Drum Lesson Essentials

When a student starts a lesson, the first question I usually get asked is what equipment do I need to start learning drums? The answer comes in a few variations. First, if you are a complete beginner, a practice pad and drumsticks are all you need to get started. Do you already know a bit about drums but don’t have a drum set? I recommend good drumsticks and a practice set. Here’s a list of the gear I recommend to students.

Beginner Gear

Vic Firth 5A Drumsticks

Vic Firth are my go to sticks for playing the drum set or when just working on rudiments. Although there are several different sizes of sticks, I recommend the 5A for beginners. It’s not too big yet not small enough that its hard to hold in the hand.

Evans RealFeel Practice Pad-12inch

The Evans practice pad is my go to pad for practicing technique, rudiments, and speed drills. The rubber material has great rebound to it, yet is still very quiet. Perfect to use anytime, anywhere. This pad comes in different sizes, but I recommend the 12 inch version. This not only fits great on a snare drum, but has enough surface area to be comfortable-especially for beginners.

The Drumset Musician by Rod Morganstein

This was the book that I learned on back in the day. It was so good in fact that I start almost every student on it. This book not only teaches you how to play the drum set, but how to read music as well.

Drumset Gear

Drum Workshop Practice Set

For those students who are looking for a great drum set alternative that doesn’t break the bank and is quiet for practicing, I recommend the Drum workshop practice set. The set comes with 5 pads which includes a pad for a bass drum pedal. This is great to start on as you grow in your abilities and grooves until you are ready to graduate to full set. Keep in mind, you will need a couple other pieces of gear to complete the set, which I will include below.

Drum Workshop Bass Drum Pedal -DWCP2000

Although there are many different options to choose from when it comes to bass drum pedals, I always suggest sticking with name brand hardware. Most of my pedals that I use daily are Drum Workshop pedals-there quality is amazing for the price and they really do stand the test of time. The DW2000 is one of DW’s entry level pedals, but for around $100 you really can’t beat it.

DW Drum Workshop 5000 Series Throne

Every drummer has to sit on something to be able to play. Sure, you could use a dining or computer chair, but nothing beats a good quality drum throne. A good throne needs to have three things for me-easy adjustability, solid construction, and a comfortable cushion. Most cheap thrones have a compression adjustment that never stays in place. I can’t tell you how annoying it is to have your throne slow lower as your playing a gig. Some designs address this by adding pins every six inches or so. It works, but it’s a pain to make any height adjustments. That’s why prefer a threaded spindle drum throne. They may be a little more expensive but trust me, the ease of adjustability and sturdy construction is well worth the investment in the long run.