Advice for Drummers
Are you a drummer looking for guidance? Our advice covers everything from the types of gear available and the kinds of drum lessons to career support.
Explore Advice for Drummers
Head to Head
Two products, one buyer, one honest answer: the kits, snares, cymbals and sticks people actually cross-shop, side by side, row by row, with a verdict on each.
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The best and worst thing about playing the drums is the amount of gear available for purchase. The selection of sounds is incredible but where do you start?
Getting Started
New to the drums? Start here — what to buy first, how to set a kit up, and the lessons and practice habits that get you playing songs soonest.
How to
Step-by-step guides for drummers — tuning, technique, recording and gear setup, plus the fixes for the things that go wrong, one step at a time.
Latest in Advice for Drummers
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Audio interfaces for drums | How many inputs?
Which audio interface to buy for recording drums: how many mic inputs you need, the two- and eight-input standards, ADAT expansion and the e-kit case.
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Drum VSTs | The best sounds for your e-kit
The best drum VSTs for an electronic kit: Superior Drummer 3, EZdrummer 3, Addictive Drums 2, GetGood Drums and Steven Slate Drums compared, plus the free ones.
How to
Connect an e-kit to a computer | USB, MIDI, latency
How to connect an electronic drum kit to a computer: the USB cable, MIDI versus audio, the buffer and driver settings that kill latency, and mapping the pads.
Getting Started
Buying a drum kit for a child | A parent's guide
A parent's guide to a child's first drum kit: the right size by age, electronic or acoustic, the kits worth buying, noise, lessons and ear protection.
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Drum mics | The first four to buy
The four drum mics to buy first: a kick mic, a snare mic and a pair of overheads, with the standard picks at three budgets and the mic packs worth buying.
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Drum thrones | The seat matters more than the snare
How to choose a drum throne: the height rule that fixes back pain, round versus saddle seats, the thrones worth buying at every budget, and when to replace one.
Advice for Drummers
Drummers and hearing loss | The numbers, and the fix
How loud a drum kit really is, how long your ears can take it, what the research says, the first signs of damage, and the one habit that fixes it.
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Headphones for electronic drums | What works
The best headphones for electronic drums: closed-back studio pairs, the drum-specific models with isolation built in, and why Bluetooth is out.
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Hearing protection for drummers | Plugs to in-ears
Hearing protection drummers will actually wear: musicians' earplugs, custom moulds, isolation headphones and in-ears, compared by how much they cut.
How to
How to record drums at home | One mic to eight
How to record drums at home, step by step: the phone-on-a-shelf method, one mic, the two-mic Recorderman, the four-mic Glyn Johns and when eight is worth it.
Advice for Drummers
Posture at the kit | Throne height, back pain, the spine
How to set up a drum kit so it does not hurt: throne height, pedal distance, snare and cymbal heights, the neck, and what drummers who had surgery learned.
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Practice pads | The best ones and how to use them
The best drum practice pads, from the Evans RealFeel to the Drumeo P4: how the surface changes what you learn, how to mount one, and what to practise on it.
Advice for Drummers
Drummer's wrist | Tendonitis, RSI and how to avoid it
Why drummers' wrists hurt: tendonitis, De Quervain's and carpal tunnel explained, the grip and gear changes that prevent them, and when to see a doctor.
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Best drum tuners (2026) | Tune-Bot, DrumDial & a free option
The best drum tuners compared — Tune-Bot, DrumDial, Tama Tension Watch and tuning apps — plus when our free online drum tuner does the job for nothing.
Head to Head
Axis A21 vs DW 9000 | Direct drive or chain?
The direct-drive benchmark against the chain-drive default: footboard, cam, feel at speed, servicing, availability and price, with a verdict on every row.
Head to Head
Electronic cymbal pads | Is Roland worth it?
Three ways to add a ride or crash pad to your e-kit, side by side: zones, choke, feel, module compatibility and price — and whether Roland is worth it.
Head to Head
Zildjian L80 vs Sabian Quiet Tone | How quiet?
The three low volume cymbal sets worth buying, side by side: how quiet each one really is, what survives the drop in volume, and which one suits you.
Head to Head
Best 5A drumsticks | Vic Firth vs Promark vs Vater
The three 5A drumsticks most drummers buy, side by side: dimensions, tip, balance, durability, consistency and price per pair — and which to buy first.
Head to Head
Ludwig Supraphonic vs Black Beauty | Which Ludwig snare?
Ludwig Supraphonic vs Black Beauty: aluminium against brass, the two most recorded snares in history — shell, sound, sensitivity, price, and which to buy.
Head to Head
Pearl Export vs Tama Imperialstar | Which first kit?
Pearl Export vs Tama Imperialstar, the two kits every beginner cross-shops: shells, hardware, cymbals, pedal, sound and resale — with a verdict on every row.
Head to Head
Roland TD-07KV vs Alesis Nitro Max | Is the Roland worth double?
Roland TD-07KV vs Alesis Nitro Max, row by row: pads, module, sounds, Bluetooth and what is in the box — and whether the Roland earns its price over the Alesis.
Head to Head
Sabian AAX vs HHX | Bright and cutting, or dark and complex?
Sabian AAX vs HHX, the two professional lines side by side: the hammering, the sound, the cut, the price per cymbal, and which fits the music you actually play.
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Beginner drum kits | How to buy your first kit
Everything you need to buy your first drum kit with confidence — what's in the box, what the sizes mean, and the kits we'd actually spend money on.
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Cymbal buying guide | Your first proper set
Packs vs individual cymbals, brass vs B8 vs B20, the sizes that matter and the cymbal sets we'd actually buy at every budget.
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Drum head buying guide | Coated vs clear & more
Single vs double ply, coated vs clear, Remo vs Evans vs Aquarian — how to choose drum heads, and the setups that actually work.
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Electronic drum kits | The complete buying guide
Mesh vs rubber, why the module matters more than the pads, and the electronic drum kits we'd actually buy at every budget in 2026.
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Snare drum buying guide | Wood vs metal & more
How to choose a snare drum — sizes, shell materials, hoops and wires explained, plus the snares we'd buy at every budget from £150 upwards.
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Buying used drums online | Best places and tips
Where to buy used drum kits, cymbals and hardware online, what to check before you pay, and how to spot the gear that only looks fine in photos.
Drumsticks
Drumstick size guide | Finding the perfect stick for your playing
Drumsticks are extremely personal to every drummer. We all have a feel we want to have from the sticks and a sound we want to get from them. Although
Drumsticks
Drumstick wood types | Hickory vs maple vs oak
The best wood for drumsticks is hickory for most players, oak if you break sticks and maple for speed. How each wood changes weight, durability and shock.
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Mesh head guide for drummers | What's best for your budget?
Mesh heads have become the go-to drum head type for electronic drum kits and are also a great option when you want that real kit feel at a lower volume.
Buying guides
Floor snare drums | The floor tom and snare crossover you didn't know you needed
One of the latest trends in drumming is floor snare drums. Often called a "Snom drum" or a "Baritone Snare drum". It is both a floor tom or a snare at the
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Direct Drive Bass Drum Pedals | Ultimate guide
Direct drive bass drum pedals have become increasingly more popular amongst drummers in the past 10 years. Originally adopted by metal drummers they are
Drum Lesson Guides
Drum Lessons Online | Benefits, Disadvantages, Free vs Paid
Taking drum lessons online has become commonplace in the drumming community. In the digital age where people want things on demand, it is no surprise. Why
How to
How to get a drum endorsement? Cymbals, heads, sticks and more
At every point in a drummers career, you are more than likely going to think “Damn I want a drum endorsement, I would love loads of free cymbals etc etc”.