First Drum Set
 

So I am new to drumming, this is my first set. What drums and/or cymbals should I have? I have the basic 5 piece set (I don't know what to call each one <_<). What would you recommend I buy? Where should I start? Anyone have any songs I could learn with a 5 piece set? Thanks!

Cymbals depend on the style you want to play and personal preference, if u like the sound, get it. start with a ride, crash and hi-hat which ever one u like better and for drum heads get ambassador coated. You can play pretty much any song on the classic five piece.

I have a beginner's classic five piece set with only a hi-hat and a crash and I get by on these. However, I would really like to get a ride as well.

Oh ok, cool. I was told to pick up a double bass drum pedal and a china cymbal. Do you guys/gals think I should?

Double bass pedals are cool but unnecessary, unless you play a lot of heavy metal or prefer using your other foot for the bass drum.

You can make really intricate tom rolls with a double kick. Or accent kick fills. It's not just all about dududududududududududududududud. ;)

But if he's just starting out, I'd say he get a single kick anyway so he's not tempted to lose focus. Learn the basics and all.

One can easily do without double bass, even in metal. Here's an example:

Great to know we're all able to do that at moment's notice.
Pshh.. practice is out the door now! Who needs it?
Brand new drummers, you will be just as capable as every other drummer that ever existed... don't worry about building skills or starting on a foundation... screw all that absolute non-sense... Just "think" you're doing it right.

We'll love it.. I promise.......

I just love the sarcasm.

I admittedly should've removed "easily" out of my quote. My 2 cents was just aimed at show casing that you don't need a double bass for metal......[meaning I'm saying it's not nesessary], so idealJOSEPH shouldn't have that on the top of his list if he plans on going the metal route.

I don't see why you were going on about practice(important factor, yes, but not what I was going on about)...

Cymbals (including hi-hat) and the snare drum are what I'd improve first. They make the most prevalent sound and are likely to be played the most so having them sound good is a good bonus. I would definately not reccomend starting by getting a china and double-bass pedal. A china cymbal isn't used very often in comparison to other things and you definately need to learn the basics of one bass pedal before you even think of moving on to two. New, more durable heads (such as ambassador coated) are also another thing you should upgrade fairly quickly, although it's fine to wait until your current heads break before replacing them. I would also suggest you learn how to tune drums straight away as tuning can make a huge difference in how the kit feels to play and how it sounds.

If you're on a low budget, upgrade the snare first and then the cymbals (either individually or as a set) and then move on to whatever you feel like needs improving the most (probably toms, as a good tom drum sounds awesome).

As for songs, well, most songs out there can either be played straight onto or be adapted for a 5-piece kit.

Thanks a lot Dom. Is there a way to make the drum set any quieter if thats possible? I heard dampening rings make it a bit quieter. Any suggestions?

Apart from playing quieter (which sucks) you could try silencer/dampening pads, although make sure you get good quality ones, the ones I used to have were very poor and took almost all the rebound away so it became almost impossible for me to play. Another thing you could try are silencer sticks, like these but I'm not sure how good these are. Apart from that the only other solution I can think of is switching to an electronic kit.

One thing I'd say is try before you buy if at all possible. It sucks to spend loads of money on something which turns out to be crap when you get them.

Okay, here's the two cents from myself(and my first post on this forum):

Cymbals are important, as they're the most often hit objects on the set. Hi-hats and a ride cymbal should be just as important as getting the drum set itself. If you can afford it, don't skimp on these cymbals, as they could last you a life-time. from each of the big producers:

Zildjian: A or K series are the best they can offer. If you have the cash, go for it. Personally, I like the sound of the K series, as they're a bit 'classier'. If you're into jazz, definitely check out those cymbals.

If you're kinda low on cash, Zildjian does have lower-end lines, but they're... Meh. If you ever see anything called a "Pitch Black", it's closer to the Black Plague than anything else.

Sabian: Sabian is very well-liked for their AAX, HHX, and HH series, not to mention the Paragon series as well. The cymbals they make are generally pretty good in quality, and moderate in price range. They have a reputation for communicating with artists that they endorse, which makes for interesting new cymbal innovations. A sturdy choice.

Be sure to check out the X-celerator hi-hats!

Paiste: Ah, my favorite producer. Paiste is probably gonna be the guys you don't start out with, unless you have hundreds of dollars in your pocket. They're expensive, but my God, they make such awesome cymbals. Signature, RUDE, Twenty, almost all series I would recommend(pending your tastes).

If you're on a budget, they have a beginner line called PST5 and PST3. Next level up from that is Alpha, and another middle-range-priced series from these guys is Giant Beat.

Meinl: Honestly, I haven't had too much experience with these cymbals, but from what I've heard and played, they're just as good as the previous three. They're especially fond of their Byzance series, which is their go-to for a lot of their endorsees. Benny Greb is a notable endorsee, as well as Chris Adler.

That's my little blurb on cymbals. Good heads to start out with would be Remo Ambassador or Emperor X's. New thicker heads are supposed to be sturdier and have better sustain and tonal qualities, and you just can't go wrong with Remo.

And last but not least: Pearl. Pearl Drums.