Drums

What’s Required?

You don’t need a drum kit to get started, all that’s required is pair for drums sticks and a practice pad. As a student develops eventually a kit will be required, but again just the bare basics are enough and pieces can be added over time.

For example a throne to sit on, snare drum, bass drum and high-hat cymbal are the three basic elements to a drum kit. However a full size beginner drum kit can be found for about $400.00. To temper the volume of drums when practicing there are pads called silencers that are placed on top of the drum skins to keep things more quiet. Electric drum kits can be used with headphones as well but there is a greater associated cost.

Drum Sticks:

• Sticks come in a variety of sizes or gages; 7 = thin, 5 = medium, 2 = thick. For a young beginner either a 7 or 5 gage stick is fine, depending on the size of the hand.

Drum Pad:

• A practice pad is a small rubber pad that provides a similar “bounce” to a drum skin. It’s quiet and very useful for practicing stick techniques and rhythms. This basic setup is used from beginner all the way up to professionals to keep their “chops” fresh.

Lessons:

For a complete beginner your instructor will show you how to hold your sticks and strike the drum. You will learn the basics of drum notation that shows which drum to strike, timing and rhythm. More advanced students will be assessed and the instructor will identify a student’s weak area’s and help them to develop their skills and knowledge.