Drums & Percussion

What different kinds of drum kits are available?

Drum kits and cymbals make different sounds when hit depending on their size. There are two main configurations for the way drum kits are set up based on this - rock and fusion. Generally with the rock drum kit configuration, the bass drum will be the biggest piece with a diameter of 22 inches, with the floor tom the next largest drum at 16 inches. The rack mounted tom drums will probably be slightly different in size, with one drum measuring 12 inches and the other 13 inches, while a normal snare drum is around 14 inches.

Fusion drum kits do not generally feature a floor tom, instead having three rack tom drums that are ten inches, 12 inches and 14 inches in diameter respectively. The bass drum is also sometimes smaller than 22 inches, with 20 inches a fairly common size.

Junior drum sets are smaller to accommodate younger players, with the Junior 5 Piece Drum Kit - which is designed for five to ten-year-olds - consisting of a 16-inch bass drum, a 12-inch snare drum, a 13-inch floor tom and rack tom drums that are ten inches and 11 inches.

What are the advantages of electronic drum kits?

Electronic drums and cymbals can produce as much or as little noise as you would like them to. With the addition of headphones, no one will be able to hear you practice. This makes these kits people that live in close proximity to others, or for professionals looking to have the accurate monitoring headphones can provide. The full sets take up less space than a conventional kit and can be packed down if necessary. This is perfect for people concerned about space at home, or the gigging musician. The majority of electronic drum kits have built in play along songs and metronomes, meaning you have a head start when it comes to practising.

You have control over what your drum kit sounds like, making it easy to play in a variety of styles with just one kit. Some electronic sets even let you edit the sounds or upload your own! Some electronic sets have very realistic acoustic drum sounds. This does depend on your budget however, as more expensive kits tend to have more realistic sounds.