Learning to play the drums is one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself. You’ll learn to play along with your favorite music tracks, get a low-impact high-performance workout, and develop some top-notch hand/eye coordination. But, are electronic drum kits good to learn on?
Electronic drum kits are a great way to practice your technique and develop as a drummer and musician. Electronic kits are going to be smaller than acoustic kits and be much quieter making them ideal for apartments, condos, or playing at night when others are sleeping.
Anything that gets you practicing is worth your time and investment…but that’s not to say learning on an electronic drum kit doesn’t have some disadvantages too. With a little reading and weighing the pros & cons, you’ll be able to make the best decision for your future as a drummer!
Table of Contents
What Are The Pros To Learning On An Electronic Drum Kit?
I know the vast majority of people reading this already know they want an acoustic kit…but at least consider an electronic drum kit if one of the following applies to you. The pros of learning on an electronic drum kit:
- Smaller
- Quieter Playing
- Variable Sounds
- Complex Microphone Setup Not Required
Smaller
Acoustic drums look cool…the bigger the better, right. But for a lot of people space is limited so the smaller footprint of electronic drums can be a huge plus. They also pack down to be much more compact than acoustic drums.
While the drum heads and cymbals are usually sized accurately to their acoustic counterparts, they aren’t as deep and can stack easier. For instance, a standard acoustic floor tom will be 16 inches wide by 16 inches deep and an electronic floor tom will be 16 inches wide by only a few inches deep. An e-drum kit can break down and fit into a standard suitcase…good luck doing that with an acoustic set.
The upside is, you get an electronic drum set now, and in the future get an acoustic set…you’ll have both and be ready for all sorts of recordings or gigs.
Quieter Playing
Drums are loud…just stating facts. Even playing at quieter volumes (called pianissimo in music-speak)will still be noticeable to anyone a room or two away. With electronic drums, you can either turn the volume down on your amplifier or speaker or adjust the volume on the digital console.
If you want to prevent the drums sounds from being heard all together you can use headphones.
Now, for a little reality check. While you can completely eliminate the drum sounds from being heard you can’t get rid of the sound of your stick hitting the drum pads…and this can get pretty loud if you are jamming away to some hard rock tracks.
There are some measures to counter this too, various mutes and sound dampening pads that you can put over the e-drum heads are available, or you can use towels or t-shirts if you’re on a budget.
Variable Sounds
With acoustic drums, if you want to change the various sounds you have to switch out drums heads, cymbals, or the entire kit.
Electronic drums will have a whole set of sounds that you can change on the fly, from various standard rock and jazz kit sounds to synth and 8-bit drum sounds.
I did a quick search on Guitar Center for one of their highest rated electronic drum sets to see its instrument offering.
I came up with the Simmons Titan 50 Electronic Drum Kit (Review).
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Snare Pad | Dual-zone 10″ mesh with rim shot detection |
| Tom Pads | Three 8″ mesh toms |
| Kick Pad | 6″ mesh pad suitable for single and double pedals |
| Cymbal Pads | 10″ pads for hi-hats, ride, and crash |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth audio, 1/8″ stereo AUX input, USB, headphone output, stereo line output |
| Sound Library | 25 drum presets, 10 user-constructed kits, downloadable Sound Packs |
Complex Microphone Setup Not Required
Setting up microphones for an acoustic drum set recording or performance is an art form. Mic’s for the kick drum, mic’s for the snare drum and toms, a cymbal mic, overhead ambient microphones….how many is that, like 8?
Sure, you can get by with fewer and likely add many more…but with electronic drums, there’s “no-mic-required.”
Now, you can have buyers fatigue with all of the options for PA systems and amplifiers at your local music shop but, once you’ve made your purchase, you only have one to three things to hook up.
For small venues, you can likely get by with just an amplifier or a small, personal PA system. For larger venues, you may want to have a personal monitor in addition to being hooked up to an amplifier and the house PA system. But…ni microphones and the miles of cables needed to hook them up!
What Are The Cons To Learning On An Electronic Drum Kit?
Electronic drum kits do come with their negatives. It’s important to weigh these against the pros and come up with an informed opinion on if electronic or acoustic drums would be better for you. A few cons to learning on an electronic drum set:
- Drum Heads Aren’t Always As Big
- Might Not Have Same “Bounce Back” Feel
- Can Be More Expensive To Replace Parts
Drum Heads Aren’t Always As Big
More expensive sets will usually try to match size with their acoustic drum head counterparts, but less expensive models may come up a bit short.
This won’t be a huge issue if you always play on that same set of e-drums, but if you will be switching from e-drums to an acoustic set you may find that your muscle memory will have you hitting the rims or nodes (dead spots on drum heads.)
Solution: If you have both an e-drum set and an acoustic set, give yourself equal practice time on both. If you can’t afford both sets see about taking private lessons (not a bad idea anyway)with a teacher that provides an acoustic set during your lessons.
If regularly playing on an acoustic set isn’t an option, then try to be precise about where you hit the heads of your e-drum set and compare that to where you would be hitting on an acoustic set. This isn’t an ideal way to go, but it will at least help your muscle memory from getting confused.
Might Not Have The Same “Bounce Back” Fell
Hard rubber or mesh plastic isn’t going to have the same “spring” that a drum head will have. As technology…and how much you’re willing to spend…expands, mesh drum heads on e-kits will more closely match the feel of an acoustic drum head.
What about cymbals? Cymbals on e-drums are usually made out of a hard rubber or plastic material to mimic the metallic feel of reel cymbals…how accurate it feels is up for debate but it is literally comparing rubber to metal.
Solution – It’s more common to get your e-drums to feel as accurate to acoustic drums as possible, rather than the other way around. If you can get on an acoustic set, compare the feel of the two, and then adjust the heads on your e-set to fit that feel.
Now, this isn’t always possible since not all models will allow you to adjust the heads…so in this case, you may need to put pads or towels over the drum heads. This solution only works to reduce bounce back…adding is a little trickier. For that, you might need to try different drum sticks, with tips that have more bounce.
The cymbals have an interesting solution…you use real cymbals with the rest of the e-kit. Now, this introduces other challenges…namely noise and the need to mic them if playing live.
Can Be More Expensive To Replace Part
When it comes to drum heads, you can buy replacements for acoustic and electronic drums…prices will vary from size and make, but they are replaceable and aren’t going to break the bank too badly.
Drum shells and cymbals are pretty robust and aren’t likely to break even after rigorous playing for years. Keep them dry, don’t set them on fire, and avoid dropping them from a roof and they can last a lifetime. But the electronic components that come with e-drums are a different story.
Electronic things have more internal workings that can break…that’s just a fact. Wires burn or come loose and screens stop displaying. Now, the screens can usually be replaced (unless the model has been discontinued) but it may cost a pretty penny.
Internal wires are a little trickier. If you’re technically savvy you can try diving in and repairing them…usually, a little solder and some shrink tube will do the trick. If you’re not up for the challenge then you can take your kit into a repair center to get worked on, for a fee.
Is it Better to Learn on Acoustic Drums?
Learning on acoustic drums offers an authentic feel and sound, helping students develop a natural sense of dynamics and touch. However, they can be loud and require more space compared to electronic kits.
Advantages of Learning on Acoustic Drums:
- Feel and Dynamics: Acoustic drums provide a unique feel and response that electronic kits might not fully replicate. This allows students to develop a more natural sense of dynamics and touch.
- Authentic Sound: Acoustic drums give students the experience of producing and manipulating real drum sounds. This can be important for understanding tone, tuning, and the overall sound of each drum and cymbal.
- Tuning Skills: Learning on an acoustic kit will necessitate understanding how to tune drums, which is a valuable skill for any drummer. This is not a concern with electronic kits, which have pre-recorded sounds.
- Versatility: Acoustic drums can be played in various settings without the need for electricity, from jam sessions to unplugged gigs.
- Muscle Development: Acoustic drums typically require a bit more physical effort than electronic pads, which can lead to better muscle development and endurance.
- Creativity and Expression: With an acoustic set, drummers can experiment with different drum heads, sticks, mallets, and techniques to produce a wide range of sounds.
Disadvantages of Learning on Acoustic Drums:
- Volume: Acoustic drums are loud, which might not be suitable for apartment dwellers or those in shared living situations. This can also be a concern for hearing protection.
- Space Requirements: A full acoustic drum kit requires a significant amount of space, which might not be available to everyone.
- Maintenance: Acoustic drums require regular maintenance, such as changing heads and tuning, which can be time-consuming and costly.
- Cost: Quality acoustic drum kits can be more expensive than beginner electronic kits.
- Lack of Features: Unlike electronic kits, acoustic drums don’t come with built-in metronomes, recording capabilities, or the ability to switch between different drum sounds easily.
Considerations:
- Personal Goals: If a student’s goal is to play in an acoustic band setting or in live performances, starting on an acoustic kit might make more sense. However, if the goal is home practice or electronic music production, an electronic kit could be more suitable.
- Environment: If noise is a concern, it might be challenging to practice regularly on an acoustic kit. Some people opt for low-volume cymbals and mesh heads to reduce the sound, but this can alter the feel and response.
- Budget: While there are affordable acoustic drum kits, they can become expensive when factoring in cymbals, hardware, and maintenance.
Final Thoughts
Anything that gets you playing is good. Don’t think of electronic drums as “lesser” than acoustic drums…they’re just a different tool for you to learn and use to make music.
A well-rounded drummer will be able to play both and will be comfortable on both. Having the ability to jump from one to another at the request of a producer will open doors for you too.
Now, get to practicing!