At some point or another everyone on earth thinks about playing the drums. But it is not entirely common these days to take that first step, which is an absolute tragedy.
I can't think of one skill more valuable that I've learned in my entire life that is as meditative, comforting, rejuvenating and inspiring as playing the drums. Once you get into it there is simply no turning back.
The first thing you need to turn that fantasy into a reality is to get a drum set. Although it is never too late to start, starting early is always a plus, especially for the confidence of young kids.
As a parent, it can be confusing knowing where to start in getting your kid a drum set. Simply since of the numerous problems and headaches that come with researching and learning a whole new language. What is a crash cymbal... what is the best drum throne...?
We are here to help.
Fortunately, nowadays it is much easier to get a cheap drum set. There are many great brands but I will mention a few that make my list:
All of these drum sets will be great to get your 11-year-old. In fact, I would really recommend getting a drum set from these brands (just an introductory set will be fine!) since getting a junior drumsetĀ from an off-brand just will not be as inspiring, and frankly, your kid will outgrow it quick!
Unfortunately buying the kit this way usually means that there aren't any 'all in one' packages (although there probably are if you look!)
But you will need to get the drums, hardware, and cymbals.
Let's give you a brief overview (or reminder) of what this entails.
The drums of a kit are as follows:
Typically, a drummer will keep certain parts of their kit while upgrading others. For instance, maybe they have a snare drum that comes with the kit but they want to change it in a few years. This is one of the most common drums to change since it is the most hit drum and can change the sound of an entire kit when changed.
The cymbals are another very common stylistic choice to change.
You can also change out things like the bass drum pedals and the stool, as tastes change when one gets older.
I really recommend getting a basic four or five-piece combination kit, with one crash cymbal and one ride cymbal. You can complete this complete with a throne (stool) and sticks, which hopefully can be included.
It is called a four or five-piece based on the number of drums it has. The five-piece has 3 toms, a bass drum, and a snare drum. The five-piece adds a third tom to the four-piece set up (bass drum/snare drum/two toms set, making 3 toms in all.)
Having three toms allows drummers to have a low-pitched, middle-register and higher-pitched tom, which offers them more choices for fills and solos. Other sets will usually have 12" and 13" hanging toms plus either a 14" hanging tom on a stand, a 14" floor tom, or a 16" flooring tom.
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