Drum accessories are important to enhance the sound and performance of a drummer’s kit, to imporve the playing experience, and to provide protection to the kit. Cymbal stands, drum thrones, bass drum pedals are just a few essential accessories that every drummer needs. Additionally, you may also require drumsticks, brushes, drumheads, dampeners, and more.
Introduction to Drum & Percussion Accessories
Having the right set of accessories is important for any drummer in order to achieve the desired sound and elevate your performance to a higher level.
For example:
- Cymbal stands and drum thrones help provide stability and comfort during performance.
- Drum pedals are important for control, and to get the right sounds during a performance.
- Drumsticks and brushes help achieve different sounds and textures.
- Drumheads and dampeners can be used to adjust the tone and sustain of the drums
So accessories are important to get the desired sound, to be comfortable while playing, and to protect your gear.
Complete your collection of drums with some really useful accessories and parts listed here. You’ll find drum parts, snare drums, drum shells, sticks, drumheads, cymbals, bags, stands, tension rods, drum heads, and more.
For your drum sticks, you get cases, carriers and bags which you can use to keep the sticks in a safe place where they won’t get broken or damaged. Besides the drum sticks (the most commonly used accessory), there are other useful accessories that you may require, in case you’re a serious drummer.
Bass Drum Pedals
A drum pedal (also known as a bass drum pedal) is a pedal for the bass drum and you use it to strike the drum with a beater. you can adjust the pedal to customize it as per your preference and playing style.
The bass drum (along with the snare) gets used the most and is crucial to your drum kit’s sound, so you require good foot technique and also a good pedal.
Footboard is part of the bass drum pedal that you press using your foot. Footboard can be shortboard (regular) and longboard (longer). A shortboard bass drum pedal comes with a heel plate (this part doesn’t move). Shortboard is the more common footboard type, available on most pedals. For huge feet, a longboard will be more comfortable. A shortboard may be suitable for those who prefer the heel-down technique. You also get pedals that let you switch between a longboard and a shortboard. You can also buy footboards separately, to convert between longboard and shortboard without having to replace the whole pedal.
The best bass drum pedals feel rugged yet provide smooth operation, and stay put in place. Top brands that make drum bass pedals include Yamaha, DW, Pearl, Tama; these brands offer a wide range of drums and percussion.
DW 5000 Series Bass Drum Pedal
Experienced drummers prefer to use this pedal; its more of an industry standard and arguably the best single bass drum pedal for gigging drummers.
Available in two variants, the Turbo (more consistent and less aggressive) and the Accelerator version (more velocity/momentum).
The pedal grips better and provides a stronger connection between the drummer and kick drum. operates smoothly. The Accelerator version increases the velocity of the pedal and is recommended for situations that require increased speed and sensitivity.
Irrespective of what you buy, these pedals offer better performance & durability.
Pearl P930 Single Bass Pedal
Pearl P-930 is a single-chain drive pedal, with a Demon Style Powershifter longboard. It’s fast and responsive and an excellent budget pedal under $100 (offers great value for money).
This is a great choice for a beginner, or even for experienced players who are looking for a reliable backup. Well, at this price, you don’t get as much flexibility and bells & whistles as the top ones, but you’ll be surprised to see its performance.
Yamaha FP9500C Pedal
The YAMAHA FP-9500C is suited for heavy players. It’s a double chain drive single pedal and includes a woven nylon strap that can be installed using a drum key.
It is extremely smooth and easy to play with, especially with the strap connection (the double chains seem to add weight to the feel). The rubber used on the clamping area is a nice touch – no more hoop rash if you have a nicely finished bass drum hoop. The pedal plate has rubber on the bottom (it doesn’t use velcro and that is a relief).
Depending on the kind of music you play, you can easily switch between the double chain and the nylon strap. More and more drummers are now opting for the nylon strap because it’s quiet and has a light, quick feel to it.
The FP-9500C is also very adjustable – you can adjust the beater angle, footboard angle, and spring tension.
The two-way beater Yamaha uses is also much lighter than what its competitors make. If you like to use different beaters, you may have to readjust your spring tension, beater angle, footboard angle.
Drum Sticks & Stick Holders
Vic Firth American Classic 5A Drum Sticks: Top quality drumsticks for playing in any genre – rock, jazz, country, pop, etc.
Promark H-RODS Hot Rods Drum Stick: Top quality drumsticks available from the world’s largest manufacturer of drumsticks, mallets, and percussion accessories.
On Stage DA100 Drum Stick Holder: Easily keep up to 8 pairs of sticks, and easily attaches to most stands and hardware.
Practice Pads
Evans 2-Sided Practice Pad: The 12 Inches 2-sided pad has a large playing surface that fits inside a standard snare basket. A natural feel on one side for a realistic rebound, and a harder recycled rubber surface on the other for a real workout.
Drum Heads
Evans Clear 300 Snare Side Drum Head: A versatile snare side head that yields a wide dynamic range and controlled snare response at all dynamic levels.
Evans Genera HD Dry Drum Head: Aggressive rimshot and balanced response, ideal for the studio. Small vents around the perimeter eliminate additional overtones and create a more focused sound.
Buying Links
Drum Set Isolation Booth
This is what experienced drummers use, an isolation booth that lets you play to your heart’s content without getting worried about disturbing others. This also works for vocalists and other instruments.
Drum booths are easy set up and some even completely enclose the drummer (you find such booths in recording studios). It reduces noise levels by over 15 decibels, which is quite a significant reduction. It works for drums, vocalists, and other instruments as well.
So now you can completely express yourself or perfect your percussion techniques without disturbing others around you, using this drum set isolation booth.
Drum Shields & Booths serve a couple of purposes:
- When on stage, these prevent the drums from drowning other musicians onstage. it also prevents the drums from interfering with the other microphones placed onstage. These work great in studio settings as well.
- At home, these reduce the overall volume of the drums so that others in the house and neighbors are not disturbed.
Drum Shields: Construction
An engineer usually sets up a drum shield/s as per the demands of the setup (live or studio), depending on where the other musicians are seated and the various other mics positioned.
- Drum shield includes a screen/shield usually made from thick acrylic material that acts as sound barriers. The material is transparent so that the drummer is clearly visible.Most drum shield setups include three panels (some pro setups may completely cover the drummer).
- Because panels are usually reflective (do not absorb sound), drum shields are often paired with sound-absorbent materials (such as foam) from the inside. These acoustic treatment materials reduce the reflections bouncing off the screens (and coming back to the drummer and interfering with his mic).
You can buy single absorption panels (called baffles) – or packages (of three baffles), which also includes support bars, replacement hinges, everything you require for a professional shield setup.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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