Which options are the best, though?

And if you were to buy a new drum kit today, which names should you be looking at?

Here’s an ultimate list of all the top drum brands. Every single one of these brands has made it through the Drumeo doors, so I’ll also give some personal thoughts as we go along. 

Top Acoustic Drum Brands

Pearl

Pearl is a Japanese drum company. At one point, I remember Pearl being the most popular drum brand in the world. This was around the early 2000s. 

My very first drum kit was a Pearl Export (in Europe), and I’ve spoken to dozens of drummers who had the same experience. 

One of the standout things I’ve always loved about Pearl is the quality of the brand’s entry-level sets. Whether you’re getting the Roadshow (in Europe) or Export, you’ll likely be good with your choice until you hit the point of needing something more professional. 

These are the two kits I recommend most to my drum students. 

With that said, you’re going to see the true highlights of the brand when looking at the higher-end options. 

The go-to professional Pearl line is the Masters Series. Those kits have premium maple shells made with Pearl’s SST (Superior Shell Technology) system. 

The Pearl Masterworks line is also one that many drummers dream of owning. It’s a completely custom line where you can place an order through Pearl to make a kit for your exact specifications. 

Here’s Greyson Nekrutman playing on a Pearl Masters Maple (in Europe) set: 

Yamaha

Yamaha is another Japanese powerhouse. While the brand has a long musical history, they started creating drum kits in the 60s. 

The biggest thing I love about Yamaha’s drum kit range is the visual consistency. 

For the average drummer, it can be hard to tell the difference between the Stage Custom (in Europe) and the Live Custom (in Europe) when looking at them. However, one of those kits costs under $1,000, while the other costs over $4,000. 

There are a few minor cosmetic upgrades, but you’re mainly paying for better tonal quality and control, along with more stability in the shells and hardware. That’s the trend you see with most Yamaha kits as you go up the product line. 

With that said, the budget Stage Custom kit is actually one of the best picks for gigging drummers who need an affordable option. The punchier birch shells work incredibly well on a stage. 

I’d say Yamaha’s main strength is reliability. No matter what your budget is, every single one of the brand’s drum sets is a home run. 

Here’s Larnell Lewis playing a Yamaha Live Custom Hybrid Oak (in Europe) kit: 

Tama

Let’s move on to the third and final Japanese drum kit brand – Tama. 

When I hear Tama, the first thing I think of is the Tama Starclassic (in Europe) drum set. The Starclassics have come in a few different shapes and sizes over the years, but their top-tier sound quality and unique finishes are always the highlight. 

I also think of die-cast hoops, as most of the brand’s professional kits include those on the snare drums and toms. Die-cast hoops are basically thicker and heavier hoops to control tones a bit better. Other drum kits typically have triple-flanged hoops, which are lighter and let the shell resonate more. 

Below the Starclassic range, you get more affordable kits like the Superstar Classic (in Europe) and Imperialstar (in Europe). These are pretty much the only Tama kits without die-cast hoops, besides a few limited edition sets here and there. 

Now, let’s get to the real star of the brand — the Tama STAR (in Europe).

The STAR line includes some of the most beautiful drum sets available right now. They’re very pricey, but the construction quality and workmanship are out of this world. 

Check this video of Simon Phillips playing a huge STAR kit. I’d take a guess and say it’s one of the priciest kits to be filmed for Drumeo: 

Gretsch Drums

Gretsch is an older brand that was started all the way back in the 1880s. The drum kit didn’t even exist as we know it back then, so a few of the modern drum kit innovations came from here. 

I’ve often heard musicians assume Gretsch kits are great for jazz drummers, most likely due to the brand’s long history. 

However, you’ll regularly see rock drummers using them, so I wouldn’t actually lock the brand to a specific style. Taylor Hawkins was one of Gretsch’s biggest artists before he tragically passed away, and he was a full-on rockstar. 

With that said, Gretsch kits are amazing for the vintage-like tones they offer. You get thin shells from kits like the Gretsch Brooklyn (in Europe) and Gretsch Broadkaster (in Europe). The flagship Gretsch USA Custom (in Europe) is a bit more modern. 

Most of the kits also feature 30-degree bearing edges on the shells. The flatter design also helps create a vintage sound. 

Some of the best Gretsch sets I’ve heard have been played by Mark Guiliana:

Ludwig

Speaking of drum kit history, you don’t get any brands bigger than Ludwig when it comes to popularity in the 20th century. 

I love the story of how the brand’s sales doubled after Ringo Starr was seen playing a Ludwig kit on live TV. That was one of the biggest reasons a Ludwig drum kit became one of the most popular options for any drummer at the time.

I’m a huge fan of the Ludwig Classic Maple (in Europe) line. It’s just a solid maple kit with high-quality design features. 

The brand offers many other options, though. The Vistalite (in Europe) is a loud and proud acrylic kit, while the Element Evolution is a decent beginner/intermediate drummer option. 

Those are just drum kit picks, though. Most drummers will agree with me when I say the ultimate value comes from Ludwig’s snare drum range. 

The Black Beauty (in Europe) and Supraphonic (in Europe) are two of the most recorded snare drums in history. 

Domino Santantonio is one drummer that instantly comes to mind when thinking of good Ludwig drum sets: 

DW Drums

While Ludwig and Gretsch are both proudly American drum brands, many drummers will argue that the ultimate US brand is DW. 

In fact, it’s not unusual to hear drummers mentioning DW as the top drum brand overall. I’ve even seen huge pro drummers like Matt Garstka, Chad Smith, and Dave Grohl switch from other brands to DW in the last two decades. 

DW kits are known to be quite pricey, but they’re made with incredible precision and craftsmanship by John Good, Don Lombardi, and the guys at the Oxnard Factory. 

I love the simplicity of the brand’s drum set lines. You get the Design Series (in Europe), Performance Series (in Europe), and Collector’s Series (in Europe).

The Design Series kits are budget professional options. The Collector’s Series kits are the top-tier picks with all the high-end tones and features. The Performance Series kits fall somewhere in the middle. 

Check Chad Smith playing one of the more unique Collector’s Series kits: 

PDP

PDP is technically the same brand as DW, but the whole idea is that PDP kits offer many of the DW designs at much cheaper prices. 

This mainly includes the True-Pitch tension rods and MAG throw-off designs on the snare drums. Apart from that, PDP kits are made in China, and the wood types used for the kits aren’t as high-quality. 

With that said, the PDP Concept Maple (in Europe) is a solid kit that many pros still love to use. I’m also a big fan of Concept Maple Classic (in Europe), which is a version of the kit that features wooden hoops for a warmer sound. 

While the brand isn’t nearly as popular as its DW counterpart, there are some solid pieces of gear available. 

Check how good this small PDP setup sounds, played by Scott Pellegrom:

Mapex

Mapex is a Taiwanese drum kit brand. While it’s one of the youngest drum brands I’ve mentioned so far, many of the kits have made quite a big impact on the drumming world since being released. 

My main love for Mapex comes from the fact that most of the kits utilize hybrid shells. This is when two different woods are used to make the drums, leading to unique tones. 

The Mapex Armory (in Europe) kit is one of the most affordable options on the market to feature birch/maple shells. I just love that mixture, as it gives warmth from the maple and punchy power from the birch. 

The Mapex Saturn Evolution (in Europe) is one of high-end options that you’ll see pros using. It also has hybrid shells that include walnut and maple plies. 

While the top-end Black Panther line is quite pricey, Mapex is typically seen as one of the more affordable drum kit brands. 

Dom Famularo was a big ambassador for the company: 

Sonor

Sonor is a big German drum brand known for offering immaculate build quality across all their products. Some of the best-sounding drum sets I’ve ever played have been Sonor kits, and I’ve always been especially impressed by the tonal quality of compact kits they offer. 

If you need a small drum kit to use in pubs or restaurants, I highly recommend checking out the Sonor AQ2 (in Europe) compact line. 

When looking at the brand’s higher-end sets, you get the Vintage Series (in Europe), SQ1 (in Europe), and SQ2 (in Europe) drum sets. 

Sonor is one of the few drum brands to still use beech wood in a few of their products, which is another big highlight for me. The pronounced highs you get from the shells are great, and it’s a unique wood that just sets the brand apart. 

To hear some great Sonor kits being played, check out drummers like Benny Greb, Jost Nickel, and Chris Coleman. 

Top Electronic Drum Brands

When talking about drum brands, I’ll naturally start speaking about acoustic options. However, not all of us are lucky enough to own acoustic kits and play them freely. 

This brings us to the electronic drum kit market. E-kits have just been getting better and better in recent years, and there are a few notable brands that everyone should keep track of. 

Roland

There’s no doubt that Roland is the ultimate electronic drum kit brand. It’s been this way for years, with the most innovative kits on the market always having the Roland name on them. 

Roland is the brand that invented mesh heads, which is what you see on almost every e-kit these days. That just tells you how influential and impactful each Roland product is. 

In the brand’s current lineup, you get the V-Drums and VAD line. The V-Drums are traditional electronic kits. The VAD kits mimic acoustic kits in their size and design. 

Your main professional options in the V-Drums line are the TD-17 (in Europe), TD-27 (in Europe), and TD-50 (in Europe) kits. On the VAD side, you’ll mainly look at the VAD307 (in Europe), VAD507 (in Europe), and VAD706 (in Europe). Those kits all mirror each other, using the same module in each segment. 

However, the quality and features get much higher as you go up the line. 

Something I’ve always loved about Roland kits is the PureAcoustic Ambience and Prismatic Sound Modeling technology. Those two features basically give you unlimited control over sounds. 

Roland kits are known to be very expensive, though! That’s why the next two brands are very viable options. 

But before getting to those, check this video of Michael Shack jamming on one of Roland’s older TD-30 models:

Yamaha

Yamaha is the next big electronic drum kit brand after Roland. The biggest difference you’ll find between the two is that most Yamaha kits come with silicone pads instead of mesh ones. 

These silicone pads just feel slightly different when you strike them. Some drummers prefer them, while others prefer the mesh pads. I personally can’t feel too much of a difference between the two, though. 

If you want a good Yamaha e-kit, you’ll need to look at the DTX6 (in Europe), DTX8 (in Europe), and DTX10 (in Europe) lines. 

The thing I love most about Yamaha’s e-kits is the DTX-PRO module. You get this module with every kit. However, the DTX10 has an un-upgraded version. 

I find this particular module to be a lot more user-friendly than the Roland ones. It also has fantastic features with app integration. 

I’d argue that these DTX kits perform quite similarly to the Roland options, but they’re a bit more affordable. So, they’re great options to check out. 

Ulysses Owens Jr. even put the DTX10 to the test by playing jazz on it: 

Alesis

While there are plenty more electronic drum brands out there to choose from, there are three big ones that have the most diverse product ranges. 

Wrapping up the trio is Alesis, which is actually known as the “budget” brand when comparing the three. 

Alesis is, without a doubt, the best electronic brand for beginner drummers. The Nitro Max (in Europe) is the cheapest e-kit you can buy that offers everything you need when you start playing. 

I’ve just always seen Alesis as a brand for newer drummers. However, they recently introduced the Strata Prime (in Europe) as their new flagship kit, and I’m more impressed by this kit than anything the brand has released before. 

When I got to play it, the module was the first thing that stood out to me, and it’s since become my favorite electronic drum module on the market. 

I’d easily say that the sounds compare to what you get from Roland and Yamaha options with similar price tags. You just get a bit more value for your money in this segment from the Strata Prime set. 

If you’re a beginner, I couldn’t recommend anything more than the Nitro Max. You could even get one of the special Drumeo designs: 

Final Thoughts

I’ve been able to play kits from each one of these brands over my two decades of drumming. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that no brand is better than another. Each drum brand offers particular things that certain drummers may enjoy more. 

For example, if you love die-cast hoops, you’ll be spoiled for choice with Tama drum sets. If you like vintage tones but need modern hardware designs, Gretsch would be my top recommendation. 

Also, you don’t need to stick with just one brand. For several years I’ve been using a Tama kit in my studio and a Pearl kit to play gigs. It’s worked out really well.

It’s worth experimenting and seeing what you like!

Certain drum solos have you gripping the edge of your seat, while others go on for far too long without sounding exciting or enticing at all. 

As a drummer, you want to be in the first group where your drum solos blow people away and make them want more. How do you do that, though? 

Here are some tips and tricks that I’ve learned through playing drum solos for over two decades. I’ve also pulled ideas from some of the best drummers in the world, including Larnell Lewis, Steve Smith, and Antonio Sanchez. 

Drum Solos Explained

Before I get started with the tips and tricks, it’s important to know what a drum solo actually is. The obvious answer is that it’s when you play drums alone for a short period, but there are various types of solos:

• Open drum solo
• Drum solo over hits 
• Drum solo over a vamp
• Drum feature solo

Knowing exactly which type of solo you’re playing will help you craft the best one possible. An open drum solo will be long and drawn out, while a drum solo feature in a song will typically only be a few bars. 

I’d approach those two types very differently. The open solo gives you time to build up tension and display a wide range of ideas. The feature solo needs to have something that both fits the song and impresses the crowd at the same time. 

If you do a drum solo over hits, you need to focus on matching with the hits more than anything else. If you solo over a vamp, you have a bit more freedom. 

With that in mind, let’s look at what actually makes a good drum solo.

What Makes a Good Drum Solo?

There are a few elements to focus on that set good drum solos apart from mediocre ones. If you focus on these while playing a solo, it will create a much better listening and watching experience for a crowd. 

Storytelling

Storytelling is one of my biggest recommendations to focus on when playing drum solos. I’ve found that most of us jump straight to blazing fills around the toms or play a complicated groove as soon as the spotlight hits us. 

The problem with this is that it gives away a conclusion too soon, and then everything you play afterward doesn’t have as much of an impact. This leads to a fairly boring solo, especially if you drag it on for longer than it needs to be. 

In basic storytelling, you need a beginning, a middle, and an end. You also need some sort of climactic event before the end to resolve the tension you’ve been building to that point. 

Think of it as a framework: 

• Beginning (entry into the solo)
• Middle (tell a story with motives and phrases around the drum kit)
• Tensions (bring in quicker and more impressive patterns)
• End (resolve the tension by getting softer or cutting the solo off abruptly) 

Check this video of Tony Royster Jr. playing an open drum solo. If you’ve followed him for a while, you’d know just how fast he is with his hands and feet. But I’m so impressed by how much restraint he shows in this solo. 

He’s more focused on telling a good story than he is on playing the fastest notes around the kit. 

Technical Skill

My next recommendation would be to show off your technical skill behind the kit. While mindlessly blasting fills around the drums isn’t ideal, playing things that are perceived as impressive definitely is. 

A big aspect of playing a drum solo is showing people how good you are at playing this instrument in a more free way than playing a song. 

I’d argue that the key is to mix technical skill with good storytelling. That’s definitely a recipe for a killer solo. On the other hand, only playing technical things might lose your crowd. 

Crowd Interaction

If you’re playing in front of a live crowd, keeping them engaged is part of playing a good solo. Showing off your technical skill and telling a good story may be enough to do it, but you can take things even further by involving the crowd.

The cool part about this is that it’s actually very easy for drummers to do. It takes quite a bit of skill for a pianist or guitar player to do it, but drummers just need to get the crowd to clap some rhythms. 

If you get the crowd involved, they’ll find your drum solo more memorable because they’ll have fun while listening to it. You should try to do it tastefully, though!  

Check how Benny Greb brings the crowd in when doing his solo for his song Nodding Hill. Before he gets to that part, he plays a whole range of complicated patterns around the kit. 

If he were to do more of that for longer, it’s highly likely that he would lose a lot of the crowd. 

So, he involves them by getting them to clap a repeating rhythmic pattern. He then continues to solo over that pattern, playing it himself every now and then to keep the crowd in check. It’s genius. 

Just remember to get the crowd to play some sort of unique clapping pattern. It sounds a bit clichè for them to just clap on the quarter notes.

Stage Presence

The final thing that I would say makes a good drum solo is stage presence. This only matters if you’re playing in front of a crowd, though. If you’re playing a solo for a studio recording, no one is going to see what you’re doing.

The better your stage presence, the more memorable your solo will be. However, it may not be exactly what you’re thinking. 

I’ve personally always struggled with looking excited when I play drums. My personality is very introverted, so I demonstrate that when playing. 

Because of this, I always thought I’d never play solos as well as guys like Aric Improta, who does backflips on stage.

While that’s definitely one way of playing a memorable solo, it’s not the only way of having good stage presence. 

Let’s look at Tommy Igoe, for example. While he’s not doing anything crazy with his body, he definitely looks like he’s in full control of what he’s playing. He’s exuding confidence behind the kit, which is a perfect example of good stage presence. 

You can also see that he’s “feeling the music” while he plays.

Improving my stage presence is still something that I’m constantly working on. Trying not to look like my grandma just died while playing a cool solo, etc. 

The best thing I did was get someone to film me playing a solo once. That alerted me to how bored I looked, even though I was playing some impressive things on the kit. By simply moving my arms and head a bit more after that, it started to look like I was actually enjoying myself. 

Techniques for a Good Drum Solo

Up to this point, we’ve looked at what actually makes a good drum solo, but most of those things are a lot easier said than done. 

To help you work and build on your drum solo abilities, I’m going to give you some more practical tips and exercises. You can take these to the kit and try them out as soon as you’re finished reading this. 

Leave Space

One of the most powerful techniques you can use to play a memorable drum solo is to leave space. 

The space between notes is just as important as the notes themselves. That’s something I learned much later in my drumming path, and it was only then that I started to really understand what musical drumming was all about. 

By leaving space between notes, you’re giving more meaning to the notes that you actually do play.

There are two ways that I love doing this: 

Option 1: Playing Quarter Notes

Playing quarter notes and half notes around the drums. The longer note values mean that you’ll have more space in between each stroke. From there, you can add tension by shortening the note values and playing quicker notes as the solo builds. 

Option 2: Leaving Big Gaps

Playing busy phrases and then leaving big gaps in between them. If you play a few bars of quick 32nd notes and follow that with a bar or two of silence, the crowd will anxiously wait to hear those 32nd notes again. 

Check how Larnell Lewis tastefully leaves a lot of space at the beginning of this solo. He constantly plays the bass drum and floor tom at the beginning of a few bars, but he keeps things empty after that by playing around the cymbals. 

Repetition

Repetition legitimizes. That’s something that anyone who studied at a jazz school will have imprinted in their brain. 

The more you hear something, the more familiar it becomes. So, the more you repeat ideas and patterns in your solo, the easier it is for the crowd to listen to. 

You need to remember that most of the time, you’re not playing to a crowd of drummers. So, I’ve found that it always works incredibly well to play simple patterns over and over to keep them engaged. 

A practical way of doing this is by creating a short melody around the toms. Play that a few times and then continue to improvise however you want to. Just keep coming back to that short melody in between whatever you decide to play. 

As an example, listen to how Antonio Sanchez uses repetition at the beginning of this solo. He starts out by playing a quick single stroke roll idea between the snare drum and ride cymbal. 

It becomes the anchor of the solo at the beginning, giving you something to hold onto when you’re listening. When he plays around the kit and comes back to that pattern, you feel a sense of familiarity. 

He even goes back to that idea at the end of the solo, resolving the solo and making it feel like you just closed the hard page of a finished book. 

This is exactly how you hook a non-musician crowd in when playing a drum solo.

Own Your Mistakes

Repetition also legitimizes mistakes. The beauty of drumming is that you can’t play wrong notes. You can only play wrong rhythms. However, the crowd doesn’t know that your missed rhythm isn’t part of your solo. 

So, if you just play the mistake again, it suddenly sounds like it’s intentional. 

I’ve made plenty of mistakes while playing drum solos at shows and drum clinics, but repeating those mistakes straight away is always what saves me. 

A good example of this is when drummers hit the rim of the snare accidentally instead of the batter head. If you just keep hitting the rim from that point, no one will actually know that you didn’t mean to do that. 

Understanding that mistakes can be fixed this way takes a lot of the stress of playing a drum solo. We all feel anxious at times, and that leads to mistakes on stage. Using those mistakes to push the solo forward is a really powerful tool!

Consistent Backbeats

Another excellent tool to use is a consistent backbeat throughout your drum solo. This means that you play the snare drum consistently on beats 2 and 4 of every bar. 

By doing this, you’re actually creating a groove, and the groove is what keeps the crowd engaged. However, you then have the freedom to play around the groove by playing patterns in between those consistent backbeat strokes. 

This is often one of the best drum solo methods to use when you play a solo in the middle of a song. It helps to keep the vibe of the song going so that it sounds natural when all the other instruments come back in. 

To practice this, just start with a simple groove and see what you can do with your right hand while your left hand stays on the snare drum. 

To see the perfect example of how well this works, we’re going back to Larnell Lewis. This solo comes in the middle of a tune. 

He has 32 bars to work with here before the band and vocals come back in. So, what does he do? He keeps consistent snare drum strokes on beat 3 of every bar, and it leads to him playing one of the best drum solos I’ve ever heard. 

Use Dynamics

If you really want to craft a good story behind the kit, using dynamics is quite an easy way of doing it. You basically have three volume levels – soft, medium, and loud. 

By going through those three volumes in your solo, you’ll naturally create a better story than if you just stuck to one. 

Just note that this doesn’t apply to every single drum solo. If you have 8 bars to work with in a progressive metal song, you should play hard and fast! 

This applies more to open solos, where you have space and more time to build things up. 

You should definitely practice doing this, though, as most drummers struggle to play softly in the early stages. Getting to a point where your quiet notes are just as effective as your loud ones takes a bit of time. 

Check how Scott Pellegrom plays very quietly for the first part of this solo. Since he starts at such a low volume, he has room to get louder and build to a bigger climax later in the solo. 

A lesson to learn from this specific solo is that playing cross-sticks on the snare drum is a great way of keeping the volume down. You can then switch over to rimshots when you want to play at a loud volume. 

Final Thoughts

By understanding these ideas, you should have some direction on how to create a really good solo. Your job now is to put them into practice. 

Hop onto the kit and pick one of the above techniques that stood out to you. If it’s repetition, create a small phrase and then constantly repeat it while improvising. If it’s keeping a backbeat, do your best to play a musical solo while maintaining a consistent groove. 

The more you focus on these things, the more natural they’ll become. Good luck! 

What does that mean, exactly? And what should aspiring drummers believe about the music industry and how to make a living?

The drumming world has expanded dramatically regarding career opportunities, and here’s everything you need to know.  

Drum influencers vs. industry drummers

It’s a hot topic on social media: are drum influencers “real drummers”? Some of the tension comes from those struggling with a shift in career opportunities.

A few decades ago, all drummers would need to grind to make ends meet. Sleeping on a friend’s couch was a normal way to save cash on rent, as nightly gigs wouldn’t always pay enough to be financially stable. 

To become well-known and respected as a drummer, you’d need to work hard to get to the top, performing, recording, and teaching wherever possible. 

In the new age of social media, it’s possible to gain major fame by posting a few videos. You technically don’t have to leave your house and can still become an influential figure in the drumming and wider music communities. 

Is that a bad thing? Well, it depends on how you look at it. There are pros and cons on both sides, and we think it’s important to deeply understand both to see which path you want to take as a drummer. 

What is a social media drummer?

Someone who regularly posts pictures and videos (such as drum covers) on social media platforms can be considered a social media drummer. However, most drummers do this, even if they’ve taken the more traditional drumming career route. 

It’s the drummers with large followings who make significant incomes through online platforms that are typically considered “drum influencers.” 

These drummers get endorsements from drum companies and leverage their followings for business opportunities. 

Many drum influencers do a lot more work this way than by playing gigs or recording albums.

Is there anything wrong with that? Not at all! Drummers who regularly post videos must learn an entirely new set of skills to keep up with current trends and algorithms compared to the traditional route of playing gigs and recording.  

These skills include: 

•  Knowing how to use cameras and lighting 
•  Video editing 
•  Talking in front of a camera
•  Marketing strategies
•  Managing communities 

What does a traditional drumming career look like?

The conventional drumming career involves:

• Joining bands
• Performing live gigs regularly
• Touring different places to perform
• Tracking drums for albums

You could also throw in-person teaching into the mix.

This career path is seen as traditional as it was the only way to have a successful drumming career before social media was a thing. 

It’s often seen as more difficult than taking the social media route, but people don’t consider that many of the skills needed are entirely different. 

With the traditional route, you need to make connections and find yourself in the right place at the right time. Some aspiring drummers never made it big with this route, while others were lucky enough to join bands that became popular. 

The best part about doing it the old-school way is that you get to play music with other people. Whether you make money or not, playing drums in a band can be rewarding.

You don’t need to be in a huge band for this career option to work, either. Some drummers comfortably support their families by playing in local wedding bands. 

And there are other gigs you might not have thought of. Drumming on a cruise ship, joining a football team’s drumline, playing drums with Cirque Du Soleil or drumming in war reenactments – these could all be options in your future.

Which career path is better?

The interesting thing about drum influencers vs. industry drummers is that both parties often feel that their career path is harder than the opposing one. 

Neither career path is better. They’re just different, and some drummers may prefer one path over the other. 

The biggest downside of being an influencer is that you don’t get to play with other musicians as often as industry drummers do. 

One huge aspect of learning an instrument is playing with other musicians; that skill can fall flat when you spend more time playing the drums alone. 

Most professional musicians can tell when a drummer isn’t comfortable performing live in a band setting, and that’s something social media drummers should note (read this article on how to deal with stage fright).

If social media isn’t your thing, you may find more reward in getting gigs to earn a living. You can forget about the ever-changing algorithms and just enjoy playing with other people. 

However, your social presence is also your resumé. Sharing content online makes it easy for other musicians to see your playing, and many social media drummers have landed huge “real world” gigs because of this. 

Also: not everyone can (or wants to) leave home regularly for gigs or sessions. If you’d prefer to be a homebody, the online content creator life might be for you.

7 ways to make money playing drums

Here are a few ways to support yourself as a drummer. You’ll be golden if you can fill up your schedule with different income streams. However, it’s also possible to succeed by sticking to one.

Check out this podcast episode where Nick D’Virgilio (Sweetwater, Genesis) explains how grinding at bars and tracking for small artists led him to get some massive opportunities.

1. Playing gigs

Playing gigs is the tried and true way to be a successful drummer. When you tell someone “I’m a drummer”, they’ll assume you play in a band, and that’s why gigging is seen as one of the most popular routes to take.

While many drum parts are programmed these days, artists still want to perform with live drummers, so there are countless opportunities in all styles of music.

2. Recording drum parts

Studio recording isn’t as popular as it was a decade or two ago. You’ll get the occasional studio gig, but digital drum sounds have become incredibly realistic, so producers tend to work with those more. 

However, there’s still a big market for remote recording. If you have a personal studio space around your drum kit, you can market yourself as a remote session drummer, and people will send you their songs so you can add the drum parts. 

Of course, drummers are still being hired for recording sessions in a commercial studio. But these gigs can be harder to come by, and producers/artists tend to hire the same drummers over and over. If you can constantly work on your networking skills and meet people when you can, you may get invited to work traditional sessions as well.

3. Teaching

You can offer drum lessons in person or online. You can either find local students or use social media to reach students from around the world. 

If you’re teaching online, you just need a decent setup so your students get good audio. You also have to accept that many students will have lesser audio quality coming from their side. 

4. YouTube

It can take time to get started, but ‘YouTube Drummer’ is a real potential career path. If you have a large viewership, you’ll make money through Google AdSense, and you can tack on affiliate marketing and sponsorship deals to round out your income.

5. Streaming

Streaming is getting bigger and bigger each year. As a drummer, you can sign up for a streaming platform like Twitch and get paid per subscriber. You can also receive tips when you stream. 

6. Sampling

With so many people valuing electronic drum sounds, drummers can record four to eight-bar grooves and then sell them as samples. You can also record single sounds from your kit to sell. 

Learn how to do it in this ultimate guide to drum samples.

7. Getting sponsorships

We briefly mentioned sponsorships for YouTubers, but you can get them if you have a large following on any platform.Just note that most paid sponsorships don’t come from drum, cymbal, or stick brands.

Instrument companies typically offer endorsements on a relationship basis, offering product instead of payment, while monetary sponsorships will come from other industry brands willing to pay to put their product in front of an audience. 

That’s not to say that drum brands don’t pay their artists. It’s just not as normal as some people think.

Examples of drummers who do it all

You should know that you don’t have to stick to one side of this whole debate around if social media drummers are “legit”. Plenty of drummers have major social media followings from posting videos, but they also perform and record regularly in more traditional ways. 

Here are a few examples. 

Zack Graybeal (ZackGrooves)

ZackGrooves is a jazz drummer who started posting videos that blew up on YouTube. He’s since become many people’s favorite YouTube drummer, but he’s also a drum teacher who performs with various artists and is releasing an album with his band, Everything Yes. 

Domino Santantonio 

Domino has a massive following across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. She’s most well-known for posting drum covers of popular songs, but she also tours with artists like Roxane Bruneau while maintaining her social media platforms. 

What most people don’t know: she was, in fact, a gigging drummer before she blew up online.

El Estepario Siberiano

El Estepario has been posting drum covers on YouTube for several years and has a huge following across all social media platforms. Many people know him for being the drummer who plays crazy things with only one hand. 

El Estepario has used his following to get gigs with bands like Saratoga, which means he’s used the social media route to break into the more traditional one (and he’s not alone).

In summary

When it comes to drum influencers versus industry drummers, both are valid. We should be grateful that there are so many ways for drummers to make a living these days. 

If you primarily work on creating solo social media drumming videos, know that your ability to improvise and play comfortably with other musicians may take a hit. 

But if you want to take the traditional drumming route of playing gigs and recording, know that you’ll make a lot more connections by starting a social media page to get seen. Running that page may be trickier than you think! 

At the end of the day, we all get to play the drums, and there’s nothing better than that.

With a big city comes a dense population, and apartment living is the norm. While your drum kit might sit comfortably in a suburban home, your apartment neighbors are far less likely to support your drumming journey.

Drumming can be a struggle when you live in an apartment building. But if you want to keep practicing and improving, you’ll have to make it work somehow.

Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to keep noise levels down. 

In all my years of drumming, I’ve lived in a few places where my neighbors were too close for comfort. I didn’t like hearing their kids watching episodes of Peppa Pig on repeat, but I’m sure they loathed my drumming even more.

After trying a few of the following methods, I found a happy medium where they couldn’t hear me playing as clearly, and I even managed to block out most of the sound coming from their side. It was a win-win all around. 

Let’s look at a few options for practicing drums in an apartment.

How to muffle acoustic drums

If you’re playing an acoustic drum set, you’ll need to tackle the resonance of the drums first. (In Europe? See acoustic drums here.)

If you’re like me and whack your toms like you’re playing at Wembley Stadium, they’ll be loud and intense if your drums aren’t muffled. 

Muffling refers to controlling the tones of your drums by placing things on top or inside of them. The more muffling you apply, the less resonance your drums have.

Drums produce these things called overtones, and they’re often harsh and unpleasant to hear. Getting rid of these with muffling will make your drums sound better to both you and your neighbors. 

Typically, it’s good to muffle your drums slightly so they maintain their tone. Killing off the resonance completely will give you a flat sound every time you play.

However, flat-sounding drums are exactly what you want in an apartment. The less resonance they have, the better. 

Here are a few ways to muffle your drums:

• Stick tape on the heads
• Use muffling accessories like Moongels (in Europe) or E–Rings (in Europe)
• Place soft objects inside the drums like cotton balls or towels
• Remove the resonant heads
• Put objects on the drumheads like wallets, towels, or other household items

You can go one step further to:

• Buy quieter cymbals
• Replace your standard heads with mesh heads
• And if you need to strike your kit lighter, so be it.

Apartment-friendly practice pads

While they may not sound as fun as playing on your actual drum set, practice pads are important in helping you develop your technique and speed. (In Europe? See practice pads here.)

Playing on a pad won’t bother your neighbors*, so it’s ideal for practice at times when loud drumming is a non-negotiable. Practice pads are simple, no-frills tools, which makes it easier to focus on one thing rather than getting distracted by a full set of drums.

(Do you ever zone out mid-session and jam your favorite fills over and over? Me too.)

To get the most out of this practice method, work your hands and bass drum foot simultaneously by setting up a pad on a stand and a pad for your foot. The Drumeo QuietKick is the perfect option here: it’s a small pad for your bass drum pedal that has multiple surface options, with the ultra quiet strike pad an ideal surface for apartment practicing. (In Europe? Shop the QuietKick here.)

*Note that the kicking sound on a bass drum practice pad can sometimes still be heard through walls and floors, depending on your building’s construction and your location in the apartment. Be cautious of that when working on your pedal technique. 

Electronic drum kits

An electronic drum set is the most ideal option for drumming in an apartment. You can put on a set of headphones, and all anyone will hear is the tapping of pads.

If I polled all of your neighbors, I guarantee they’ll prefer that over the sound of acoustic drums. 

Electronic drum kits have come a long way in the past decade. What used to be expensive and unattainable is now found in most entry-level sets. If you can’t make your acoustic drum set work in your apartment, then I’d suggest getting a good electronic kit from either Alesis (in Europe), Yamaha (in Europe), or Roland (in Europe). 

Check out these links for more on electronic drums:

• Why You Should Buy Electronic Drums
• The Ultimate Guide To Buying Electronic Drums (shopping guide)
• The Quick Guide To Electronic Drums (video)
• 8 Tips For Playing Electronic Drums (video/article)

I don’t want you to give up just yet, though, so here are some soundproofing tips that could mean setting up an acoustic kit in your apartment after all.

How to soundproof a room

Actually soundproofing a room is harder than most people realize. Soundproofing is also very different from sound insulating. These are two things that I learned the hard way.

(Putting egg cartons, foam, or blankets around the room can help cut down on noise but it’s not considered soundproofing, so your neighbors might still come knocking.)

• Soundproofing stops sound from leaving the room.
• Sound insulating absorbs sound so it doesn’t echo.

Soundproofing is more effective because it can completely block sound. But it’s typically more time-consuming and often more expensive than sound insulating.

Let’s take a look at a few steps to accomplish both in an apartment setting:

Choose where to place your drums

Your drums’ location is the most important factor in keeping the sound levels down in your building. In an ideal scenario, you’d live on the first floor. If you don’t, the bass drum will vibrate through the floors, causing everyone below you to hear what you’re doing. Keep this in mind if you plan on moving anytime soon.

If you already live on a higher floor, you may need to build a shock-resistant platform under your drums to absorb some of the vibrations – something that can quickly become a problem, even with an electronic kit.

Don’t place your drums against a wall you share with neighbors. That’ll be the fastest way to irritate them when they’re trying to watch TV or do some work. If you have no choice, place the kit as far away from the wall as possible.

Find items to reduce the sound

Placing sound absorption objects around a room will eliminate the reverb and make your drums more pleasant to listen to.

While this isn’t proper soundproofing, absorbing the sound will lower the volume slightly.

Here are some objects that help with sound absorption:

• Blankets
• Carpets and rugs
• Foam
• Furniture
• Heavy paintings
• Egg cartons (note that these help with sound insulation, not soundproofing)

If you’re renting your space, sound absorption methods are great as they aren’t permanent. Placing sound panels on your walls is a good option. However, they’re quite expensive unless you make them yourself. (For Europe, buy sound panels here.)

A more affordable method is to hang soundproof blankets on the walls. These won’t look as aesthetically pleasing as sound panels, but they will arguably do a better job of stopping sound from getting through to the other side of the walls.

You can do this with normal blankets too, but remember that the thicker they are, the better. 

If you’re renting your apartment, this video has a few good tips for temporary sound deadening that won’t damage the walls:

Replace the doors

If you want to do some proper soundproofing, you’re going to need to alter the structure of your apartment a bit. When renting, get permission from your landlord before doing any of this. Otherwise, you may run into big issues down the road. 

My biggest suggestion would be to change the doors of your apartment. I never knew how much sound traveled through doors until I put a solid core door in my drum room. Most apartment doors are hollow core doors, which are light and inexpensive. But the problem with hollow core doors is that your drum sound will travel through them with ease.

After installing solid core doors, you could take it a step further by creating a double door system. This is how most professional studios do it. You walk through one heavy door, then through a second one that’s a bit lighter but still solid.

The double door system is the best way of soundproofing a room, but it may only be possible to pull off if you own your apartment.

You can go one step further with sound prevention by sealing the doorways with weather strips and attaching door sweeps to the bottom of the doors.

Build a room within a room

Creating a room within a room is key to full-on soundproofing. In an apartment setting, you can do this by setting up drywall as an inner wall and placing some sort of insulation material in between the drywall and the main wall. 

I’m the worst handyman on planet earth, so this isn’t something I would try to build myself. If you’re anything like me, I’d suggest hiring a professional to do it for you. If you can pull it off, having a room within a room will be the best thing to stop your drum noise from traveling through the building. At the very least, having inner walls will stop the sound from being as intense for the neighbors on either side of you. 

Make friends with your neighbors

Even with all the muffling, insulating, and soundproofing, your apartment neighbors may still think you’re the most irritating person in the building.

I’ve always found it incredibly valuable to be open with the people around me. Talking to your neighbors about your passion and need to drum at home can go a long way. 

Try getting them to understand what your goals are, why you love drumming, and what it means to you. They may end up supporting you. I’ve had neighbors attend my gigs before because they felt like they were with me on my drumming journey after hearing all of my practicing.

If you offer them an opportunity to play your drums themselves, they may be even more open to letting you play. It’ll be a fun activity for them, and they’ll understand what you’re doing a bit more. 

Schedule your practice sessions

There’s nothing more frustrating than not knowing when a loud noise is going to stop. Establishing a set practice schedule with your apartment neighbors could be the answer to getting them all on your side. If they know the exact hours that you’re going to play, they’re less likely to complain as they can plan their activities around them.

You can also find out when your neighbors aren’t around. That’s typically the best time to practice.

Keep on drumming…respectfully

At the end of the day, drums are loud instruments that are often met with resistance from the people around you. As drummers, we need to make the best of what we have to continue practicing – especially if you don’t have a recording studio or basement.

In some apartment complexes, your neighbors might be fine with you playing your acoustic kit at full volume within a certain time window. In other complexes, it means you’ll have to use an electronic kit as acoustic drums are simply too loud for the area, even with soundproofing. 

Do everything you can to cut back on the noise and keep your neighbors happy. This way, you can keep doing what you love.

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