So you have finally decided to fulfill an ambition you have had for many years? Namely to start your drumming career! Let me address in this article two things I get asked a lot when students commence their drumming studies. That is, "what kind/type/price of drum kit do I need"? And the other is "do I need to get some drum sticks"?!

Firstly the kit. You do not need to spend lots of your hard earned cash on a fancy new all singing all dancing drum kit. It is quite possible to pick up a new kit for around £150 these days and £350 will get you a really decent kit that should last you for years. The standard kit comprises of five drums: Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Small TomTom, Middle TomTom and Floor TomTom. Drums are most commonly made of  wooden plies, that is thin layers of wood stuck together (think plywood but cylindrical!). There are many types of wood available including birch, maple, oak and bubinga. Some of these can be very expensive though. Cheaper kits tend to be made out of more common timber such as basswood. For a beginner, you shouldn't worry too much about the type of wood used. One of the things you need to remember when purchasing is that, especially on the less expensive kits, the drum heads (skins to you more mature readers!) i.e. the bit you actually hit, tend to be of poor quality. This will affect the sound and in some instances may put you off your purchase. However, it is relatively cheap to replace these original heads with some of far better quality which will instantly improve the sound of the drums. I tend to use Remo drum heads but there are other excellent ones available including Evans and Aquarian. These come in different types, some single ply, some two ply, and you should select them according to the style of music you wish to play. For example, I would recommend a hard hitting heavy rock drummer to use a two ply head as they are stronger and are less likely to break than a single ply. So my advice for kit purchase is 1) do not spend an excessive amount on your first kit - it isn't necessary and 2) Remember that for around £35-£40 you can transform the sound of a inexpensive kit by replacing the drum heads.

Now the sticks issue! Drum sticks come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some have nylon tips some wooden tips. There is no correct or incorrect tip type! You can select whichever suits you - generally of course you pick the ones that sound the best on your kit or cymbals. They also have various numbers and letters on them which can be confusing! Generally the lower the number the thicker and heavier the stick will be. I normally recommend trying a 5A stick for beginners, just to see how things go. My best tip though is to ignore the numbers or artists name on the stick and try as many pairs as you can. You then simply pick the sticks that feel the most comfortable and work for you. You can always visit your local friendly drum shop where they will be happy to show you examples of lots of different sticks. Then all you have to do is 'stick' to your practise....