Have you always wished to play the world's oldest instrument but have little knowledge in choosing the best kit? These tips will guide you in choosing the appropriate kit for playing a beat.

Tip 1: Most importantly, get a kit that best suit you - the look and sound that you want and the music that you want to play.

Tip 2: Spend as much money as your budget will allow. Drum kits can be expensive but with proper care, they can last for years. It is worth spending the money on a good instrument to begin with.

Tip 3: The Drum Kit – it is very important to comprehend how drums work, especially getting the best sound out of your drum kit.

There are two (2) types of percussion instruments that make up the drum kit:

1. 1. Drums

A Drum is made of the following parts:

• The Shell – the size of the drum shell and the materials it is made of have a great impact on the sound or tone produced.

• The Drum Heads or Skins – a drum has one head on the top and another one on the bottom that are fastened tightly around the drum shell, so when hitting them creates a vibration.

• The Rims and Lugs – the rims are metal rings that fastened the drum heads on to the shells. Lugs are screws that attach the rims and therefore the heads to the shell. This allows you to loosen or tighten the heads which tunes the drums.

1. 2. Cymbals

The Cymbals are the other major component of the drum kit.

• Cymbals are thin round disk made from a variety of metals, including brass, bronze and silver. When struck, cymbals create distinct types of shimmering and bright sounds.

• Cymbals are composed of the bell and the body. Each part creates a unique and distinctive sound.

THE PARTS OF A DRUM KIT - A standard drum kit is made up of the following drums and cymbals:

Bass Drums

• The largest and deepest drum in the kit. This played with the foot using a foot pedal, also known as ‘kick drum'.

Toms

• There are three toms on a standard drum kit. The toms can be mounted on the bass drum (mounted toms) or on a stand or rack (rack toms). They can also be seated on the floor and this is known as floor toms.

Snare Drums

• This part plays a very vital role. It differs from the other drums because it has a group of curled wires (snares) which is stretched across the bottom head.

Hi-hat

• Composed of two cymbals, a stand and a foot pedal which produces different sounds when set-up.

Crash Cymbal & Ride Cymbal

• The crash cymbal comes in many different sizes that are used to make a loud, crashing-sound. They are usually used to indicate changes or accents in the music.

• The ride cymbal is the heaviest and largest among the cymbals. This is played in a constant rhythm to go with the music.

Hardware

• In addition to the drums and cymbals, the drum kit comes with hardware holding all the parts together.

• Drum hardware consists of cymbal stands, the hi-hat stand, the bass drum pedal and tom mounts.

Tip 4: Choosing your first drum kit is very exciting! But, it is important to take time and be patient.

Tip 5: Do some research before you decide on purchasing a drum set.