The full family of drums and percussion — acoustic and electronic kits, hand drums, pitched mallet instruments, and everything in between.
- 118 topics
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Inside Drums & Percussion
All 118 topicsThe 12 most-searched of 118 topics. The full index is at the foot of the page.
Electronic Drum Kit
Electronic drum kits for quiet practice, recording and adaptable modern drumming.
5 topics
Xylophone
Xylophones are tuned wooden percussion instruments with a bright, articulate sound for schools, ensembles and performanc...
1 topic
Drum Kit
Choose a drum kit for practice, recording or live work, with acoustic and electronic options to suit every drummer.
14 topics
Claves
Bright, compact rhythm sticks that deliver a clear click for Latin grooves, ensemble work and classroom percussion.
Glockenspiel
Glockenspiels deliver bright, bell-like tuned percussion for orchestral, educational and studio use.
4 topics
Drum Sticks
Drum sticks shape feel, tone and control, with options for practice, performance and different playing styles.
1 topic
Chimes
Orchestral percussion for shimmering accents, dramatic swells and atmospheric colour in live or studio settings.
1 topic
Bongos
Add lively hand percussion to your setup with bongos for Latin grooves, teaching and live performance.
2 topics
Tambourine
Find tambourines for bright accents, rhythmic lift and versatile hand percussion across many styles.
2 topics
Tubular Bells
Tubular bells are pitched concert percussion instruments known for resonant, bell-like tones in orchestral and theatrica...
Maracas
Maracas add bright rhythmic texture and easy-to-use percussion colour for studio, school and live performance.
2 topics
Drums
Drums for every player, from complete kits to upgrade parts, with options for practice, recording and live performance.
26 topicsArticles on Drums & Percussion
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Instrument Agogo: A Complete Buyer's Guide
It's two bells and a stick, but the details genuinely matter. Here's what's actually worth checking before you buy an agogo.
The Best Ludwig Drum Kits for the Money
Ludwig drum kits range from affordable beginner packages to US-made professional instruments. Here are the best at each price level.
Chimes: A Complete Buyer's Guide
From school percussion sets to professional orchestral instruments — what to look for, what to spend, and how frame quality and tube accuracy affect the playing experience.
Darbuka for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A genuinely welcoming instrument to start on — here's exactly how to begin with your first darbuka, from holding it to your first dum and tek.
Drum Pad Explained: Features, Types and Tips
From quiet practice pads to full sampling workstations, here's what a drum pad is, how it works, and which type actually suits the job you need it to do.
Practice Pad for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A practice pad makes daily drumming technique work possible without a kit. Here is what every beginner needs to know to start using one effectively from the first session.
Meinl Cymbals Explained: Features, Types and Tips
Meinl makes cymbals at every price level, from student brass to professional hand-hammered bronze — understanding the series structure helps you choose the right instrument for your level and style.
Snare Drum for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Starting the snare drum requires correct stand setup, developing a natural stick rebound and learning to tune evenly — these three foundations unlock everything else.
Drum Pad: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Four completely different products all get called a drum pad. Here's the straight-talking checklist for working out which one you actually need.
Congas Drums: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Not all congas are built the same way, and the differences matter. This buyer's guide covers what to check, what to prioritise and where the best value sits.
Sonor Drum Kit for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Bass drum on one and three, snare on two and four — here's how to build the basic rock beat and start developing four-limb coordination.
The Best Tom Drums for the Money
Forget model-number lists — here's an honest look at what budget, mid-range and premium tom drums actually get you for your money.
A Guide to Alesis Drum Kit
Alesis makes electronic drum kits from beginner entry level to professional performance rigs. This guide explains what distinguishes each tier and what to look for.
Childs Electronic Drum Set Explained: Features, Types and Tips
A children's electronic drum kit is not simply a smaller adult kit — it is designed around the needs of young players and worried parents, and knowing what to look for makes a big difference.
Yamaha Drum Kit for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Starting drums with a Yamaha kit? This guide explains beginner kit configurations, what makes Yamaha kits beginner-friendly, and how to set yourself up for success.
Everything You Need to Know About Yamaha Music
One company, almost every corner of the music world. Here's how Yamaha Music actually fits together, guitars included.
Maracas Explained: Features, Types and Tips
Maracas look simple, but shell material, filling type, and wrist technique all shape the sound you get. Here is everything you need to know.
Common Rack Toms Mistakes to Avoid
Most problems with rack toms come down to the same handful of mistakes: over-dampening, one-sided tuning, and size choices that prioritise looks over sound.
The Best Maracas for the Money
The maraca market spans from toy-shop props to professional instruments used on major stages. Here is where each price bracket actually delivers.
Sabian: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying a Sabian properly means working through role, alloy, series and model in that order — here's exactly how.
Common Steel Band Drums Mistakes to Avoid
Most steelpan mistakes come down to one thing: treating it like an ordinary percussion instrument instead of the finely tuned instrument it actually is.
The Best Shakers for the Money
No model numbers, no pretend bench-testing — just an honest breakdown of the market by tier, so you know what you're actually paying for.
Samba Music Instruments: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying samba music instruments means building a balanced ensemble, not one drum kit — here's what actually matters, instrument by instrument.
What Drums & Percussion Covers
Drums & percussion is the broadest family in music: it covers every instrument that produces sound by striking, shaking, scraping or setting a surface in vibration. The category divides into membranophones — instruments with a stretched skin or synthetic head, such as a snare drum or djembe — and idiophones, where the solid body of the instrument itself produces the sound, as with a xylophone, cowbell or claves.
Drum Kits: Acoustic and Electronic
The acoustic drum kit — bass drum, snare, tom-toms, hi-hats and cymbals — remains the foundation of rock, jazz and pop. Every component has its own page here, from choosing drum sticks and replacement heads to selecting the right cymbals for a given style. Electronic drum kits and percussion pads use triggers and sampled sounds, and are increasingly popular for practice, home recording and smaller venues where volume matters. Hybrid kits combine acoustic shells with electronic triggering, giving players the feel of real heads alongside the flexibility of on-board sound libraries.
Hand Percussion
Hand percussion spans dozens of world traditions. Congas, bongos and claves draw from Afro-Cuban music; the djembe comes from West Africa; the cajón from Peru; the bodhrán from Irish folk. Frame drums, goblet drums and shakers appear in folk, classical and popular music alike. When choosing a hand drum, the key considerations are playing technique, head material, tuning range, portability and whether it is intended for solo practice, ensemble playing or live performance.
Pitched Percussion
Pitched percussion instruments play identifiable notes and sit at the intersection of rhythm and melody. Xylophones, marimbas, vibraphones, glockenspiels, tubular bells and the celesta are all mallet instruments, found in orchestras, concert bands, musical theatre and studio production. The handpan — a relatively modern bowl-shaped idiophone — has attracted a dedicated following for its resonant, meditative tone.
Accessories and Smaller Percussion
The tambourine, triangle, cowbell, shaker and chimes might not anchor the rhythm section, but in the right moment they define a recording. This section also covers the accessories that hold everything together: drum sticks and mallets, beaters and brushes, mounting hardware, cymbal stands, drum pedals, replacement heads, cases and triggers.
All 118 topics in Drums & Percussion
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- Djembe
- Double Bass Pedal
- Dream Cymbals
- Drum Bags
- Drum Cases
- Drum Hardware
- Drum Hardware
- Drum Heads
- Drum Key
- Drum Kit
- Drum Mutes
- Drum Pad
- Drum Rack
- Drum Rug
- Drum Shells
- Drum Sticks
- Drum Throne
- Drums
- Drums & Percussion (General)
- Drums & Percussion — Other Brands
- Drums & Percussion — Pearl
- Drums & Percussion — Tama
- Drums & Percussion — Yamaha
- Dw Drum Kit
