How Do I Buy Drums?

Are you musically inclined? If you are, do you like to play a musical instrument? If so, what kind? If you don’t play now, are you taking lessons? If you are what instrument are you learning? Do you know the majority of people who play musical instruments play the piano, guitar, or the drums? If you are a beginner or amateur and looking for a drum set to play on, you need to know some facts about drum sets. Keep reading for you will learn the different types of drums you can buy, what to look for in a drum set, how to put the drum set together after purchase, and more.

Here are some basic things you need to know about drum sets:

• Bass Drum: The big drum that sits on the floor that is usually the middle drum. This is the one with the pedal attached to it.
• Snare Drum: This is the small drum that sits on a stand all by itself. There are wires underneath it that musicians call snares. Those wires are made of wire or they could be made of nylon. This drum is most commonly found in between the drummer’s legs.
• Hi-Hat: This normally sits to the left of the snare drum. It looks like a hat, that’s why it is called a hi-hat. When you look at it you will see two smaller cymbals that come together by means of a foot pedal.
• Ride Cymbal: When you buy a drum set, you will see this as the biggest and thickest cymbal in the whole drum set. It could be 18 inches to 24 inches long.
• Tom Tom: Toms often range in size from six inches to 18 inches.
• Floor Tom: When you look at a floor tom you will notice it is an abnormally large one. And it does come with legs on it.
• Crash Cymbal: These cymbals may range in size from four inches to five inches up to 18 inches in diameter. These are used often in the band to punctuate or emphasize the music in certain parts.

At this time you may be considering what type of drum set to purchase. You could go out and buy an expensive one or a simple one to practice on. It depends on your level of talent, experience, and goals. But before you go out and buy one for yourself consider other alternatives you might want to look into:

• Used Drums: Believe it or not, many musicians or amateurs start out with something simple. They usually go out and buy a used drum set since this cost less. But whatever you do, don’t go to or deal with middlemen, pawn shops, or used bargain stores. These stores are only out to make a profit so they will inflate the price as high as they can. The best way to go is to buy directly from the owner. This way he will tell you up front any problems with the equipment and you can negotiate a good deal with him.
• Brand Names vs. Off Brands: The question here is which is better? It really depends on a lot of factors. Here are some things to consider:
• Money - How much money you have available to spend. What can you afford? If you can cough up between $1500 and $5000 dollars, you should go with the brand name. The names most musicians trust include Pearl, Ludwig, Tama, Sonar, Yamaha, and Premier. If you can’t afford brand name drum sets, you can always look to off brand types. These drum sets usually go for between $400 to $1200.
• Drum Size - The next to consider is the size of the drum set. For a beginner, a five piece drum set would do you well. You have to go with what you can afford. Too big a set means a higher price. So go small at first. You can always upgrade as you get better with your craft.

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