I had drum lessons in my early teens and was rubbish. A combination of not have the attention span required to learn and not having a kit to practice on (it was the mid ’90s, we were advised against e-kits and didn’t have the room for a full kit). I’ve not played for 25 years but feel like I have unfinished business.

I still don’t have the room for a full kit and live in a terraced house but I could possible squeeze in a E-kit which I understand have moved on a lot in the last couple of decades. I know it won’t be the same and an acoustic kit would be better but that’s just not an option. I just want something to mess around on and practice on once I possible start up lessons again.

Budget is limited (£200 ish), happy to go second hand therefore if I realise I really am never going to get it I won’t lose too much money when I sell it on.

Anyone here with an E-kit in their house? What have you got and how’s it going?

We tried a few Roland kits about 5 years ago, there was a massive difference between a £1000 kit and the £6000 kit on display.

My kids (7 and 11) both play. Started lessons a couple of years back and they’ve had a basic (second hand) junior kit at home to practice on but during the summer upgraded to a used Roland electric kit. I don’t know what I’m looking at as it was reccommended by their instructor but we paid £300 for it including the amp and it seems brilliant especially vs their old kit. Its the slightly older one of these I think (https://www.gak.co.uk/en/roland-td-1dmk-v-drum-kit/920811?gclid=CjwKCAiA7939BRBMEiwA-hX5J6UcAwu7PcYiGlEQYHpiiRlfAWvUhO4La-R0-PTKQwaAU28rC_FpMhoCIwQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds).

Obvious bonus is that you can just plug your headphones in and play in (almost) silence. Its made me think about taking lessons.

I should be optimistic but I still fully expect to be rubbish. I guess I’m looking for a new hobby plus am fast approaching 40 so am clutching at straws from my youth! I’m waiting for a call back from a local drum teacher who teaches on e-kits. Obviously face to face lessons are out at the moment but I’m prepared to pay for them when it starts again.

Plugging myself into some headphones appeals, I’ve always been a bit put off having to play out loud (maybe drums is the wrong choice for me…..).

Have seen some alright reviews on the Alexis mesh kits and some of the Tourtech ones but these have generally been from retailers so I take them with a pinch of salt tbh.

I do appreciate there is probably a drum forum I can get flamed on

What are your neighbours / family like about noise? An e-kit with solid pads will be cheapest but makes a fair amount of clack clack noise when you’re playing. Mesh heads will be significantly quieter but are more expensive.

If it’s _just_ practice you want, a cheap acoustic minimal kit (kick, snare, hi-hat, crash, ride, maybe a tom or two) and a set of mesh heads will do the job. But an e-kit will give you way more variety in the sounds you can play with, and there’s the headphones-on immersion factor which is frankly, just much more fun.

The brain will be the most expensive and most influential bit for an e-kit, as far as I know, as it has the sensitivity, the connectivity and the sounds. It’s been at least ten years since I knew about this stuff, so I’d imagine others here will know better than me about new kit – I’ve still got my old TD-20 kit, which I love… on the few occasions I get chance to play it!

Do it!

I took up drums at the age of 30 to scratch a very similar itch. Bought a second hand Roland e-kit. In the past 6 years I’ve had lessons, formed two covers bands just for fun with friends, played quite a handful of gigs and I love it.

Have a look for a used Alesis kit. Should get one in your price range with the mesh heads.

I bought a 2nd hand Roland kit (£200) a year ago. I haven’t used it much at all, really should get lessons but Covid has put pay to that / been a convenient excuse.

Alexis mesh kits

This is what I’ve got but I paid more than £200. I’m very happy with it, especially after I bought a set of low volume cymbals and an amp to make it a hybrid kit.

Now I’m thinking about adding a proper snare to the ensemble.

This looks like very good value for money:

https://www.thomann.de/gb/millenium_mps_150x_e_drum_mesh_set.htm

Definitely recommend. You/yr prior experience sound/s very much like me tbh.

I bought a starter electronic kit around 1st lockdown April/May to try and help me concentrate on something! Anxiety was off the charts so I took a leap.

Drumming/learning rudiments definitely has improved my focus (lifelong ADD issues) this last 6 months. I shelled out £250 odd (sold my old road bike as injury forces no biking atm) for an as new Nitro Mesh kit with the expectation that I’d upgrade only under strict conditions that I’d stuck with it and improved. Well, I just upgraded. My 40 mins a day (2 x 20min) structured practice has become something of zen/workout/me-time and I don’t have to force myself to do it. It’s too much fun, engaging and exponentially challenging. You can go as far as you want.

Put my starter kit with throne and sticks on ebay auction last w/end (PM me if you want a link as it’s up in a few). Also happy to share what I found worked to help my concentration/focus. I kept a record/notes of improvements for the first three months.

As for space…it fits in a small area next to the freezer at the minute. Current kit is 1 metre x 0.75 metre. The starter kit was a little less.

Last night I couldn’t sleep because of 1000 problems etc so I got up, put the flashlight on the tablet for dim light, tucked tablet under the drum kit on the practice pad fired up youtube, piped it thru the drum module aux and then played (badly! Loudly!) along to Who’s Next. Collapsed into bed 40 mins later and snored like an animal. (The latter woke Her up. The former didn’t!)

*top-tip – headphone choice makes a huge difference to the experience. Tried four pairs: AKG Y50, some Sony earbuds, some cheap big old things and lastly some AKG open-backed reference (K550MKII). The latter are superior in every way, space/separation, volume, ‘kick’. Just amazing. Even with a budget kit. The others including the YT50s were so much quieter and ‘distant’ sounding. Maybe a headphone amp would help but I’d budget for a decent pair asap.

**Also a big fan in the warmer months. I got a heavy duty one from Screwfix for not a lot.

*** Get a rubber practice pad and snare stand for rudiments. Use yr phone with a metronome app.

I don’t know if this is @p7eaven’s kit, but it looks good – might be worth a punt:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114520923825

Yes. Yes you do.

I bought one of those nitro kits at start of lock down. Had good reviews, does the job. Rarely use it but would still recommend one.

Bear in mind that any kit with a real kick pedal will transmit every stroke into the floorboards. I had to get rid of my Alesis DM6 Pro kit because of this.

The only practice I get on drums these days is band practice every week (one band) and every other week (other band).
I did buy a practice pad but as soon as I try to play it there are two cats getting in the way

I’m practicing guitar several times a week though

I have two acoustic kits – one lives at the rehearsal room, the other lives in various cupboards at home, stands in the boot of my car. Cymbals live at home but go to rehearsal room every time I do

*Should’ve typed

AKG K550 Mk3 closed-backed reference headphones

Few tips/findings with the Alesis Mesh kit re acoustic noise

– The mesh heads are negligible noise-wise
– Drum pad rims make a clacking noise, so if you don’t want to disturb nearby people then lay off the rim shots/cross sticks 😉
– Cymbals are rubbery but still ‘clack’, although not as loudly as the drum pad rims
– Bass/kick pad is rubber and metal framed with carpet-spikes. Although the pad isn’t very loud (even with stock beater) it can create vibration on the floor depending on your flooring. Recommend one/some of those thick playmat squares or similar to isolate it from floorboards etc. You could also mod any beater with a tennis-ball beater setup.

As others have said mesh heads is key. The solid pads make a lot more noise than you might expect. Yes, they are not as resonant or loud as an acoustic kit but they are not silent! The feel is not the same as a real drum kit but the principles of drumming and coordination etc, an electronic kit is as good a kit to learn the basics on as anything.

Definitely do it … I was a basic drummer at school and hadn’t played for years, when we moved house and I had space bought a cheap Yamaha ex demo from the local shop. Became totally obsessed with it and did at least an hours practice a day and took my standard up massively.
I had a couple of lessons but it really just taught me what I needed to teach myself, Benny Greb’s the language of drumming is a great DVD and so’s Tommy Igoe’s – great Hands for a lifetime. They’re both kind of rudimental stuff but I’ll never forget a couple of months or practice and was playing at an open mic night and was like WOW … where the **** did that come from and realised I was starting to apply what I’d learnt to my actual playing.The book George Lawrence Stone’s – Stick Control is great as well.
There’s so much available on the internet …. google gospel chops or gospel fills or just drum fills … there hundreds of them and makes learning so much easier, not sure if you’ll of heard of them but here’s a couple of links of great guys to make you want to play again

I played regularly for 8 years and thought about going semi pro but it’s too hard a business to make any money in now days and should have been making my contacts at 18 … I now have 5 kits but was stupid enough to not wear ear plugs when I started playing acoustic again and now have tinnitus (they didn’t use plugs when I was a kid) so have stopped playing in bands but still spend hours of enjoyment behind my Roland TD30k and can play it when the Mrs goes to bed.
All I can say is do it but be sensible with volumes and if acoustic NEVER play without ear protection.

Cool, thanks everyone. Still need to see if I can fit one in our house but at least the feedback from people is generally positive.

Seems like mesh heads is the way to go, especially since I have two small kids and might be playing when they are asleep.the kick drum pedal might be an issue, not sure the way around that as most mesh kits come with a proper pedal.

Also, are dual zone pads worth it. I presume on a snare they are so you can do rim shots etc but maybe I don’t need them on the Toms. Trying to find a kit that has mesh head, dualzone snare and is within my budget.

most mesh kits come with a proper pedal.

You need to learn pedal control so any kit worth anything will take a regular drum pedal.

As I say if worried/receive complaints about the sound of the beater on the pad then consider converting to tennis-ball beater and isolate the pad by raising on foam/rubber matting and/or a riser

Some tips here:

Update: I’ve got a brand new Alesis Nitro Mesh on order. So begins the journey…

Everyone should have an e-kit they’re great.

Dual zone toms aren’t really important while you’re learning, they’re worth having for later though if you can stretch to them. I bought my e-kit after a 5-6 year break from drumming (I’ve played for 30 years now on and off since I was 7, I really should be better) It’s only got single zones and now I’m using it for recording with my band and the lack of dual zones is making it slightly more difficult. Still works ok though and I’ve used it for gigs with a big band in a pinch.

This was recorded with my £400 Yamaha kit and a usb cable. https://open.spotify.com/track/1WGHCFbRgQw3gmNjG6EBVg?si=UZmfe8fvQEyz4bIU4wRGLg

I have the Alesis Nitro Mesh, it’s good fun!

We found an Alesis kit for £85 on ebay for my then 7yo daughter, knowing we could resell it quickly if needed.  She loves it and passed her first grade on Sunday – now aged 8 – playing Slim Shady, Z and Rattlesnake.

She plays Slim Shady to a CD with the Drum track removed its really awesome to sit upstairs and listen to those beats coming up the stairs.

So yes get one – despite practising on the Alesis she passed her exam on a proper kit with no issues!

Should be turning up Wednesday and I’m looking forward to it. Have no recollection how to play and need to find my sticks, they’ve been floating around the house recently.

So I’m had the kit for about a month, have been playing around on it most days just trying to get used to some simple beats and get a bit if limb independence in my muscle memory. I was holding out for Jan to start some face to face lessons as I feel that’s where I’ll benefit most by getting instant feedback. But we’re in Tier 4 so that’s not happening for a while.
In the meantime, does anyone have any good pointers for online resources and lessons for a (pretty much) beginner. Am willing to pay if it’s worth it

I use Drumeo and Rob Brown both on YT

I recently got into the playing around with/along to beats a little too much and neglected the rudiments. A common error by most accounts. Having to be stricter with self as have spent the last month losing discipline and playing along to band videos. Over summer I was more disciplined/strcutured and methodical. It’s amazing how quickly you can pick up bad habits that then can take as long again to unlearn if at all. ie if I practice rudiments and limb independence 20 mins twice a day – and then play around/play along to music for say, another 20 mins – then I find naturally that I carry over what rudiments I’m learning into the ‘playing around’ session. Conversely, if I slack of on the structured training and soend more time playing around then I ‘naturally’ begin forgetting some of the training in favour of taking shortcuts and all kinds of weird stuff. Some arguably good/useful, more often not so good. eg Try playing AC/DC’s ‘Let There Be Rock’ without first learning how to whip 1/16ths on the hi-hat. I found I was playing 8ths all the way because my wrist felt like it was going to pop. So I watched the video of Rudd’s playing and saw that he was accenting/whipping it like the Moeller Method. So now that’s on my daily practice (the method, not the song, that’s still a killer ATM!)

Also working on a weak double stroke and ds roll thanks Rob Brown’s channel. He has a very good way IMO of explaining and getting it to stick (!!)

Before watching that tutorial I was drifting into over-using ghost-notes and rebounds like they were going out of fashion. Then watching the tutorial it clicked and all made sense (ie compensating for the unwanted accent on the first stroke by training your stick hand to accent on the second. In practice that has the effect of equalising the strokes and eliminating the accent. Boom! 🥁 There was another STW thread earlier this year I remember, with an STWr offering tuition?