Finding the best gifts for a beginning drummer doesn’t need to be challenging—even if you don’t have much experience getting into the head of someone just kicking off their journey in the percussive arts. Fortunately, every drummer needs a ton of gear, and that’s a very good opportunity for a gift giver.

But we’ll make it even easier to find the right gifts for newbie drummers by breaking down the vast list of potential presents.

The following collection encompasses some of our favorites, as well as best-selling gear oriented towards beginning drummers. From drum sticks to drum kits, gig bags to practice pads, metronomes to drum thrones and more, we have lots of gift ideas designed to inspire, educate, challenge and delight aspiring drummers. So, let’s hit the downbeat and get gifting …

Pictured: Zildjian I Series Pro Cymbal Pack, Vic Firth 5A Drum Sticks, DeltaLab DMT-1 Metronome, Yamaha Stage Custom Birch Snare Drum

Table of Contents

Give Your Beginner a Complete Drum Kit
   Ludwig BackBeat Complete 5-Piece Drum Set With Hardware and Cymbals
   Simmons Titan 50 B-EX Expanded Electronic Drum Kit With Mesh Pads & Bluetooth
Gift Your Beginner Drummer a Snare Drum
   Yamaha Stage Custom Birch Snare 14x5.5"
The Best Cymbal Pack for a Beginner Gift
   Zildjian I Series Pro Cymbal 5-Pack With Free 14" Crash
Keep Your Beginner On Time With a Digital Metronome
   TAMA Rhythm Watch RW200
   DeltaLab DMT-1 Digital Metronome
Best Practice Pad to Give a Beginning Drummer
   EVANS RealFeel 2-Sided Speed and Workout Drum Pad Gray 12"
Best Drum Bags to Give a Beginning Drummer
   Road Runner RRDSB2 Avenue Series Drum Stick Bag
   Gator GP-HDWE Padded Drum Hardware Bag
   MEINL Professional Cymbal Backpack
Best Hardware Gifts for a Beginning Drummer
   PDP by DW Gravity Series 710R 12" Round Top Lightweight Throne
   Sound Percussion Labs Velocity VLHW890-4 4-Piece Hardware Pack
Fun Presents and Best Drum Accessories
   Vic Firth Buy 3 Pairs of 5A Drum Sticks, Get 1 Pair Free
   RTOM Moongel Percussion Dampening Gels 6-Pack
   Sound Percussion Labs SPA10 Drum Key 2-Pack
   Vater Multi-Pair Stick Holder
   Zildjian Mens Classic Logo Tee Shirt
Want Another Gifting Groove?

Give Your Beginner a Complete Drum Kit

Pictured: Ludwig BackBeat Tom Shell in Metallic Purple Mist

Ludwig BackBeat Complete 5-Piece Drum Set With Hardware and Cymbals

What Makes This a Great Gift: It’s “move-in ready” with everything a drummer needs to start playing immediately after ripping off the gift wrap.

Things to Consider: This is a full-sized kit with a 22" kick drum.

Shop Now: Ludwig BackBeat Complete 5-Piece Drum Set With Hardware and Cymbals in Metallic Purple Mist

Unless your beginning drummer is a youngster in need of a “child-sized” kit, getting a full-sized set is a great introduction to the joy and power of creating grooves. It’s also worth mentioning that the Ludwig BackBeat Complete 5-Piece Drum Set can move from home rehearsal right to a professional club stage and do the job. The BackBeat includes a 14" snare, 10" and 12" rack toms, 16" floor tom, 22" bass drum, 13" hi-hats and 16" crash/ride cymbal. In addition, the 7-ply hardwood shells and sturdy hardware promise years of use, so even if your drummer eventually upgrades to a different type of kit, the BackBeat can offer its services as a backup or rehearsal set.

Explore More: Find a lot of options for beginner-oriented kits in our article, Best Beginner Drum Sets of 2024.

Simmons Titan 50 B-EX Expanded Electronic Drum Kit With Mesh Pads & Bluetooth

What Makes This a Great Gift: Drums that no one else but the drummer can hear? It’s a gift for everyone.

Things to Consider: Module includes 25 different drum kits plus built-in practice tools.

Shop Now: Simmons Titan 50 B-EX Expanded Electronic Drum Kit With Mesh Pads & Bluetooth

The Simmons Titan 50 B-EX Expanded Electronic Drum Kit provides fantastic educational and performance opportunities for a beginner to try out various digital drum kits, play along to favorite songs (via Bluetooth audio), check tempo with a metronome and take advantage of online and built-in lesson materials. The Titan 50 B-EX is also a big kit for new and aspiring players to explore and grow into, offering a 6" kick pad, 10" snare, four 8" toms, 10" hi-hats, 10" ride cymbal and two 10" crash cymbals.

Explore More: Learn about the parts of an electronic drum set and explore other e-kits in our article, How to Choose the Best Electronic Drum Kit.

Gift Your Beginner Drummer a Snare Drum

Yamaha Stage Custom Birch Snare 14x5.5"

What Makes This a Great Gift: An entry-level snare that punches above its weight class in looks and sound.

Things to Consider: Birch shells typically produce a warm, dryish timbre with a strong attack.

Shop Now: Yamaha Stage Custom Birch Snare Drum 14x5.5in Honey Amber

The Yamaha Stage Custom Birch is a gorgeously elegant snare boasting 6-ply construction, 1.5 mm triple-flanged hoops and steel-carbon snare wire. The Stage Custom accommodates low, medium and high tunings quite well, which gives beginning drummers a lot of room to tailor this snare to the musical styles they dig, or follow the tuning recommendations of a drum instructor.

Explore More: Look at a whole bunch more snares in our guide, The Best Snare Drums for 2024.

The Best Cymbal Pack for a Beginner Gift

Zildjian I Series Pro Cymbal 5-Pack With Free 14" Crash

What Makes This a Great Gift: It provides all of the main cymbal “food groups” to get a beginner started.

Things to Consider: This pack offers an excellent range of cymbal tones for versatility.

Shop Now: Zildjian I Series Pro Cymbal 5-Pack

Zildjian has been manufacturing cymbals since 1618, so they’re a pretty trusted resource for curating cymbal packs for players at all skill levels and musical styles. The Zildjian I Series Cymbal 5-Pack includes nearly everything a beginning drummer needs to crash, sizzle and ride. The pack contains five machine-hammered B8 bronze cymbals—14" hi-hats (top and bottom), 14" and 16" crashes, and a 20" ride. Cymbal “upgrades” are always welcome—drummers typically can’t get enough of them for adding different cymbal colors to their kits—and many new drum sets offer only shells (no cymbals or hardware included).

Explore More: Looking for a different kind of crash? Check out How to Shop for Crash Cymbals.

Keep Your Beginner On Time With a Digital Metronome

Pictured: DeltaLab DMT-1 Digital Metronome

TAMA Rhythm Watch RW200

What Makes This a Great Gift: It’s a tempo trainer that can be used for private practice, or as a click track in the studio or on stage with a live band.

Things to Consider: Tap tempo function.

Shop Now: TAMA Rhythm Watch RW200

The TAMA Rhythm Watch RW200 provides enough volume to get its metronome sounds above the roar of loud practice and jam sessions, or lessons where a teacher is playing a full drum kit along with the student. The RW200 has a headphone jack for isolated listening, as well as a built-in speaker when you want to use it in less noisy situations, such as home practice sessions. Tempo range is 35 BPM to 250 BPM, and you can set tempos with the large front-panel dial, or tap them in with your fingers using the tap tempo pad. There are two click sounds available and you can store up to 30 songs in the onboard tempo and beat memory.

Explore More: Check out more digital and mechanical metronomes.

DeltaLab DMT-1 Digital Metronome

What Makes This a Great Gift: Drummers at all levels absolutely benefit by practicing how to play precisely in time. A metronome is a key tool in the pursuit of building unwavering rhythm chops.

Things to Consider: Precise digital time generation.

Shop Now: DeltaLab DMT-1 Digital Metronome

The DeltaLab DMT-1 is a pocket-sized digital metronome your beginner can carry everywhere for brushing up on rhythm training practically anywhere. Near-silent groove training is made possible by plugging into the DMT-1’s earplug jack and drumming fingers lightly on a table at, say, Starbucks. (There’s also a built-in speaker for less-quiet practice sessions.) The DMT-1 lets you set tempos from 30 BPM to 360 BPM, and it includes a bunch of beat values for practicing straight time and syncopation, a built-in stand and a large display.  

Explore More: Investigate our collection of digital and mechanical metronomes in various sizes.

Best Practice Pad to Give a Beginning Drummer

EVANS RealFeel 2-Sided Speed and Workout Drum Pad Gray 12"

What Makes This a Great Gift: At 12" in diameter, the Evans RealFeel is close enough to the common 14" size of a real snare that beginners will have an easier transition from practicing rudiments to playing a drum kit.

Things to Consider: Two rubber surfaces—one feels like a traditional drum head, the other is harder for speed and endurance work.

Shop Now: EVANS RealFeel 2-Sided Speed and Workout Drum Pad Gray 12"

The EVANS RealFeel 2-Sided Speed and Workout Drum Pad is a wonderful training tool for beginners. Unlike some practice pads, it’s not small. The 12" diameter offers a close real-world experience to playing on a conventional snare drum. On that note, one of the RealFeel’s rubber surfaces is designed to respond and rebound like an actual acoustic drum head. The benefit there is that a beginner won’t need to significantly adjust from the feel of a practice pad to a drum kit. For refining speed and technique, the RealFeel’s other side is a hard surface that offers a swift rebound. 

Explore More: It’s also good practice—and fun—to learn from other drummers, so peruse our Best Songs to Play Drums To article.

Best Drum Bags to Give a Beginning Drummer

Road Runner RRDSB2 Avenue Series Drum Stick Bag

What Makes This a Great Gift: Drummers pack a lot of sticks, and a repurposed plastic bag from the local grocery store isn’t the best way to take them with you.

Things to Consider: Super tough, weather-resistant bag that can take lots of abuse.

Shop Now: Road Runner RRDSB2 Avenue Series Drum Stick Bag

An aspiring drummer may try out a number of sticks, mallets, brushes and multi-rods as they expand their percussive palette. The Road Runner RRDSB2 Avenue Series Drum Stick Bag is a rugged, pro-quality case with multiple inside pockets for stick storage. It also includes heavy-duty zippers (a must-have, as drummers open and close these bags constantly), hanging straps for mounting the bag on a floor tom (which makes it easy to snatch another stick if you drop one while playing) and an external pocket for bringing along drum keys, notation paper and other accessories.

Explore More: Peruse even more stick bag options.

Gator GP-HDWE Padded Drum Hardware Bag

What Makes This a Great Gift: Drummers can’t escape the numerous and weighty drum hardware required to set up their kits. But a good hardware bag is a convenient way to pack up and carry all of that heavy metal.

Things to Consider: Hardware bags get beat up—this one is constructed of durable, 600-denier nylon that will stand up to years of use.

Shop Now: Gator GP-HDWE Padded Drum Hardware Bag

Few things outside of two personal drum roadies in a hovercraft can make hauling hardware a pleasurable experience, but the Gator GP-HDWE Padded Drum Hardware Bag certainly helps ease the pain. The 13"x50" interior can accommodate most stands, and a synthetic fur lining makes sliding hardware in and out of the bag almost effortless. There are also reinforcement carry handles, a shoulder strap for the brave or strong, and super tough #10 zippers that can withstand years of zipping.

MEINL Professional Cymbal Backpack

What Makes This a Great Gift: A protective carry-all for your cymbals that also provides some style and swagger.

Things to Consider: Outside pocket carries hi-hats and other cymbals up to 15"—no need to stash them in the larger compartment with crashes and ride.

Shop Now: MEINL Professional Cymbal Backpack

With its padded straps, reinforced handles, removable inner dividers and thick-rubber bottom, the MEINL Professional Cymbal Backpack ensures easy cartage and force-field-like protection of cymbals up to 22". The backpack is also water resistant and ultradurable. All of that is awesome for a bag that will get used continually—and potentially roughly—but perhaps the hippest element is the so-very-fashionable reflective red piping that has a practical value beyond style. On a darkened stage or rehearsal room, and tucked in amidst a lot of other gear, that red strip will help you locate the cymbal bag in a jiffy.

Best Hardware Gifts for a Beginning Drummer

PDP by DW Gravity Series 710R 12" Round Top Lightweight Throne

What Makes This a Great Gift: Every drummer deserves a throne, but a comfy one is true bliss.

Things to Consider: Padded, 12" round seat.

Shop Now: PDP by DW Gravity Series 12" Round Top Lightweight Drum Throne

The PDP by DW Gravity Series 710R lightweight drum throne is sturdy and adjustable, ensuring drummers of most heights and styles (from aggressive metal to smooth jazz) can sit comfortably and focus on their playing. The seat’s thick padding fights against aches and fatigue during long rehearsals, practice sessions and shows, and the double-braced legs and non-slip feet keep the throne steady and well grounded. (No one wants to end up in a TikTok falling backwards off their drum seat.) As an added bonus, the 710R’s lightweight design makes it less fearsome to store in an already heavy hardware bag.

Explore More: Find more comfy seating options in our guide to the Best Drum Thrones of 2024.

Sound Percussion Labs Velocity VLHW890-4 4-Piece Hardware Pack

What Makes This a Great Gift: It’s a simple way to complete a drum shell pack that didn’t come with cymbal hardware or a kick pedal.

Things to Consider: Includes memory locks for rapid and consistent set up and break down.

Shop Now: Sound Percussion Labs Velocity Series 4-Piece Hardware Pack

The Sound Percussion Labs Velocity VLHW890-4 4-piece hardware pack includes a boom cymbal stand, hi-hat stand, snare stand and single bass drum pedal—more than enough to get a beginning drummer’s kit fitted out and ready to play. After all, new drums can come as “shells only” without hardware, or perhaps someone gifted your drummer with a used kit that was missing hardware or came with really old and beaten-to-near-ruin stands. Beneficial added features are the collar-joint memory locks on the stands. Memory locks let drummers “mark” their preferred height settings on the stands, which makes it really easy to set up things exactly the way they want them every time.

Fun Presents and Best Drum Accessories

Pictured: Vic Firth 5A Drum Sticks

Vic Firth Buy 3 Pairs of 5A Drum Sticks, Get 1 Pair Free

What Makes This a Great Gift: Awesome sticks with one pair free. Yay!

Things to Consider: Arguably the most common drum stick size, 5As offer good balance and speed.

Shop Now: Vic Firth Buy 3 Pairs of 5A Drum Sticks, Get 1 Pair Free

The Vic Firth American Classic 5A is the company’s most popular drum stick. It’s also the size typically recommended for beginners looking for a place to start. One reason is that hickory sticks are very durable, and the 5A designation means they are medium weight and length. Another is that 5A drum sticks are versatile and accommodate many skill levels, techniques and musical styles.

Explore More: Check out other stick options in our guide, The Best Drum Sticks of 2024.

RTOM Moongel Percussion Dampening Gels 6-Pack

What Makes This a Great Gift: Provides an incredibly simple and easy way to mute annoying drum ring and other unwanted resonances.

Things to Consider: Washable, reusable and safe to apply to drums.

Shop Now: RTOM Moongel Percussion Dampening Gels 6-Pack

Tuning drums to terminate distracting rings and overtones is typically easy for professional drum techs and experienced drummers. But beginners can feel like they’re in a horror movie where bad sound keeps attacking them like a horde of blood-starved vampires. RTOM Moongel Percussion Dampening Gels to the rescue. These lovely little self-adhesive gels—which can be cut to size—need only be plopped down on the offending drum head to dampen the ring demons. They even work on cymbals that sustain too much. Admittedly, perfect results may require experimenting with gel placement—or even doing a combo of tuning and gel application—but we’ve found that errant drum sounds tend to improve as soon as the Moongel hits the drum head.

Explore More: Get more tips on dampening and quieting down drums.

Sound Percussion Labs SPA10 Drum Key 2-Pack

What Makes This a Great Gift: It’s perhaps the most essential accessory for all drummers.

Things to Consider: You get two drum keys.

 

Shop Now: Sound Percussion Labs SPA10 Drum Key 2-Pack

The Sound Percussion Labs SPA10 Drum Key 2-Pack includes two drum keys that are compatible with standard drum-tuning rods. As with door and car keys, drum keys can get misplaced very easily, so having one to carry in a stick bag and another to perhaps “hide” in an automobile glove box or the pocket of a favorite jacket is definitely a good practice.

Explore More: Learn how to really use a drum key with this incredible tuning tutorial by renowned Los Angeles drum tech, Ross Garfield (aka “Drum Doctor”).

Vater Multipair Stick Holder

What Makes This a Great Gift: Even experienced professionals can drop a drum stick in mid performance. This stick holder makes it quick and easy to grab another one before anyone in the band or the audience notices.

Things to Consider: Attaches to cymbal stands.

Shop Now: Vater Multi-Pair Stick Holder

The Vater Multipair Stick Holder can be a gig saver for anyone prone to having drum sticks sail out of the hands at inopportune moments. Vater’s clamp-style fastening system lets you mount and adjust the holder—which cradles up to three drum sticks—on an easy-within-reach cymbal stand.

Zildjian Mens Classic Logo Tee Shirt

What Makes This a Great Gift: A classic brand whose logo most drummers would be proud to wear on a T-shirt at gigs, lessons, rehearsals and jam sessions.

Things to Consider: Well, maybe your favorite cymbals aren’t Zildjians.

Shop Now: Zildjian Classic Logo Tee Shirt

Strutting sophisticated cool in all-black, the Zildjian Mens Classic Logo T-shirt is made of pre-shrunk, 100-percent cotton, and is available in sizes from small to XX-large.

Explore More: Check out our fun and comprehensive clothing collection.

Want Another Gifting Groove?

Pictured: Zildjian I Series Pro Cymbal 5-Pack

Perhaps we haven’t hit precisely the right “drum fill” for your gift search. However, a Guitar Center Gift Card provides your drummer with an easy way to choose whatever they want. Here’s another gift option: If your percussionist-in-training lives near one of our stores, you can help them study with an expert drum teacher by giving them some Guitar Center lessons.