Selecting the Right Configuration of a Junior Drum Set For Your Child

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If you are buying your child's first drum kit, you have probably found that a junior drum set is the best choice. The junior drum sets and other starter kits on the market today offer parents the opportunity to purchase their kids a quality set at a much lower cost than a full kit. This also allows your new drummer time to ensure they like drumming before you purchase a high priced kit that is going to only go unused. This is also a wise strategy for new drummers.

But once you settle on a junior drum kit, there are still options to consider, including the size and configuration of your child's first kit. When shopping for a starter drum kit, you'll mainly find two configurations: 3-piece junior drum sets and 5-piece junior drum sets. Both are very popular and likely appropriate for your child, but how to choose?

First, let's discuss the difference between 3-piece sets and 5-piece sets (there is such a thing as 4-piece sets, but they are much less common). A 3-piece kit refers to the main 3 pieces of the kit: base drum, snare, and single mounted tom-tom. A 5-piece drum set includes two additional pieces: a second mounted tom-tom and a floor tom-tom.

Either configuration is fine for your starting drummer, as the 3-piece and 5-piece configurations mirror the same sizes of many full size kits. Many experienced drummers play on full sized sets that have the same components as described for the 3-piece and 5-piece kit. Of course once you get into full size sets, there are a ton more set configurations and drummers tend to customize their sets even more by adding specific components to their liking.

The best advantages of a 3-piece child drum kit for your child is that it will be smaller and simpler to play and learn on. Less drums generally means less number of drum cadences to master and the faster they'll become comfortable playing on their set. These 3-piece sets are also generally less expensive than 5-piece sets.

The advantage of a 5-piece set is that it is closer to the configuration of a majority of full kits. The 5-piece configuration has become the closest thing to a standard in kit configurations, so purchasing your child a 5-piece child drum set means they'll be practicing on something closer to an actual kit, and also a kit they'll likely not grow out of quickly. It will probably cost more, take up more space, and be more advanced to learn on.

Choosing between a 3-piece set and 5-piece set should not be a big deal when purchasing a junior drum kit. Both are good choices and make great sense for your child, and most experts would recommend you let your child choose, and your pocket book as well.