Buying Drums for Beginners - Your First Drum Set 

its always funny hearing a drummer say "stick around" :-)

This guy deserves more subscribers

I have never seriously been behind a kit before but recently wanted to get into drumming (background in guitar) and this has seriously motivated me to buy some beginner set and hit the skins until I got it down, thank you

I started out in a Pearl Export kit (the lowest line at the time) many years ago and I've recommended their kits to all of my drum students for nearly 4 decades. Of course, there are several competing manufacturers that make great beginner kits, but I've observed that Pearl (My general impression) cares alot about the quality and consistency of their beginner kits. I've always believed that quality bearing edges are more important than doodads like floating tom mounts and what type of tree was sacrificed to build the drums.

So many good options now in decent quality drums and cymbals available from the major manufacturers. I started out banging on cardboard boxes out in the back yard. Then begged and needled my Mom for a drum set for Christmas when I was 13 years old. I received my first 'drum set' for Christmas that year: A Remco 'Liverpool Compact' three-piece kit: 12" snare drum, 10" tom, and a 16" bass drum and a 10" piece of metal which was supposed to be a cymbal. I was thrilled and that little set put me on the road to a lifetime (and still going) of collecting and playing drums. I now have a collection of excellent drums and cymbals but I will forever be thankful to my Mom for getting me started for a lifetime of something I truly love.

What timing! I’m about to buy my first drum set, for my kids and me. And this has been hugely helpful!

I have a roadshow fusion. Ive been playing for a while but wanted something fairly inexpensive. I was very impressed by the kit and hardware and love to play it. But it is true you will have to upgrade the cymbals if you want a better sound. But i def recommend these to any beginner or intermediate players.

man i really appreciate your effort and quality put in your content thats my first video in your chanel and i gonna stick around for a lot more thank you !!!

Nice choices for beginners. I've been a Pearl user for many Years.. Got my Session Customs probably 20 years ago and they've never disappointed! As for Cymbals.. I hear ya.. Pearl cymbals = Crap! I've been using the Paragon Line last 10 years.. Just the Best! in my opinion. My Nephew is interested in starting to play.. so now I have some options. Cheers

We went with the Pearl Fusion with Sabian for our son.. works great.. Band director and drums instructor both agree that it was a really good start.. Buy earplugs and rock on!!

Hey Chris, i thought you did an excellent job with this video especially considering how many options and equipment is available for drum kits. Thanks a lot for putting this together it was a huge help!

Paiste needs a shout out for their PST line. Great budget cymbals

I appreciate how you didn’t just say a bunch of lame jokes.

I've been weighing up the Pearl Roadshow against the TAMA Rhythm Mate for a long time. Both have roughly the same specs, same (complete) kits, colors and price (and yes, both crappy stock cymbals). Ended up going for the TAMA RM, as some of my favorite musicians play TAMA (e.g. Deftones, Helmet).

Thank you very informative! My dad drummed for metal church and my uncle was David Wayne the vocalist of metal church. I’m ready to let it out of my dna and bang on some GD drums! Thanks so much! Going with pearl :) 🤘🏻

when he said "are you looking to buy buy your first drum kid but have no idea where to stick around".. i felt that

Mapex tornado is a way better option simply because its cheaper with the same quality and you can use the rest of your money to get new drum heads and a starter cymbal pack.

I never play drums before. If i want to start playing it, should I start with electronic drums or the normal one? ( im using it at home ) And if im taking a drum class, will they teach me using electronic drum normal drum?

hey so I’m 14 years old, I’m really into rock music and seriously wanna get into drumming. ive heard a lot of good things about Pearl, Ludwig and Yamaha, but I have no idea what to choose from. some kits have more drums or more symbols, and I have no clue what to look for. same thing with drumsticks, i know some things about them but not too much. i have skinny hands and long skinny fingers. but I honestly have no idea where to start, what to buy, where to get anything. but this video has definitely given me a little idea or where to go, thank you! and if you have any advice for me please let me know because I have no clue what to do😂

The thing is, I can only afford a $100 drum set

Having been in this position a year and a bit ago myself, although well self-briefed and although I went with neither of these, I concur Pearl's Roadshow or Yamaha's Rydeen on a tight budget are no brainer choice bang for the buck clear winners. Ultimately I chose to go up a notch on both to Pearl's Export EXX 22" Fusion Plus shell pack + 803 HW pack bundle as the preferred way for me to buy. In doing so, for the same money as a bundle, I got to select my preferred & more expensive Meinl cymbals, a much better than entry level basic throne, & a range of Vater and VIC FIRTH sticks & Meinl Deluxe stick bag rather than any of the basic bundles which came with the sets if buying that way. Truth is, I wanted and had budgeted up to the Yamaha Custom Stage Birch even if undeniably it is/was overkill for entry, but they just weren't available and wouldn't be for months PEAK COVID plandemic. In hindsight completely excluding buyer pride bias or rationalisation, I'm glad I went with the Pearl Export EXX instead. Left me a huge chunk of change to buy all those extras & accessories which are always an afterthought, and there's absolutely nothing shabby about it at all. Exceeded expectations would be the most accurate accolade. Build quality, rim edges, components, finish, what's included, tone, suitability for purpose including gigging, I truly couldn't be happier. Now that said, not faults, but two only extremely minor criticisms as with anything including possibly either Yamaha had I gone there, but I'm an attention to detail guy. Geared Rack Tom mounts. Obviously Yamaha's ball system is ergonomically superior. But then with Pearl's Export you get Opti-Loc isolation on the Tom mounts whereas on Yamaha's Rydeen, they are direct mount, so you have to move up a segment and a significant wad of $$$ to the Stage Custom Birch to get isolation mounts on Yamaha's Rack Toms. I'm no gear snob though. It's what you do with it that really counts. Roadshow or Rydeen will do a splendid job. If I'd been gifted or cash assisted into either as a kid or teen, man I'd have felt like I was just offered a jump seat ride to the moon with the crew on Apollo 11!

You made my decision much easier Chris. There is no better video on the topic than this one. You have a new follower 💪🍻🥁. You should be getting more views man, great content! Cheers

Really helpful...Thank you

this video is very helpful but i was wondering which kit you would suggest if i want to cover bands like motley crue or guns n roses

I started off with the alesis nitro mess kit about 3 weeks after my first lesson now 1 year later I'm looking for a acoustic kit under 800 Edit: ended up getting pearl decade maple and Istanbul xist

Whats the best drum kit on rock?

This helped me and my parents so much. Can’t wait to refine my skills!

Thanks man I've been getting into piano and drums lately

Man, I kept picturing Steve-O (before his voice went to hell) the entire time you were talking :D

New fusion and rock kids are $750-$730, in the now-a-days.

Super helpful. Thank you.

Guitarist songwriter for 30 years. Covid lockdown boredom led me to buy my first drum kit which is a used Roadshow Rock set. I Upgraded with new Tom heads, good used Sabian hats/Cymbals, and properly tuned all. I'm learning drums and having a blast. I'm into the kit for about $400 total. The kit sounds great. I feel it could credibly gig anywhere. One of the best musical purchases I've made.

Thanks man 👍 subbed

I forked over a couple of grand for my first kit and I've stayed with it for three years now. I think having decent equipment helped motivate me to practice more. Now I'm jamming with some good musicians and getting ready to gig soon. So consider that if you have the dedication and the funds

i’m not sure what type of kit to get, what would you say for playing things like classic rock, indie rock and pop punk type of songs

Thank you! Very helpful!

No Paiste cymbals? My first drum set back in 1990, looked like a refugee off the curb, my second one was made by Royce, the third one was a double bass Pearl Export used. The fourth one was short lived can't remember if it was a CB percussion. My current kit I have had since 1998, I paid $1,000 from my uncle and is a larger Ludwig kit. 24" bass drum 18" floor tom, and 4 rack toms 8" 10" 13" 14". He bought it used in 1990. The original owner must have custom ordered this kit in about 1981. 70's Zilligian cymbals. DW 5000 double pedal. Vater drum sticks.

He sounds like steve O

Great Presentation. Loved your breakdown & idiot-proof clarifications. One question .... not mentioned was whether the snare stand is included in the kits.... or did I miss this?

Good video. But I really want to emphasize that your first drum kit be a real musical instrument, and not a "toy". There are far too many "toy" drumsets out there, so don't get suckered! Do not buy a toy thinking it will be "good enough" to practice on. As it will not, and you will lose interest in the drums. No, you lost interest in a toy, not a musical instrument! You'd be better off playing buckets till you can afford a real instrument.

you can literally play this video on 1.5 speed. great video otherwise

what should i do?roadshows oftenly comes with those weird,cheap cymbals?and it's only the hi's and a crash ride?

i already hav cymbals, because i got them from my math theatcher who is a drummer. they are an 18 inch paiste 2002 ride a zidjian thin crash dont now which one and sabian hi hats. can someone tell me if those are good? oh i also got a 20 inch zidjian ride which comes from the 1970's.

What drum set should I start with? I would love to be able to play some Slipknot and other metal bands

Is ludwig a good alternative for pearl?

Perspective the fusion kit, 3 years later has doubled in price.

Wow, either he was only talking about the shell pack, or prices have gone up drastically in 3 years. Average price for this complete set is about $650 now new.

Which one would u suggest for playing stuff like System of a Down and breaking Benjamin and such.

Thanks really great video

he kinda sounds like steve o

My neighbors complain when I DON'T play. That's how good I am!

The only thing I don’t like about the roadshow is how the rack Tom’s are mounted but I just picked up a set of mienl dark custom cymbals

take your budget to ebay or similar and buy the best used yamaha kit you can afford - you won't regret it

Is this still the best after 6 years?

Thank you very much! Im a very New drummer, who absolutely love playing in school. Im looking at the cymbals packs. Which one of those you said, is the best for me then?

What do you think of the Pearl compact traveler drum kit for an old beginner?

I'm a drummer who came here after deciding I might want to try electric bass and got overwhelmed with best beginner bass videos 😂. I play a red cherry glitter pearl export which is my second kit and I really like it! My first kit was a cheap second hand cb drums kit (I don't even remember the name) that served its purpose as a beginner kit but after two years an upgrade was definitely due!

This helped a lot

Great video, thank you! :) Definitely investing in a Roadshow, jazz edition most likely.

I want to buy drums btat a lower price like $300,isit possible

With beginner kits, the cymbals that come with them are, for lack of a better word, crap. They’ll do the job good enough, but if the time comes to upgrade them, I’d definitely do it 100%. Now I’m not saying that you need to get brilliant-finished Zildjian A Customs, which are my favorite by the way, but you should get at least something that sounds great for a rather affordable price.

Wuhan cymbals have good sounding entry cymbals as well. Regretfully they are a Chinese brand, but the quality of the materials used to make what is their entry level cymbals is a higher quality than the other guys. The cymbals are machine made, instead of hand made, and being made in China is why lower cost. But they sound surprisingly good for the price, and it's primarily the materials used that create the cymbals sound.

Fusion or new fusion for metal?

what should i buy when i wanna learn how to play twenty one pilots lol

My parents won’t let me buy a drum kit because it’s too loud. But fuck it. Imma order one. Thanks for the Tips.

Why does tuning these things have to be such a pain in the ass?!😫

I've come to the conclusion that if I want to produce music that grooves as hard as Swans, I've gotta get a kit and learn how to play. I already play the guitar and trombone, so hopefully I'll be able to pick up the drums relatively quickly if I put the hours in in the wood shed. I'm going to be buying a kit in a few days and will start getting to work learning how to play some grooves I really fuck with (i.e. Swans grooves lol) I think once I get good enough I'll drop some cash on some high end cymbals, and start figuring out exactly what type of drums I need to get the tones I want.

I have been watching videos about drum kits... and am leaning toward the Ludwig Element Evolution 6pc kit....with 20" kick drum.... seems that kit would be the most flexible in configurations... would likely start out by just setting up the kick, snare, and hats...then add pieces as my kids and I get into it... this would also have us starting out with pretty good stuff I think and not needing to buy anything soon besides sticks and possibly heads if we beat them to death. Also, we would have what would basically be the upgrade cymbals to one of the Roadshow or Ludwig Accent kits, as well as possibly better hardware. Do you think this would be a good route to go, and then if one of us gets really into it, buy nicer hi-hats, and playing side heads down the road? Happy new year!

Is mapex brand good

I just decided today that I want to become a drummer

What should I buy if I want to play music like Metallica?

my uncle was in the hall of fame for drums and i’ve always had a liking of drums. i use to play but then quit due to never having the time but now i absolutely have to play again. i want to keep the legacy going and my mom loves that i want to play after her brother. thanks for the help!!!

can i play jazz on a rock drum set ?

If I wanted to play music like the bands: falloutboy, panic at the disco, twenty one pilots, Green Day, etc. what kit do I choose?

Out of all of them which one would be good to play Black Sabbath??

It's out of stock on Amazon is there any other place you can get the jazz set

Should this be the same thing you should do for kids? Or should it be different.

Sponsored by pearl????

If I get the rock kit, what cymbals do you recommend out of the 3?

Wuhan

Do you recommend the fusion kit or the new fusion or do you recommend one of the other kits

y first drum kit cost $50 and was many different colors, 2nd one was $200 and was a Royce, 3rd was a used Pearl Export giant kit I paid $500, next kit was aa kit I had a short time, forgot the brand. My current kit is a vintage 1981 era Ludwig over sized drums, single bass drum, That I paid $1,000 for from my uncle in about 1998. Great sounding kit.

Hi, thanks for this video. I want to start learning how to play thw drums and I bought a kit and a set of cymbals for me to use. Amazingly enough, the kits and set of cymbals that I bought were all mentioned in this video. This further validates my decision on buying the items. I have a Pearl Roadshow Fusion and Sabian SBR and I added a Meinl 14" crash classic as well as a cowbell. I am excited to begin my drumming journey. Thanks for this video.

What are your cymbals? Pls

Great share, learned a ton. Played a little drums 45 years ago, thinking about what set it would take to play rockabilly and boogie woogie.

Zildjian Planet Z’s, Zildjian i Series, Sabian B8s, Paiste PSTs, and Meinl MCS are also entry level cymbal sets

Can you pretty please do a newer video with products that are currently being sold? 😍 was gonna buy, but the links leads to "currently unavailable" 🥺

This was so helpful!! How much space in a square do you think you’ll need for the Fusion or Rock set? I’m looking to learn because I’ve starting a band up soon.

This is so informative. Thank you so much. I was overwhelmed with the options for my first kit, this definitely helps!

If your thinking about buying instruments don’t go to a friend who has certain instruments you like cause you have to be patient with learning to play

He dont look like it but he is better than most guys who really sells stuff and better than most of my teachers

Thank you thank you thank you for this video it was so fucking informative !

Hey Chris...love your videos...would you recommend the Pearl Export for a beginner as well..?? It´s a bit more expensive but that`s ok for me...it would be for my son who wants to start/try...and maybe me sometimes as an "old" drummer, who is pretty much out of practice...😉😉

This has been so very helpful. Appreciate the full explanations. Thank you.

Just got mine last week 😆 Tama superstar classic coffe fade 🤟🏾 and cymbals zildijan I family 😅

i wouldnt say a $500 drum set is a beginner buy

Get back on your channell bro. What i have to travel to pa now.... lol

Hey how do you do this for a living? or how can I make this a thing after HS? am very interested I need help in terms of making these videos?

my son has been taking drum lessons for a few months now and he is really taking to it. I am not sure whether or not to get him an acoustic set or an electric drum set as it seems like those kits are maybe not so bad. But one thing i have to consider is sound dampening as well since i live in a condo. Any suggestions?

3:56: An ovular bass drum?