FirstDrumSets.com

So are you considering buying a starter drum set? Are you a new drummer, someone interested in drumming, or looking to buy your child a starter drum set? If so, starter drum sets or starter drum kits are a great way to get an early drummer going.

Starter drums sets have come a long way in recent years, and there are many on the market today that are quality instruments only a step below regular drum sets (but less expensive. It hasn't always been that way, but the options for a first drum today are great. This post will go over what it means to buy a starter drum set versus a regular drum set.

For years (certainly when I was a kid), a "starter" drum set mean buying a toy.  If you wanted drums that were small enough for a child to play, you went to a toy store, not a music store.  Also, if you were new to drumming and wanted "real drums", but only something basic you could start on without a making huge investment, your options were limited.  Buying a "real" drum set was expense and was only for adults.

No longer.  Today many musical instrument manufacturers have seen the market for beginning drummers and now offer less expensive starter sets for kids or adults.  But make no mistake, these are not toys, but real instruments very close to the quality of their 'normal' product lines.

What you should understand about drum sets is the flexibility of their components, i.e. building a starter drum set means simply reducing the number of drums, cymbals and accessories.  For example, an advanced drummer may have 4, 5, or 6 tom-tom drums in a drum set.  If you are experienced, you may want a large set with that many toms.  However beginning drummers only need 2 or 3, which makes for a cheaper, easier to play drum set.  Advanced sets may have all kinds of other percussion like cow bells and special cymbals, which beginners can obviously do without.

So the main difference in starter drum sets and normal drum sets is not so much quality, though starter sets are at the low end or slight lower quality than normal drum sets.  The main difference is size and components.  They are usually just smaller and easier drum sets to play, and cheaper.

So what normally comes on a starter drum set?  Well if you look at what's offered by major manufacturers like Ludwig and Pearl, you can expect the following:

• Base drum (largest drum)
• Snare drum
• 1, 2, or 3 tom-tom drums (possibly 1 being a floor tom)
• Hi-hat (2 cymbols with stand)
• 1 or 2 crash cymbals (with stands)

There's your starter drum set!  Frankly, that it is plenty for a beginner to handle and practice with.  In fact, there are many 'normal' drums sets played by standing drummers that have those same components.

Also important, and another benefit of a starter drum set are the accessories.  When buying a starter kit, often a manufacturer will include most of the essential accessories that would normally be bought separately with a normal kit.  You should check a product listing, but accessories often included are:

• Base drum pedal
• Drum sticks
• Throne (drumming seat)
• Drum key (used for tuning, maintenance)
• All legs and stands

If these additional components are included, you will be all set to start drumming.

Of course the other main difference in starter drum sets and regular drum sets is the costs.  Starter kits are meant for entry level drummers or kids (often individuals who don't even know if they will enjoy this 'drumming' thing).  Manufacturers want you hooked on drumming so that they have a customer for life.

Whereas you can spend many hundreds $$ on a regular drum sets (and much more), starter drum sets can be found for $100 or less.  Depending on the pieces and accessories, it may be more ($150-200), but remember these are real instruments, and they still are bargains compared to a full set, especially if you are considering if for your child.

So where is the best place to buy starter drum sets?  Music retailers as well as "big box" retailers now sell them, but you can also find them here!  We are big advocates of shopping for used beginner drum sets, and eBay generally has hundreds of listings.  Our starter drum set store is designed specifically to show the best listing on eBay to make it easy for you to shop for you first drum set on the web.  There are great deals to be found.

Hopefully this post was helpful, feel free to shop our stores or contact me with questions.

Happy drumming!

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