can choose from. This feature is very useful for beginners who are not sure which genre of music they want to play. The samples are also useful for drummers who play various styles of music in different bands. You have complete control over sounds sent to the amp and can adjust the effects as well as multiple audio outputs.

Beginner drummers can play along with their favorite music by using the auxiliary input to plug in their MP3 player. You can play along while you are learning. Drum kits allow you to record your efforts and you can edit individual instruments or notes to your liking. There is a built-in metronome that allows you to check your timing and analyze your playing. You can listen to yourself playing through the headphones. An electronic drum kit is a great way to have fun and learn how to play the drums.

Regardless of what you want to call them, digital drums, electronic drums and the counterpart acoustic drum set, drum kit, or trap drums, – the job is the same. This percussive instrument is used in contemporary music in the rhythm section to keep the beat, groove and set the tone of the song.  Without drums, I think it is safe to say that much music as we know it would not exist.

For an experienced player it is typically and easier decision to make. Neither kit is really better, however electronic drums and traditional drums have certain qualities which are better.  Any pro drummer whom has sat at both even the at the best kits available from both worlds will tell you that there is nothing like the real thing.  The process of hitting a real drum head which is under tension and creates sound waves cannot completely be reproduced by triggers and pads. Very close and every year the feel and experience is  better.  The second issue with digital drums in live performance is that unless you have the right amp or monitor system, the sound can get away from you and even the band.  Unlike the simplicity of a real kit, you beat on it and the sound comes from it.  Hit it harder and it is louder.  Hit is softer and it is less loud. No knobs, monitors wires equalizers, just drums.

Of course there is no argument for the digital drums in your house when you want to practice and not bother your family or neighbors, or want to play along with a song and be in your own world with the headphones. A tradition drum set can’t even do this. Also, for some music many enjoy the sound or digital drums for recording over traditional kits as they are easier to control and allow for all kinds of modern plugins.

Bands that also use other percussive sounds found in electronic drums like them because the drummer can get the sounds easily on the kit he is playing.  Then again, other drummers chose to play a traditional kit and bring a small digital drum pad for all the “extra sounds”.  I would say that many drummers today want both in their bag of tricks so they can have the best of both worlds.

In some ways the digital drum kit has become an instrument of its own.  I do not really see it as a replacement but an extension of the traditional acoustic kit.  It certainly has opened new doors for grooves and sound never possible with an acoustic drum kit. This does not mean it is meant to replace it.

Think about what you need to do and enjoy doing with your drumming experience then I believe the decision will be easy. You may find that you need both or only one style kit.

J Kelly

Drum Instructor, Albany NY

Drummers work hard in any band.   Typically unless you are the sound guy and play an instrument in the group, the drummer always has the most stuff to set up.  The drums take more time to set up and take down every gig. -Not to mention they require a vehicle with a big trunk, mini van, hatch back, SUV or something of the sort.

Drum Cases typically come in three types, Plastic Molded, Vulcanized Fiber, and padded bags.  Humes & Berg were some of the first in this business of making drum cases.  So which ones are the best?  Well, I think that it really depends on what you need out of them. For example if you are touring allot sometimes on planes and buses where you may not be the one handling your drums then perhaps the plastic molded style with lining would be best.   They are sturdy, can be handled roughly, stack any way.  The draw back is that they are heavy and the most expensive, but if you are not always handling them it is less of an issue.

Some may be of the opinion that the vulcanized fiber cases are dated, and perhaps they are.  These cases go back over 60 years.  But just because some technology is old does not make it bad. Drums are an old instrument themselves and the trap kit has changed little in the past 60 years.  Vulcanized Fiber Cases are sturdy, can be stacked and the foam lined versions can almost be handled as roughly as the plastic molded case.  However the big advantage to a Vulcanized fiberboard case is the weight. These cases are at least 35-40% lighter than the plastic molded ones.  If you are the one carrying all your gear around night after night, perhaps moving less weight and spending a bit less on your cases is important.

Finally the padded bag also has it’s advantages. These cases can be stacked, although you need to take a bit more care when doing so.  Because the padded bag or gig bag as it has become known as does not have hard edges, it can be packed in a car tight around other instruments and things with out having hard edges to damage other instruments or the vehicle itself.  Also on the gig these drum bags can all be stuffed into the bass drum bag and carried out to the car or hidden in the bar or behind the stage rather easily.  In addition, those bags with shoulder straps can be mule packed on your back for less load ins and outs.

I think when you consider purchasing drum cases you need to think about these issues and decide which ones concern you most.   The most durable case may not be the best for you.  Check out birdlandmusic.net for a full line of drum cases.

J Kelly

Drum Instructor, Albany NY

My 5 year old wants to play drums what should I do? -Buy them a drum set maybe get some lessons and let him play.  I have found as a music teacher if a kid wants to do something often they want to.  Yes, sometimes it is short lived but maybe not.

At 5 years old their attention span may be short so what ever you do you want to keep it simple and fun.  To much structure such as practicing EVERY day may be a bit overwhelming, although a bit of nudge to sit on them a few times a week is a good idea.

Choosing a drum set is really not all that critical, as there are plenty available in this price point and finding one they can grow into is unlikely.  The larger kits are just to big for 5 years of age.  I often found that a simple 3 piece kit is best unless the kid has in his mind he wants a 5 piece kit.  Some of the popular brands I have suggested to my students over the years are Jamm, TKO and ddrum. Jamm & TKO offer both 3 and 5 piece drum kits and ddrum overs a 5 piece.

By its nature the drum kit requires the player to be able to keep time and do several things at once.  This is what makes drums so cool and gets you moving to the beat. It cannot be helped!  So for starters if you are helping you child learn to play drums you need to both keep it simple and fun.  Keeping it simple means straight forward instruction with maybe one concept per week from an instructor or yourself.  An example would be playing the bass drum pedal boom, boom, boom, boom etc and counting 1,2,3 and 4.  However don’t forget most drummers like to blow off steam and make noise. So if your child wants to sit at the drums and just bang on them loudly then that is part of the lesson as well. If they need to sit and count and just play one thing, regardless if they can’t really play more than on thing at a time, they will most likely lose interest. What kid on a drum set or for that matter a guitar, saxophone or trumpet does not want to see how fast they can play on a bunch of notes or different drums or cymbals?

So my suggestion is buy them a drum kit, don’t worry about the noise because that is part of the fun. -yes even for your neighbors!  Let them bang away with a few simple directives per week. Happy Drumming! Check some out at Birdlandmusic.net

J Kelly

Drum Instructor, Albany NY