The Ultimate Drum Set Buying Guide

There’s nothing that gives you the feeling of power more than sitting behind a drum set. You’re the loudest, you’re the ruler of time, and let’s face it, despite what the lead guitarist or singer might say, you’re the most important. That’s right; it’s all about the drummer! They don’t call it a “drum throne” for nothing…

If you have dreams of beating and banging your way to the top, you need to start with a drum kit that fits your style and needs. And there are a lot of pieces to understand. Luckily, the AMS Gear Nerds are here to help! We’ve put together this comprehensive Ultimate Drum Buying Guide to help you choose the ideal equipment to make your percussive dreams a reality.

So take a seat on your throne, and let’s learn all about drums, m’Lord or Lady.

Drum sets might look intimidating — especially if you look at monster sets like Neil Peart’s or Terry Bozzio’s (and if you haven’t seen them, they’re definitely something to check out!). But really there are only three main parts to any drum set:

• Drums – Makes all the “booms,” thumps,” and “snaps”
• Cymbals – Craaaassssshhhhh
• Hardware – Holds everything up

See, that’s not so scary! However, while there might be only three parts, there are many different varieties of each “part” that you can add to your drum set. Let’s take a look at each part of a drum set in more detail.

Drums are just hollow cylinders with a thin membrane stretched tight across the top (and sometimes bottom). When you hit the membrane, it makes a thud sound. The bigger the drum, the lower the thud. The diameter of a drum is what impacts the frequency (how high or low it sounds), while the depth controls resonance (how long the thud rings).     

All drums contain six basic parts:

• Batter head – The top part you hit.
• Resonant head – The membrane on the bottom of the drum (some don’t have this).
• Shell – The wood (typically) cylinder that makes up the drum’s body.
• Lugs – Bolts that hold the head and hoop tight to the shell.
• Tension rods – Pull the hoop tight against the head.
• Hoops – A metal (mostly) rim that runs around the outside of a drum head.

We’ll dive into the parts of a drum a bit later on — so stay tuned! But in the meantime, let’s talk about the different kinds of drums you can have in your kit. 

If you think of the drum set like a high school social hierarchy, the bass and the snare would be the popular kids. They’re the two most important pieces on any set. Why? Because you can play nearly any song by hitting the bass drum on 1 and 3 and the snare on 2 and 4. Throw in a little hi-hat, and you’ve got yourself a good rock beat!

Didn’t know you’d learn how to play the drum set too, did you!?

Since the bass comes in on 1, we’ll talk about it first. The bass drum is the biggest drum on your set. It sits horizontally on the floor right in the center of the kit, and it’s played with a foot pedal — which is why it’s also commonly called the “kick” drum.

They’re also typically the only drum on a set with a wooden hoop. Not only does the wood give the bass drum a bit more resonance, but it also won’t scratch up your floors!

Bass drums range anywhere from 16 to 28 inches in diameter, and the depth can be anywhere from 12 to 22 inches (but you’ll usually find them between 14-18 inches deep).

If you’re looking to get started on the drum set, a 22-inch bass drum will get the job done. It’ll provide a good, resonant sound that works for many different genres. On either end of the spectrum, jazz players like the lighter touch of bass drums with diameters around 18-20 inches, while metal players like the extra low end of a 26-inch bass.

Have you ever listened to a hard rock or metal song where the drummer goes nuts on the bass? They’re using a double bass drum pedal, and it’s a popular way to add more ridiculousness to any set.

Single bass drums are (obviously) one bass drum and one kick pedal. This setup is generally considered to be the standard — especially if you’re just starting out.

As you grow your skills, you might want to try adding some double bass. And there are two methods to do it:

• One bass drum with a double bass pedal
• Two bass drums, each with a single pedal.

The most common way to play a double bass is to add a double bass drum pedal to your kit. One pedal sits in front of the bass drum at the center of the kit like normal. The other pedal goes to the left of the bass drum next to the hi-hat pedal.

Each pedal controls a separate hammer that hits the bass drum’s head. With one foot on each pedal, alternate your “kicks” to create that super-awesome double bass sound.

You can also get the same double bass sound by simply adding two bass drums to your kit. Each bass drum has its own single pedal. Alternate hits to create the double bass sound.

Most players choose to use a double bass pedal with one drum. It’s the most cost-effective way to achieve the beloved double-bass sound without needing to add another big drum to your kit — which is more to lug around from gig to gig (and to pay for).

However, the downside to using a double bass pedal is that you’re stuck with only one drum. Many drummers like to have one 20-inch and one 24-inch bass drum to add some variance to their double-bass tone. They can also choose which drum they want to use, depending on the song and the tone they’re going for.

AMS Pro Tip: If you want to start learning double bass, start with a double bass pedal and one bass drum. It’s cheaper than buying another bass drum. You can always upgrade down the road — if you don’t fall in love with the sound and feel of the double bass pedal, of course.

There’s a lot of debate in the percussion world about the best drive for your bass drum pedal. Some drummers prefer direct drive, while others like chain drive. The “drive” refers to how the energy from your foot is transferred to the pedal’s hammer, and there are two ways to do it:

• Chain drive – A chain connects the pedal to the hammer. When you press down on the pedal, the chain tightens, pulls down the hammer, and makes a good thump on the bass drum.
• Direct drive – The pedal is connected directly to the hammer. When you push down on the pedal, the hammer goes down too. No middleman involved.

Chain-drive bass drum pedals are the most common and popular — mostly because they’re more affordable. They’re also considered to be a bit more durable and easier to fix if something should go wrong.

But just because chain-drive pedals are cheaper, don’t think they’re the low-end option. They’re cheaper just because they’re easier to manufacture, not because they’re considered lesser pedals.

Direct-drive bass drum pedals are loved by drummers looking for speed. Because there are fewer points of contact (just the pedal connected to the hammer), there’s no lag. When you push the pedal, the hammer goes down, making it easy to get those fast feet a-goin’.

You can also find double bass pedals in both direct drive and chain drive variants.

At the end of the day, there is no best when it comes to direct drive versus chain drive bass drum pedals. It’s all about your playing style. Do you prefer “chain feel” or the quickness of direct drive? Try out a few different bass drum pedals to see what you like best.

And not to brag, but AMS’s industry-leading 45-day return policy makes it easy to find the best bass drum pedal to fit your style. You don’t have to worry about being stuck with a pedal that doesn’t feel good under your toes.

A bass drum beater, well… beats your bass drum. It’s the little mallet that hits the drum head whenever you press down on the bass drum pedal and makes the thud. And the material that your beater is made from will largely affect the sound of your bass drum.

There are six main bass drum beater materials:

• Fluffy – Looks like a squirrel lost a fight with a popsicle. The fluffiness keeps your bass more subdued for a soft, boomy sound. Think jazz in a smoky nightclub.
• Felt – Slightly harder than fluffy beaters for a more pronounced bass sound with moderate attack and a nice deep thud. It’s the most common type of bass drum beater and is great as an all-around option.
• Rubber – Bigger and more defined attack compared to felt with plenty of fatness. Great if you want a punchy bass sound that’ll really cut through the mix. Typically used by drummers who like to use double bass.
• Wood – One of the harder materials on the list, wood gives you nice depth and a strong attack. After all, you hit all the other drums with wood…
• Plastic – A very defined attack with lots of brightness. Plastic cuts through all the nonsense with its high-end. Along with felt, it’s one of the more common bass drum beater materials.
• Metal – Although not common, there are metal beaters out there. As you might have guessed, they’re super hard and provide a full, punchy sound. You might not have to worry about them wearing down, but your bass drum head is a different story…

Some drum beaters use a combination of materials. Extra fancy ones even have changeable heads, so you can swap the material you use to “kick the kick” without needing to change out the entire beater.

We handled the boom; now it’s time for the CRACK! The crack on beats two and four come from the snare drum — which is one of the most important pieces on any drum set.

The snare drum is a small drum that sits on a stand to the left (typically) of the bass drum. If the drummer has their right foot on the bass pedal and the left on the hi-hat (or double bass pedal), the snare will be right between their legs.

Snare drums are unique on the drum set because they have metal wires stretched tightly across the resonant head (the one on the bottom). These metal wires are called snares, which explains the name… The snares give the snare drum its unique “snap” sound.

While most drums on a drum set are made with wooden shells, you have a few options when it comes to your preferred snare selection. They can be made from either wood, acrylic, or metal, and there are some serious differences between the three.

Wood snare drums have been the industry standard for centuries. They’ve been around forever and produce a warm, familiar tone. These are some of the most common woods used for snare drum shells:

• Maple – Well-rounded with lovely bass response. Arguably the most popular type of wood for snares because of its versatility.
• Birch – Lots of attack and bass response. A favorite for more aggressive styles of music.
• Mahogany – Used to be the preferred material for snares back in the day, which is why it’s usually associated with a vintage tone.
• Beech – A harder wood that sounds similar to maple but with a slight mid boost. Creates a lovely “super-fat” snare sound.
• Poplar – A softer wood that’s becoming increasingly “poplar” (I crack myself up…) because of its vintage sound that’s similar to mahogany but with a little more top end.

You can also find snares made from all sorts of other woods like ash, walnut, basswood, oak, cherry, and bubinga, only to name a few. There are even snare drums that mix-and-match a few types of wood into the construction.

Some snares sport what’s called a multi-ply construction, which basically means they’re made of several thin pieces of wood all mushed together. Multi-ply snares are more affordable and can offer some unique tones. Although there are many purists who say solid-wood snares offer the best resonance and tone (which is an argument that any guitarists out there would also recognize).

Every wooden snare has its own unique tone, so try a few to see which one best suits your sound.

Want sound you can see… through? Acrylic snare drums are made from a transparent plastic that makes your kit look as cool as it sounds.

And speaking of sounds, acrylic-shelled drums provide a loud initial hit with a dark, focused tone and a quicker decay. You’ll definitely hear more of the mid-range, with less highs and lows. It’s like if you EQ’d your drum set!

You can find acrylic snares in a variety of colors, styles, and thicknesses. They’re all the rage when it comes to building see-through drum sets! (You can get acrylic shells for your other drums, too.)

They might be the youngsters in the snare drum scene, but metal snare drums are taking the percussion world by storm! They have a sound and response that’s entirely different from wooden snare drums, which is something that percussionists across genres can enjoy — though most notably (and ironically) metal players. They tend to have a brighter attack.

Like their wooden counterparts, metal snare drums can be made from a variety of materials:

• Brass – The first metal snare drum material. Brass provides a ton of high end and a decent amount of low and mid tones.
• Copper – Provides a more well-rounded and darker tone than other metals. You’ll typically find copper snares in orchestras.
• Aluminum – Sharp and dry with lots of sparkle on the treble side. It’ll cut through any mix, but that’s not always a good thing for certain styles…
• Steel – Tons of mids and treble with plenty of sustain. Steel is usually one of the more affordable build materials, too.
• Bronze – Nice and warm mids with a boosted bass response. It’s not quite as attack focused as some of the other metals.

In addition to their unique sounds, metal snare drums also feature unique looks. Many of them are shiny or have intricate patterns, which will help you take away some of that unnecessary attention from the lead singer.

Surprisingly, metal snare drums come in at a similar price point to wooden snares. There’s not too much difference. The main difference in price comes from specific features. A high-end wooden snare will typically cost about the same as a high-end metal snare.

If you’re looking for more attack and brightness, a metal snare might be just the drum for you!

Now, you could play entire shows with just a bass drum, snare, and a hi-hat (which we’ll get to) — but what’s the fun in that!? The more drums in your set, the better! Right…?

Well, those “more drums” usually come in the form of toms.

Toms look just like a snare, only bigger. They also don’t have snares and may or may not feature a resonant head on the bottom. Without the snares, toms make a nice, resonant, and ringing sound.

Toms range in size anywhere from about 6 inches all the way up to 24 inches in diameter with depths between 8 and 12 inches. And just like any other drum, the larger the tom, the lower the sound it makes (and vice-versa).

You can put as many toms on your set as you want (or can fit), and they come in two different flavors:

Rack toms, as the name might suggest, are designed to be mounted on a rack — typically right on top of your bass drum. Most drum sets have one or two rack toms mounted on the bass drum: a high tom and a mid tom. But you can add as many rack toms as you want (or that fit on your kit).

For a standard drum setup, position the rack toms so that the highest tom is on the left and the lowest tom on the right. If you have more than two toms, put them in order of pitch going from highest to lowest, left to right.

Some toms are just too big to fit on a rack. These are the floor toms, and they sit directly on the floor to the right of the bass drum. They even come with their own little legs, so you don’t have to buy an extra stand!

It’s common for drum sets to have only one floor tom. It usually sits next to the bass drum, opposite the snare. But if you decide to add more, position them from highest pitch to lowest pitch with the higher-pitched drums next to the bass drum and the lower ones moving to the right. That way, you can rip some awesome fills just running up and down your toms.

The drums might make a nice beat, but let’s be real; the cymbals are more fun! They’re like the punctuation to your smooth, flowing sentence. They make the accents and keep the time.

Cymbals are round, metal, bell-shaped disks. Most cymbals ride solo on stands above your drum set, but there are some (most notably the hi-hat) that work in pairs. Here are some of the most common cymbals you’ll come across on your percussion journey.

The hi-hat is the third member of the “popular kids” clique with the bass and the snare drums. It’s a requirement on all drum sets and technically gets used the most. For a standard rock beat, the hi-hat hits on every beat and sometimes every eighth note. It’s the primary timekeeper.

Hi-hats are special in the cymbal world — and not just because they’re the most important. Rather than one cymbal on a regular old stand, hi-hats are two cymbals that clasp together on a pedal-controlled stand that lets the player raise and lower the top cymbal with their foot.

When the top hat and bottom hat (as they’re called) are clasped together, the hi-hat makes a tight, closed sound. Raise the top hat up a bit so the cymbals are separated, and you get an open ringing sound. This creates all sorts of sound possibilities!

On a standard kit, the hi-hat sits to the left of the snare and is controlled by the player’s left foot. Play the hi-hat with your right hand and the snare with your left. Now we’re rockin’!

If you think of cymbals as the punctuation to your beat sentence, the crash cymbal is the exclamation point. It’s the one you hit when you want everyone in the audience to wake up and pay attention!

Crash cymbals are larger than hi-hats, usually around 14-22 inches in diameter, with thinner edges. All you have to do is whack the edge of the crash with your drum sticks as hard as you can to create an ear-rattling CRASH. It’s great for ending phrases and fills — or surprising your bandmates on random beats.

You can find crash cymbals in all shapes, sizes, and build materials. And they all make slightly different sounds. Many drummers like to have multiple crash cymbals scattered about their set to give them plenty of crash-tastic options.

If you’re just starting out and have one lonely crash cymbal, it usually goes on the left side of the kit just above the hi-hat. That’ll put it in perfect position for a super-strong, cross-body whack with your dominant hand (for righties), ensuring you get plenty of volume.

The ride cymbal is the crash’s more reserved cousin. It looks very similar to a crash cymbal, but it’s built for sustain with a slightly thicker edge. Rides create a long shimmering sound when hit on the bow (the big middle part) and a bright ping when you hit the bell (rounded tip).

Unlike the crash, the ride is designed to hold a steady beat, similar to the hi-hat. But unlike the hi-hat’s short clicking sound, the ride cymbal has a long, sustained ring. It’s great for when you want to change up the style.

Ride cymbals usually have diameters between 18 and 24 inches, with 20 inches being the standard. They “ride” on a stand just to the right of the bass drum with the cymbal sitting above the floor toms — opposite the crash cymbal.

If you want the best of both worlds (or only have the budget for one cymbal), you can also find crash rides. Crash ride cymbals are basically a combination of a crash and ride cymbal. They have a thicker bow for that lovely ride sustain with a thinner edge to add some crash-ability.

Hi-hat, ride, and crash cymbals may be the three most popular, but they’re absolutely not the only cymbals your come across in your musical journey. There are dozens of types of cymbals out there, and they all make different noises to suit your musical taste.

Here are just a few of the most popular specialty cymbals:

• Splash cymbal – Make a high-pitched sound followed by a short ring. An acquired taste for some…
• China cymbal – Big, dirty, and aggressive. A common addition to any hard rock or metal drummer’s arsenal.
• Special effects cymbals – Unique sounds to add to your beats. Some have holes, some are doubled up, and some are made with weird materials. You never know what you’ll find! Hit them with a stick and see which ones you like best.

There’s really no “proper” placement for specialty cymbals. Stick them wherever you like to make them easy to whack when the urge strikes!

You think they’re just two chopsticks that you use to whack drums, but drum sticks are a highly sophisticated part of a drum set. Every little piece of the drum stick affects your tone and playability!

There are three main aspects of a drum stick that you should know about:

• Taper – How the stick gets skinnier from the shoulder (where it starts to get skinnier) to the tip.
• Length – Obviously, how long the stick is.
• Tip – The size and shape of the tip.

The taper affects response. A longer, thinner taper makes the sticks more flexible, giving you a faster response. However, a short taper adds strength for when you really want to beat the drums.

As you might have guessed, longer drum sticks make it easier to reach around the kit — especially as your kit expands. Shorter sticks give you more power.

The tip is what actually contacts the drums and cymbals, so it has arguably the greatest effect on your tone. There are tons of different tips you can have on the end of a drum stick. Here are some of the most common:

• Teardrop – Makes a warm, deep cymbal sound. Good all-arounder.
• Barrel – Produces a very wide sound which is great for pop and rock.
• Small round – Makes a bright cymbal sound reminiscent of funk and jazz.
• Large round – Big and fat, in terms of both look and sound. Good for metal and rock.
• Acorn – Provides a big and full sound.
• Ball tips – Helps with super intricate and delicate taps.

Drum stick tips are also made in both wood and nylon. Wood is a good all-around tip that gives way to your playing style. Nylon is a bit more durable with a brighter and more aggressive tone.

The material of your drum sticks also play a major role in tone, playability, and durability. Lighter sticks help you fly through those ridiculous solos with ease, but a heavy stick will resist the incessant beating that comes along with being a drum stick.

These are some of the most common drum stick materials:

• Hickory – Rigid and durable for increased attack. The most common wood for drum sticks.
• Maple – Very light and easy to control.
• Oak – The most durable wood. It’s very rigid and heavy, which makes it great for drummers who break a lot of sticks.
• Birch – The heaviest wood used for drum sticks. Very dense for hard-hitting drumming.
• Polyurethane – Super durable and great for speed or anyone who burns through sticks, but it just doesn’t have that “natural” wood feel.
• Aluminum – Lightweight, fast, and furious with plenty of durability to boot.
• Graphite – Doesn’t warp and doesn’t break easily. Plus, it gives you some extra weight for drummers who like to feel their drum sticks flying.
• Carbon fiber – A very similar feel to wooden drum sticks but exponentially more durable (and expensive…). Just try to break them!

You might find other materials out in the wild, but these are by far the most common. Play around with a few different types of drum sticks to find the wood (or not) that feels best for your playing style.

Drum sticks like to speak in code. They all have little numbers and letters on them — and it’s not just for decoration!

The number refers to the stick’s thickness. The lower the number, the thicker the stick. Drum sticks range from 1 to 9, with 7, 5, and 2 being the most common.

The letter stands for the recommended application for the sticks — as if drum stick manufacturers know what you should be doing! There are four letters that you’ll find on sticks:

• A is for “orchestra” sticks.
• B is for “band” drum sticks like you’d use in high school concert band.
• S stands for “street” model that you’d use in marching band.
• D is for “dance” bands.

The letters and applications are a bit outdated at this point, but they still get the job done.

The most common type of drum stick (and the one that beginners should probably start with) is 5A. It’s a great starting point and all-around drum stick.

You don’t have to play with a regular-old wooden stick. There are plenty of beating implements out there to add some variety to your drum sound:

• Brushes and rods – For softer and more articulate playing styles.
• Mallets and timbale sticks – Padded tips for a damped attack and awesome cymbal crescendos. Usually used for concert band, but who says you can’t use them on a drum set!?  

Different sticks give you different sounds. Try a bunch and see which ones sound and feel the best for your style. You never know what combinations you might discover!

If you don’t hit it (on purpose, at least), it’s probably hardware. Drum hardware is what holds the drums and puts all the beatable parts into a comfortable, beatable position.

These are some of the most important hardware pieces on a drum set:

• Snare stand
• Cymbal stands
• Hi-hat stand and clutch
• Drum mounts
• Bass drum pedal
• Drum throne (stool)
• All sorts of clips and clamps

Hardware doesn’t make noise, so it’s easy to overlook its importance. After all, if it doesn’t make a boom, snap, bang, or crash, what good is it!? But hardware is an incredibly important part of any drum set. It’s what makes the set playable. And if you skimp, it could mean your all-important kit might fall apart during your next show.

Get quality hardware that keeps your drums in proper position despite all your beating and banging. Drum sets take a lot of abuse!

Now you know the parts of a drum set, but what about the parts of a drum? Let’s dig down to the percussion molecular level and talk about drum shells, drum heads, hoops, lugs, and all the other goodies that make up the things that go boom.

The shell is the main body of a drum, and it’s where all the sound starts. When you bonk the head with your drum sticks, the sound reverberates and resonates inside the shell. The size and material of the shell all contribute to the overall tone of the drum. Generally, the larger the shell, the deeper the drum’s pitch.

Bass drums typically have the largest shells, followed by floor toms, then rack toms, with the snare bringing up the rear as the smallest shell.

You’ve undoubtedly heard guitarist argue over which tonewoods are best for the ideal tone. And as much as drummers like to think they’re above all those petty string-player squabbles… they’re not.

Drum shells can be made with a variety of materials, and they all impact tone. Some are warm and level, while some are super bright and punchy, and others yet mess with your EQ to provide boosted highs, mids, or lows to suit your preferred sound.

There are three primary build materials you can choose for your shells: wood, metal, and synthetic:

Drum shells are most commonly built from wood. Wood provides a nice warm tone that has been used in drum manufacturing for centuries. It’s the OG, and it’s still the most popular drum shell material today.

These are just a few of the most common woods used for drum shells:

• Maple – A good all-purpose wood with even highs, mids, and lows, which is why it’s the most popular.
• Birch – Nice low end with boosted highs and slightly reduced mids.
• Mahogany – Warm and rich low ends with a smooth midrange. Not much on the high side.
• Walnut – Big and warm. Sounds like a hug.
• Beech – For those technical players, pronounced mids and highs with plenty of low-end punch.
• Oak – A faster decay with warmer lows, soft highs, and a decent midrange.
• Poplar – Nice and even with softer highs and mids and a boosted low end.
• Ash – More high end without losing warmth.
• Cherry – Very bright with lots of highs and a punchy midrange.
• Bubinga – Plenty of punch with a rich low end (and the most fun to say).

You may also come across drum shells made from exotic woods. While they might cost a pretty penny, exotic woods come with exotic sounds (and looks). Something crazy like purpleheart or submerged old-growth timbers might be just the sound you’re looking for!

Wood isn’t the only material used to make drum shells. Metal is another popular shell material to add more brightness to your kit. Although metal is typically reserved for snares, you can find all sorts of drums made with metal shells.

Here are some of the different metals you might find on your search for the perfect drum shells:

• Steel (carbon) – An all-purpose material with bright, clear highs and a decent mid and low range. The most popular metal for drum shells.
• Aluminum – Nice and colorful with crisp highs and warmer lows and mids.
• Brass – Very vibrant with a wide-open sound across the frequency spectrum.
• Copper – Not much high-range, but with its boosted mids and lows, the audience will definitely hear you.
• Bronze – Highs are more muted, but you’ll get plenty of mids and lows. Very responsive and warm.
• Titanium – Crystal clear mids and highs with a boxy lower range.

You might think that metal shells cost more than wood shells, but that’s not actually always the case. A mid-range wood shell will cost about the same as a mid-range metal shell. You start getting higher price tags as you add features or bump up the build quality.

Drum shells aren’t only made with materials that come from the ground. Synthetic drum shells bring some lab-grown tone and durability to your set.

Synthetic drum shells aren’t really anything new. They’ve been around for decades, although they haven’t been as popular as wood or metal shells. But that doesn’t mean they’re not as good, though. Synthetic shells produce a versatile focused and clear sound —and many of them are lighter and more durable than wood or metal shells, making them a gigging drummer’s dream.

There are three types of synthetic drum shells you can choose from:

• Carbon fiber – Nice and even with a warmer low end.
• Fiberglass – Similar to carbon fiber with warm sound and controlled, focused attack.
• Acrylic – Big attack and presence (also looks super cool because it’s usually transparent).

They might not be as easy to find as wood or metal, but synthetic shells are definitely something you don’t want to overlook when searching for your perfect drum sound.

As we head deeper and deeper into territory only the most die-hard drum nerds are familiar with, it’s time to talk about bearing edges. The bearing edge isn’t a very well-known topic for most drummers, but it still plays an important role in the timbre of your drum.

A drum shell’s bearing edge is the edge of the shell that comes into contact with the head. And the way it’s shaped and angled can dramatically change the sound of your drum.

There are five main types of bearing edges:

The drum head is the part of the drum where you picture your boss’s face. It’s the part you hit!

Drum heads, also sometimes called “the skins,” are a piece of material stretched tightly over the shell of a drum. They were originally made from animal skins (hence the nickname), but ever since the 1950s drum heads are almost all made from Mylar polyester — which is a lot more durable and resistant to changes in temperature and humidity.

Mylar sheets for drum heads range anywhere from 7-10 mil in thickness, usually at 7, 7.5, and 10 mil increments. You might also find a few 12-mil drum heads floating around, although they’re not nearly as common.

And just in case you’re curious, 1 mil is one-thousandth of an inch!

The thinner the drum head, the more brightness, overtones, and high-end ring you’ll get with every whack, although at the expense of some sustain. As you might have guessed, thinner drum heads are also less durable, so be careful with your swings!

There are two different heads that you’ll find on a drum:

• Batter head – the one on top that you hit.
• Resonant head – the one on the bottom of the drum.

All drums have a batter head (you need something to hit!), but not all drums have resonant heads — typically toms. The resonant head just adds a bit more… resonance… to the drum sound. It’s not essential, but it does sound nice in many applications.

As if all that wasn’t confusing enough, there are a few different kinds of drum heads that you can choose from. And if you’ve made it this far in the article, you know that each type of drum head will have an impact on your sound and your kit’s playability.

Single-ply drum heads are by far the most common in the percussion world. They’re just a single sheet of Mylar that can come in varying thicknesses — most commonly 7, 7.5, and 10 mil.

Since there’s only one sheet of Mylar, single-ply drum heads are super bright with tons of overtones. However, because of their complete lack of durability, they’re typically best for lighter playing styles, like jazz or soft rock. If you try to Travis Barker these things, you’ll probably go right through them!

Take two single-ply drum heads and stick them together. That’s a double-ply head!

Double-ply drum heads provide a more defined attack and fatter punch compared to single-ply heads with a bit less sustain.

But some of the fun of double-ply heads is that you’re not stuck with using two Mylar sheets of the same thickness — although you definitely can. Some double-ply heads stack Mylar sheets of differing thicknesses to create two distinct tones, opening up a world full of sonic possibilities!

Plus, as you might have guessed, double-ply heads are a lot more durable. They’re typically used in harder-hitting genres like metal, fusion, and R&B.

When you hit a drum, the head vibrates to create sound. When you add a coating, it’ll reduce the vibrations and create a dampening effect. That’s the main gist behind coated drum heads. They sound warmer compared to non-coated heads, even if the two drums have the exact same pitch.

You can find all sorts of different drum head coatings out there. There’s everything from light transparent coatings all the way to “sprayed until it turns black.” There are even some textured drum head coatings that add unique tonal effects to your kit.

There are many ways to get that fat, damp ‘70s dampened sound. Sure, you can go all DIY and put duct tape all over your heads or buy some sticky gel dampeners (which are always a favorite!). But if you want to live the damp life all the time, you can just buy pre-muffled drum heads.

Pre-muffled drum heads are built to be damp. Some have extra layers of Mylar or other materials stuck to the underside of the head to make that lovely, muffled effect. There are even pre-muffled drum heads that are filled with a layer of oil!

These wild drum heads are designed to eliminate overtones to really let the genuine sound of the drum shine through. Pre-muffled heads are primarily used for bass drums.

Mylar is by far the most common material used for drum heads. But that doesn’t mean that manufacturers haven’t branched out at all. Specialty heads are designed for a very specific musical purpose — and there are a lot of different varieties out there!

The most common specialty heads are made of Kevlar instead of Mylar. Kevlar is much tougher than Mylar, making it great for drummers who like to pretend they’re the Incredible Hulk.

While they might be tough, Kevlar heads produce a more synthetic sound with almost no sustain. They can be stretched much tighter across the shell for super-tight tunings. Think drum corps.

You can also find specialty heads with small holes punched along the outside edge to promote attack and projection. You can even take your set back to the stone age with calfskin heads that are warm and dark with a huge, fat attack — but be aware they’re not as durable or forgiving to changing weather conditions.

There are tons of specialty heads out there, all with different tone-bending features. The best way to find the one that best fits your sound is to grab your drum sticks and try them out! You never know what tone combinations you might discover.

We touched on resonant heads a little bit earlier, but they’re important enough to deserve their own section. If you weren’t paying attention earlier, resonant heads are the heads on the bottom of the drum, opposite the batter head (the one you hit).

The entire purpose of a resonant head is to affect the air moving inside the drum shell. When you hit the batter head, a column of air starts moving and shaking inside the shell. It’s a real party! The resonant head can alter the way the sound moves, changing your tone.

Resonant heads usually land between 7 and 10 mil. However, snares like super-thin resonant heads between 2 and 5 mil. The thicker the resonant head, the deeper the tone and longer the sustain. Thin resonant heads bring in the brightness but lack sustain.

You can find resonant drum heads in almost all the same varieties as batter heads (i.e. single-ply, double-ply, pre-muffled, etc.). Many of them even come in sets with their matching batter heads.

Not all drums need resonant heads (usually toms), so it’s up to you to decide whether you like the sound or not.

Ready to hoop it up!? Hoops are what hold the drum head to the shell. It’s basically just a circle that clamps down over the head. And if you have two heads (batter and resonant), then you need two hoops. Now, what that circle is made of and how it’s designed is what removes the “basic” and adds some more decision making.

Just like everything else in the drum world, there are several different types of drum hoops. And each variation will affect your tone to some level. So here we go again…

Flanged drum hoops are the most common. Rather than just a straight-up circle that goes on top of your drum, flanged hoops have a little lip that sticks out. And there are a few ways that lip (or lips) can be arranged on the hoop:

• Single flange – One lip at the bottom of the hoop. Claw hooks hold onto the lip and allow the tension rods to do their thing.
• Double flange – Adds another flange just below the bottom lip. This makes it easy to attach the tension rods directly to the flange, eliminating the need for claw hooks.
• Triple flange – Same two flanges as the first two but adds a third flange at the very top of the rim. This is a lifesaver for your drum sticks.

Any type of flanged drum hoop will give you a very open sound because it allows the edge of the head to vibrate freely with all the sustain it could possibly want. However, single- and double-flanged drum hoops are notorious for killing drum sticks. The top of the hoop sticks straight up, making it like a knife if your poor little sticks happen to come down in the wrong spot (which of course never happens to you!).

Because of its stick-saving abilities paired with the super open sound and long sustain, triple-flanged drum hoops have become industry standard. They’re by far the most common rim you’ll find in the wild.

There are also zero-flange hoops, but they’re usually reserved for historic recreations. You might be able to find them, but they’re really only good if you’re marching into battle next to a fife player…

Remember all that nonsense about flanges? Well forget it! It’s time to talk about die-cast drum hoops. They’re poured from a single mold, creating a solid piece of hooped metal to sit atop (and below) your drum.

Since they’re a solid piece of metal, die-cast hoops are the toughest around. They don’t need fancy flanges to maintain tightness and intonation. With built-in tension rod holes, they power through with straight-up toughness.

Die-cast hoops are ideal if you want a focused sound with moderate sustain. They’ll also stand up to just about anything you can throw their way. However, they are a bit heavier and will take a larger chunk out of your wallet when you click the checkout button…

No, Salt-N-Pepa aren’t in town. S-Hoops are another type of flanged hoop with a unique inward bend at the top. Since the bottom flange goes outward and the top flange goes inward, you can see how the S-Hoop got its name.

By covering the bearing edge, S-Hoops create a more rigid design that plays and sounds like a die-cast hoop but with all the versatility and stick-saving abilities of a flanged hoop. It lives right there in that happy middle ground.

Yep, wooden drum hoops still exist. Wooden hoops add a ton of warmth and basically no sustain for that vintage dark thud. Unfortunately, wood doesn’t hold up as well to the beats and bumps of everyday use — but it sure does look pretty!

You’ll typically only find wooden hoops on bass drums. (They don’t scratch the floor.) However, there are a few boutique snares that feature the eye-catching wooden hoops. Nothing beats the sound of a wood-on-wood cross-stick groove…

Most drums have two heads, which means you’ll need two hoops. But there aren’t any rules that say you have to have the same type of hoop on both your batter and resonant heads!

Many drummers like to mix and match the hoops on their drums to create unique tone combinations. Use a triple-flanged on top with a die-cast on the bottom, wood on top with single-flange bottom — the possibilities are endless! See what sound combinations you can come up with.

The final pieces of building your perfect drum tone comes down to the tension rods and lugs. Tension rods are threaded metal bars that run vertically (or horizontally for bass drums) up and down your drum’s shell from hoop to hoop. The lugs are screwed onto the top and bottom of the tension rods’ threads.

The tension rods and lugs are responsible for holding your drum together and keeping the heads nice and tight against the shell.

You can tune your drum by adjusting the tightness of the lugs on the tension bars. More tension means a higher, tighter pitch. Less tension makes the drum all loosey-goosey, lowering the pitch and allowing more sustain.

Most drums have six tension rods and 12 lugs (one on each side of the tension rod). Use a drum key to adjust your lugs and keep your drums in tune. Yes, even drummers have to tune their instruments!

Congratulations! You just graduated from drums 101. Welcome to Cymbals 102, where we’ll be going over all the parts of a cymbal. Don’t worry; this section is a lot shorter!

Starting at the center of the cymbal, the bell is the rounded mound that sits right on top. It’s the part with a hole where you mount the cymbal onto a stand. Of course, it does way more than provide a little resting spot for your cymbal stand.

If you tap the bell, it’ll produce a clearer, higher pitch with fewer overtones. Although it’s not the “standard” place to hit a cymbal, you can definitely use the bell to add some fun accents or swap up the rhythmic tone.

The bow (sometimes called the surface or profile) is the main, meaty chunk of metal. It’s basically the rest of the cymbal from where the bell stops all the way to the edge, and it produces the majority of a cymbal’s tone. It’s the part that vibrates!

You can hit the bow wherever and with whatever you want — typically drum sticks, but you can also use mallets, brushes, flip flops, or anything else you have lying around. Hitting the bow of a cymbal in different spots can produce different tones. Usually the closer to the bell you get, the higher and tighter the tone, while playing closer to the edge opens up to a fuller and lower sound.

The edge of a cymbal is… well, the edge. It’s the rim around the outside of the cymbal. If you give the edge a good whack, the cymbal will make a nice crashing sound.

However, be careful with that whacking power. The edge is the thinnest part of the cymbal and can get dings, nicks, and even dents. You don’t want to warp your cymbal!

Or do you? It might make some cool tones…

Although technically not a “part” of the cymbal, it’s still important to know about taper and curvature:

• Cymbal taper – the change in thickness from the bell to the edge.
• Cymbal curvature – how the cymbal curves down from the bell.

It’s not a rule that cymbals have to have a taper or curvature. There are many flat and un-tapered cymbals out there. However, any change in thickness or shape will affect the cymbal’s tone.

Cymbals with more of a curve will give you more attack and fewer overtones, while flatter cymbals have a deeper tone with more overtones.

When it comes to taper, most cymbals are thicker near the bell and thinner at the edge. The thicker bell side gives you a higher note with fewer overtones, and the thinner edge side is fuller and lower.

Now that you know all the parts of a drum set (and the parts of the parts), it’s time to address another consideration to help you choose the perfect drum set. And it all comes down to choosing how you want to make noise.

Would you rather make percussive soundwaves fly through the air or send digital signals through cables at the speed of light? They both sound cool, but they’re each very different ways to play the drums.

Which is better: acoustic or electronic drum sets?

Acoustic drums are the OG. Hit something and it makes noise. You don’t need any fancy electronics or technology to assist with the process. They’re what you think of when you think of a “real” drum set.

Most drummers agree that acoustic drums have the best feel — even to the point that electronic drum sets chase acoustic playability. There’s just something about hitting a head stretched tight across a shell…

Acoustic drums also sound fantastic. They have the real booms, thumps, and crashes that have been driving music for literally thousands of years.

However, whatever an acoustic drum sounds like, that’s what it’ll always sound like. You can’t really change the sound of an acoustic drum — unless you start swapping out parts, of course. And every tiny feature, from the head thickness to the material of the shell and even the bearing edge, plays a role in the overall tone. They can also be impacted by environmental conditions like humidity and temperature changes.

But speaking of tone, there’s no way to turn an acoustic drum set down. It doesn’t matter if someone is sleeping, your neighbors are grumpy, or if you really don’t feel like blowing out your ears, an acoustic drum is going to make some noise! Sure, you can hit it lighter, but that’s no fun…

Acoustic drums are also usually bigger. This can be a benefit to drummers who want to stand out with that big monstrous set that overwhelms the back of the stage. But for the average musician who wants to travel to gigs, being bigger isn’t always better.

If you want that traditional “drum” feel and sound (which many, many drummers do), an acoustic set is likely the best path to go.

Pros of acoustic drums

• Best playability and feel
• Authentic drum sound

Cons of acoustic drums

• Harder transportation and setup
• Can’t control overall volume
• No tonal versatility

Acoustic drum sets might have a couple thousand-year head start, but electronic drums are really starting to make some waves in the percussion world.

Instead of hitting a head that creates vibrations and sound, electronic drums are all digital. When you hit the pressure pad, it sends a signal to the drum module which processes the signal and then sends it to a speaker to make sound.

With electronic drums, you can basically ignore the 9,018 words that came before this. They have all the parts of a drum set — like the toms, bass drum, snare, and cymbals — but that’s about where the similarities stop. You don’t have to worry about shells, cymbal taper, or any of that acoustic nonsense. Since all the sounds are digital, literally nothing about the physical set impacts the tone.

Of course, because electronic drums don’t have the same parts as an acoustic set, they also don’t feel the same. It kinda feels like you’re just tapping your sticks on rubber pads — which is basically what you’re doing on most electronic sets.

There are some higher-end electronic sets that use mesh drum heads that feel much more similar to acoustic drum heads, but they’re still not exactly the same. Playability on electronic sets can be an acquired taste.

Where electronic drum sets stand out is versatility. You can make them sound like anything! Want to sound like a hair metal set from the ‘80s? No problem. Turn a few knobs and you can sound like a modern EDM kit. Press a button and pretend you’re playing a jazz club. You can also make ridiculous kit setups like cat meows or even… ugh… fart noises. There’s no limit to what your kit can sound like with just a few tweaks of the module.

However, all those tones are digital. And while technology is definitely advancing at a neck-breaking pace, electronic tones just aren’t quite the same as a good acoustic set for the most discerning drummers.

One of the biggest benefits of electric kits is that you can play quietly. Just turn down the volume of the amp or, even better, plug in some headphones and you can have a quiet jam session that won’t wake the neighbors. They’ll still hear your sticks hitting the pads, but it’s nowhere near the volume of an acoustic drum set. They’re great for practicing!

Electronic kits are also usually a lot more portable. Since the pads are smaller than acoustic drums, they’re easier to pack up and carry to your next gig without much trouble — or back pain.

Pros of electronic drums

• Unlimited tones
• Volume control
• Portability

Cons of electronic drums

• Playability (compared to acoustic sets)
• No “authentic” drum tone — everything is digital

Oh, so many pieces! Where do they all go!? Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what’s most comfortable for your playing style, but there is a somewhat “standard” way to position the pieces in your drum set:

1. Bass Drum – The bass is the center of your entire kit. Just plop it on the floor right in front of where you want to sit. Your right foot will “kick” the pedal.
2. Snare – The snare sits on a stand just to the left and a bit in front of the bass drum. When you’re sitting on your throne, the snare will be between your legs.
3. Hi-hat – The hi-hat goes to the left of the snare. Use your left foot to operate the pedal.
4. Rack toms – Rack toms sit on a rack (imagine that!) on top of the bass drum. Position them so the highest tom goes on the left and the lowest tom on the right.
5. Floor tom – The floor tom sits to the right of the bass drum. If you have multiple floor toms, the highest should be on the left and the lowest on the right.
6. Crash cymbal – Place your crash to the left of the bass drum and behind the snare. The cymbal itself should be just above your highest rack tom.
7. Ride cymbal – The ride cymbal “rides” to the right of the bass drum, opposite the crash.

And from here, you can do whatever you want! If you have additional cymbals, touchpads, xylophones, chimes, gongs, bells, or whatever, put them wherever they feel best to you. But I must say, there’s nothing that establishes a demanding presence like a giant gong sitting directly behind a drummer…

Which hand do you hold a pencil with? If you hold it with your right hand, you’ll probably prefer the standard setup you see above. If you hold it with your left hand, you might feel more comfortable with a lefty drum set.

With a left-handed setup, basically just swap everything you see above to the other side. The snare is to the right of the bass, your floor toms on the left, and so on with the rest of the pieces.

The basic gist of a drum kit setup is to put your dominant hand in a position to keep the time on the hi-hat and really nail the crash — among other things, but that’s the primary purpose. For lefties, you want the hi-hat all the way to the right for comfortable cross-body tapping to keep regular time.

However, there are many left-handed drummers who prefer to play in the “standard” right-handed configuration. It all depends on what’s most comfortable to you!

One piece. Fifty pieces? How do you know where to start — or perhaps more importantly, where to stop…? How many pieces do you really need in your drum set? Well, it all depends on your skill and interest level.

While you can totally assemble a fifty-piece drum set, most drum sets you purchase from a retailer come anywhere from three to seven pieces.

Naturally, the fewer the pieces, the cheaper the set — and vice versa. So, you might be thinking, “Hey, I’m a beginner. So it would make sense to get a three- or four-piece set and move up from there.”

If you’re worried about budget and aren’t entirely certain you want to stick with it, a cheaper (and smaller) three-piece set might be a good bet.

However, most drummers prefer a five-piece drum set. Five-piece sets give you the perfect balance between having enough drums to beat on without going way overboard on unnecessary pieces that only pros need. You get a bass drum, snare, two rack toms, and a floor tom.

Of course, you’ll also get a hi-hat and crash and/or ride cymbals, but for some reason cymbals never count in the number of pieces. Don’t ask why; I have no clue…

Six-piece drum sets typically have an extra floor tom (two total), and seven-piece sets usually come with three rack toms and two floor toms. They’re great if you want lots and lots of options, but they’re typically overkill for beginners.

Before you hit the Checkout button on your new drum kit, there’s something you should be aware of. If you see the term “shell pack” on a drum set, it means you’re going to get only the shells. When you open the box, you’re not going to find cymbals, racks, stands, or any of the other parts we talked about earlier. It’s literally just the shells for bass and toms with maybe some hardware if you’re lucky. And snares often don’t make the cut in shell packs, either.

If you’re just starting on your drum journey and want a full drum set that’s ready to play out of the box, look for the word “Complete.” That’s usually a good indicator that you’re going to get everything you need to start rocking right away.

Make sure you read the description before buying any drum sets to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting in the box(es).

Okay, you know everything there is to know about drums, right…? You understand all the parts, how they affect the tone, and where to put everything. Now it’s time to start on your percussive journey!

The best place to start is to buy a complete set. That should come with all the pieces you need to get started. At minimum, a three-piece beginner set should include:

1. Bass drum
2. Snare drum
3. Hi-hat
4. Tom (floor or rack)
5. Crash cymbal

Remember, cymbals don’t count as pieces — for some reason…

These are the essential building blocks to a good drum set. From there, you can add more toms, maybe totaling two rack toms and one floor tom. You should also add a ride cymbal to compliment your crash and give you a few more timekeeping options other than the hi-hat.

Once you have your standard five-piece set and get more comfortable around the kit, you can start to upgrade the pieces in your set. Maybe find a new snare head that gives you a better tone. Add some dampeners to the toms. Swap out the crash or ride cymbal for one of higher quality.

This is a good opportunity to add a double bass drum pedal, if you decide to go that route.

As you make your upgrade adjustments, you’ll get a better feel for the tone you want to produce. And that really opens up all sorts of new possibilities to expand your kit. Grab some new specialty cymbals. Add more toms. Get some cool new percussion gear like bells or touchpads. The sky’s the limit! Have some fun.

Ready to get started? Here are a few of our favorite percussion brands, so you can find a kit and all the additional goodies that’ll sound great and last for years to come:

• Tama
• Pacific Drums and Percussion (PDP)
• Gretsch Drums
• DW Drums
• Zildjian
• Sabian
• Ludwig
• Mapex
• Pearl
• Yamaha
• Alesis
• Roland
• Paiste
• Dream Cymbals
• Wuhan Cymbals

Hopefully after all that you feel confident enough to start shopping for your next drum set. And there are plenty of drum sets and percussion equipment to search through at American Musical Supply. We have all the top brands, so you can find the right gear to fulfill your desires.

And if you still have questions, it’s okay; I won’t take it personally. You can call the AMS Customer Service experts at 800-458-4076 for help. They’re all experienced musicians and can help you find the exact percussion equipment you need. We love helping musicians because we are musicians!

Find your perfect drum set and keep the beats going with AMS!