The Differences Between An Electric Or Acoustic Drum Kit? Which Should You Purchase?

 

A lot of pupils ask me which is better to practice or play on – the electric drum kit or the acoustic drum kit. The answer isn’t as black and white as the question and simply comes down to looking at the advantages and disadvantages of both types of instrument.

Both types of drum kit have their uses and distinct advantages over the other but at the end of the day it all depends on what you intend to use the set for and how seriously you take your drumming.

To make this decision as easy for you as possible I have decided to simply list the advantages and disadvantages of each drum set and then let you decide.

 

The Electric Drum Kit

 

Advantages

Probably the most important advantage with the electric drum kit is the ability to practice with ear phones or turn down the volume of the drums meaning noise issues can be avoided. This makes the electric kit ideal for flats or houses with grumpy neighbours.

Most electric drum kits have built in tools for practice such as metronomes and multiple drum kit sounds allowing drummers to experiment with their sound and playing styles. This can be a lot of fun and great for learning.

Most mid range electric drum sets are cheaper than most mid range drum kits, especially when you consider having to purchase cymbals and stands for acoustic kits. Mid range electric drum kits start at around £500.

Drum sticks tend to last much longer with an electric kit as they are not hitting real drum rims and sharp cymbal edges. A minor advantage I know but still…

You will get more stick bounce on an electric drum kit as they are basically rubber pads that never loose tension. This means that playing becomes slightly easier.

You will obviously never have to worry about tuning an electronic drum kit.

Electric drum kits can be plugged directly into recording equipment/pc for practice or writing sessions. Some higher range electronic drum kits have built in recording facilities already.

Electric kits have a smaller floor foot print than most acoustic drum sets and so can fit into small rooms or onto small stages.

 

Disadvantages

They don’t feel or sound the same as an acoustic drum kit. This is the biggest disadvantage with electric kits. The technology is improving but you can’t beat (no pun intended) the feel and sound of real drums, cymbals and hi-hats. The cheaper electric drum kits sound very fake and can be uncomfortable to play on due to cheap rubber. Some electric drum kits don’t even have real drum pedals and instead are supplied with trigger pads which are unusable at fast tempos and insensitive to the light touch.

A common misconception is that the electronic drum set is totally silent; this is not the case as noises are still created from hitting rubber pads with sticks and bass drum beaters hitting rubber surfaces. They are NOT totally silent as bass drum pads can be heard through floors and walls and the tapping of rubber pads is audible from other rooms.

Electric drum kits will eventually break and will need individual parts replaced such as new drum pads or clamps. Some of the cheapest electric drum kits are infamous for this.

Buying a second hand electric kit can be a bit risky as with buying any electric product second hand. It could be on the verge of breaking and you will never know until you take it home and use it.

Electric kits can be very awkward when setting up sound levels on stage and most sound engineers aren’t prepared to set up an electronic kit.

They do require external amplification if used for performance. A small guitar amp is all that’s required for your own private use but if used on stage they will need greater amplification.

Some electric drum kits have very limited positioning options. Drums might not be able to be set up at required heights for example due to limiting pad arms or rack.

 

The Acoustic Drum Kit

 

Advantages

With an acoustic kit the drummer is able to play with great feel and touch, from the very quiet to the very loud. Cymbal washes are of course possible unlike most electric drum kits and unlike most electric kits it is possible to take advantage of the tiny subtleties that can be squeezed from a real acoustic drum and cymbal. The acoustic drum kit is an incredibly sensitive and subtle instrument with great dynamics that just aren’t possible to recreate electronically. Yet!

Real acoustic drums allow the drummer to learn and perform drum rolls, buzz rolls, cymbal swells, hi-hat technique and cross stick to a better and more realistic level than the electric drum kit.

Bottom end acoustic drum kits can be purchased brand new for under £200 these days and second hand drum kits can be even cheaper. Unlike electronic kits there is less risk involved in buying second hand drums as they are far less likely to break.

The positioning options of an acoustic kit are far superior allowing angles and heights of drums to be placed where you want due to advanced adjustable stands.

No electronic amplification is needed for small gigs and brand practice….obviously.

 

Disadvantages

Noise! An acoustic drum kit is LOUD but drum silencer pads can be used to reduce volume drastically. This does mean that the feel and sound of the drums suffer enormously though.

Drums will need their heads replacing occasionally depending on how hard or often you play and can be quite expensive (especially the larger bass drum).

Acoustic drums need to be tuned, this can be difficult to achieve properly by amateurs. It is possible just to tighten for feel rather than sound if the sonic quality of the instrument isn’t important to you.

Unless ear plugs are worn then hearing damage is a real risk. Be careful!

Drum kits can be big and heavy and so require space and patience when setting up or breaking down.

Real acoustic drums can be scratched and even warp in shape if treated badly or left somewhere damp.

 

In Summary

As you can see there are many reasons to choose one type of drum kit over the other.

My advice when asked has always depended on just one parameter – is noise an issue? If the answer is yes then the drummer will obviously want to consider an electric drum kit.

The cheapest electric kits though (under £300) are very uncomfortable to play and unrealistic but will at least give the pupil a chance to learn and practice on something. Electric drum kits, with all the built in “toys” and learning tools, are great for practicing on but not really for performing on stage. A beginner could use an electric drum kit in their bedroom but a gigging drummer is probably going to require a real acoustic set.

An acoustic drum kit if proving to be too loud could always have a set of drum mutes thrown over it (around £50) to silence the kit until it is moved somewhere where noise is not an issue.

At the end of the day you can’t beat the sound, feel and subtlety of a real acoustic drum kit. Until electric drum kits are developed to feel and sound EXACTLY the same as a real drum or cymbal then this would be my choice. But then I am a gigging and professional drummer and perhaps a little biased.

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Full Song Video Drum Lessons

Full Song Video Drum Lessons

Over 700+ full song video drum lessons teaching 100s of famous and popular songs from start to finish.

PDF Drum Charts & Sheet Music

PDF Drum Charts

All full song video drum lessons come with a fully transcribed PDF drum chart, also detailing sticking's, tempo and dynamics. Every. Single. Note.

Bonus Videos, Charts & eBooks

Bonus Videos, Charts & eBooks

Three massive ebooks, 100s more mini video drum lessons and many transcriptions, teaching you a ton more famous drum beats, fills and solos.

Full Online Access

Online Access

Easily access video lessons and PDF drum charts from any computer, tablet or smart phone.

Expert Tuition

Expert Tuition

With over 20 years experience teaching drums online and one-to-one; Rob will be able to help you play your favourite songs in no time. Let Rob take you through each song both slowly and up to speed.

Massive Content - 100s of videos, charts & ebooks

MASSIVE Content

In total, you gain access to over 1000+ hours of video drum lessons, including 1000s of PDF drum charts, mini drum lessons, ebooks and bonus material.

Beginner Drum Lesson
Intermediate Drum Lesson
Heroes

(David Bowie)

Brown Sugar

(The Rolling Stones)

Hysteria

(Def Leppard)

The Chain

(Fleetwood Mac)

Brick House

(The Commodores)

Dreams

(The Cranberries)

Fortunate Son

(Creedence Clearwater Revival)

Don't Cry

(Guns N' Roses)

Little Sister

(Queens Of The Stone Age)

Man In A Box

(Alice In Chains)

Slither

(Velvet Revolver)

Rain

(The Beatles)

Advanced Drum Lesson
Tonight, Tonight

(Smashing Pumpkins)

Jump

(Van Halen)

Faith

(George Michael)

Breakout

(Foo Fighters)

Crazy Train

(Ozzy Osbourne)

100 Mile High City

(Ocean Colour Scene)

Riverboat Song

(Ocean Colour Scene)

Sir Duke

(Stevie Wonder)

Them Bones

(Alice In Chains)

Once

(Pearl Jam)

Plush

(Stone Temple Pilots)

Rio

(Duran Duran)

Suck My Kiss

(Red Hot Chili Peppers)

And 700+ MORE full song video drum lessons.

Each lesson teaches you the song in full and includes the fully transcribed sheet music...

100 Mile High City (Ocean Colour Scene), 20th Century Boy (T.Rex), 21 Guns (Green Day), 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover (Paul Simon), 6 Underground (Sneaker Pimps), 74-75 (The Connells), Ace Of Spades (Motorhead), Adams Song (Blink 182), A Day In The Life (The Beatles), Addicted To Love (Robert Plant), Aeroplane (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Africa (Toto), Alive And Kicking (Simple Minds), All Day And All Of The Night (The Kinks), A Message To You, Rudy (The Specials), And She Was (Talking Heads), Ain't No Sunshine (Bill Withers), All Apologies (Nirvana), All I Want For Christmas (Mariah Carey), All My Life (The Foo Fighters), All Night Long (Rainbow), All Right Now (Free), All These Things That I've Done (The Killers), All The Small Things (Blink 182), All The Young Dudes (Mott The Hoople), All You Ever Wanted (Rag'n'Bone Man), Alternative Ulster (Stiff Little Fingers), Always (Blink 182), Always (Bon Jovi), Always On My Mind (Elvis Presley), American Idiot (Green Day), Anarchy In The UK (Sex Pistols), Angel Of Harlem (U2), Angie (The Rolling Stones), Animal (Def Leppard), Another One Bites The Dust (Queen), Anna Molly (Incubus), Aneurysm (Nirvana), Apocalypse Please (Muse), Are You Gonna Be My Girl (Jet), Are You Gonna Go My Way (Lenny Kravitz), Around The World (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Ashes To Ashes (David Bowie), Assassin (Muse), Atomic (Blondie), Awake (Godsmack), Back In Black (AC/DC), Back In Time (Huey Lewis & The News), Back In The U.S.S.R. (The Beatles), Bad Moon Rising (Creedence Clearwater Revival), Ballroom Blitz (The Sweet), Banquet (Bloc Party), Basket Case (Green Day), Beautiful Ones (Suede), Beautiful Things (Benson Boone), Because The Night (Patti Smith), Beds Are Burning (Midnight Oil), Believer (Imagine Dragons), Birds Of A Feather (Billie Eilish), Black Betty (Ram Jam), Black Dog (Led Zeppelin), Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden), Black Velvet (Alannah Myles), Blaze Of Glory (Bon Jovi), Bliss (Muse), Blow (Ed Sheeran), Bohemian Like You (The Dandy Warhols), Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen), Born In The U.S.A. (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band), Born To Be Wild (Steppenwolf), Born To Run (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band), Boulevard Of Broken Dreams (Green Day), Boys Are Back In Town (Thin Lizzy), Brass In Pocket (The Pretenders), Break On Through (The Doors), Breakout (Foo Fighters), Breakout (Swing Out Sisters), Break Stuff (Limp Bizkit), Breed (Nirvana), Brianstorm (Arctic Monkeys), Brick House (The Commodores), Bring Me To Life (Evanescence), Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison), Brown Sugar (The Rolling Stones), Bubbles (Biffy Clyro), Buck Rogers (Feeder), Buddy Holly (Weezer), Bulls On Parade (Rage Against The Machine), Butterflies And Hurricanes (Muse), B.Y.O.B. (System Of A Down) By The Way (Red Hot Chili Peppers), California Dreamin' (The Mamas & The Papas), Californication (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Call Me (Blondie), Cannonball (The Breeders), Can't Explain (The Who), Can't Get Enough Of Your Love (Bad Company), Can't Stand Losing You (The Police), Can You Dig It (The Mock Turtles), Careless Whisper (George Michael), Caroline (Status Quo), Cars (Gary Numan), Cars And Girls (Prefab Sprout), Cath... (Death Cab For Cutie), Celebrity Skin (Hole), Changes (David Bowie), Chelsea Dagger (The Fratellis), Cherub Rock (Smashing Pumpkins), Children Of The Revolution (T. Rex), China Girl (David Bowie), Chop Suey (System Of A Down), Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) U2, Christmas Time (The Darkness), Christmas Wrapping (The Waitresses), Cigarettes And Alcohol (Oasis), Cissy Strut (The Meters), Cochise (Audioslave), Cold As Ice (Foreigner), Come As You Are (Nirvana), Come Together (The Beatles), Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd), Complexity (Eagles Of Death Metal), Connection (Elastica), Cool For Cats (Squeeze), Corduroy (Pearl Jam), Cowboys From Hell (Pantera), Crawling (Linkin Park), Crazy Crazy Nights (Kiss), Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen), Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne), Creep (Radiohead), crushcrushcrush (Paramore), Cryin' (Aerosmith), Cult Of Personality (Living Colour), Daddy Cool (Boney M.), Dakota (Stereophonics), Dance, Dance (Fall Out Boy), Dancer (Idles), Dance With Me (Blink 182), Dancing In The Dark (Bruce Springsteen), Dancing In The Moonlight (Thin Lizzy), Dani California (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Daughter (Pearl Jam), Days (Kirsty MacColl), Day Tripper (The Beatles), Debaser (The Pixies), Decode (Paramore), Denis (Blondie), Design For Life (Manic Street Preachers), Desire (U2), Diamond And Pearls (Prince), Diamond Eyes (Deftones), Disorder (Joy Division), Dive (Nirvana), Doesn't Remind Me (Audioslave), Don't Cry (Guns N' Roses), Don't Dream It's Over (Crowded House), (Don't Fear) The Reaper (Blue Oyster Cult), Don’t Look Back In Anger (Oasis), Don't Look Back Into The Sun (The Libertines), Don't Speak (No Doubt), Don't Stop (Fleetwood Mac), Don’t Stop Believin’ (Journey), Don't Stop Me Now (Queen), Don't You Forget About Me (Simple Minds), Do They Know It's Christmas (Band Aid), Down Under (Men At Work), Down With The Sickness (Disturbed), Do Your Worst (Rival Sons), Drain You (Nirvana), Dreaming (Blondie), Dream On (Aerosmith), Dreams (Fleetwood Mac), Dreams (The Cranberries), Dr. Feelgood (Mötley Crüe), Dude Looks Like A Lady (Aerosmith), Earth Song (Michael Jackson), Easy (Like Sunday Morning) (The Commodores), Easy Lover (Phil Collins), Edge Of Seventeen (Stevie Nicks), Embarrassment (Madness), Enter Sandman (Metallica), Epic (Faith o More), Even Better Than The Real Thing (U2), Even Flow (Pearl Jam), Ever Fallen In Love (Buzzcocks), Everlong (The Foo Fighters), Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Tears For Fears), Every Breath You Take (The Police), Everyday I Love You Less And Less (Kaiser Chiefs), Everything Now (Arcade Fire), Every You Every Me (Placebo), Eye Of The Tiger (Survivor), Fairytale Of New York (The Pogues), Faith (George Michael), Falling To Pieces (Faith no More), Fame (David Bowie), Faster (Within Temptation), Fat Lip (Sum 41), Feel Good Hit Of The Summer (Queens Of The Stone Age), Feel Like Making Love (Bad Company), Feels Like Heaven (Fiction Factory), Feeling Good (Muse), Fell On Black Days (Soundgarden), Fight For Your Right To Party (Beastie Boys), Figure It Out (Royal Blood), Fire Woman (The Cult), First It Giveth (Queens Of The Stone Age), Fisherman's Blues (The Waterboys), Fix You (Coldplay), Float On (Modest Mouse), Floaty (Foo Fighters), Fluorescent Adolescent (Arctic Monkeys), For Reasons Unknown (The Killers), Fortunate Son (Creedence Clearwater Revival), Fox On The Run (Sweet), Freak (Silverchair), Free Fallin' (Tom Petty), Friday I'm In Love (The Cure), Gasoline (Audioslave), Get Back (The Beatles), Get It On (T. Rex), Gigantic (The Pixies), Gimme All Your Lovin’ (ZZ Top), Gimme Shelter (The Rolling Stones), Girls On Film (Duran Duran), Give It Away (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Give It Up (KC & The Sunshine Band), Gloria (Laura Branigan), God Save The Queen (The Sex Pistols), Good 4 U (Olivia Rodrigo), Go With The Flow (Queens Of The Stone Age), Go Your Own Way (Fleetwood Mac)...

Plus 100s MORE videos, charts and ebooks featuring these songs...

1979 (Smashing Pumpkins), 2000 Miles (Pretenders), 6:00 (Dream Theater), 99 Red Balloons (Nena), Aces High (Iron Maiden), Achilles Last Stand (Led Zeppelin), A Day In The Life (The Beatles), Aenema (Tool), Ain't Nobody (Rufus & Chaka Khan), Aja (Steely Dan), A Little Less Conversation (Elvis Presley), Alive (Pearl Jam), All Too Well (Taylor Swift), Amen Brother (The Winstons), Angels Of Death (Slayer), Another Brick In The Wall (Pink Floyd), Alright (Supergrass), Apocalypse Please (Muse), Around The Fur (Deftones), Avon (Queens Of The Stone Age), Baba O'Riley (The Who), Babylon Sisters (Steely Dan), Back In The USSR (The Beatles), Bad (Michael Jackson), Ball Room Blitz (The Sweet), Bandoliers (Them Crooked Vultures), Bang Bang (Green Day), Bargain (The Who), Barracuda (Heart), Bat Country (Avenged Sevenfold), Beat It (Michael Jackson), Been Caught Stealing (Jane's Addiction), Behind Blue Eyes (The Who), Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away) (Deftones), Best Of You (Foo Fighters), Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor (Arctic Monkeys), Bicycle Race (Queen), Billie Jean (Michael Jackson), Bitter Sweet Symphony (The Verve), Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden), Black Night (Deep Purple), Black Smoke Rising (Greta Van Fleet), Blaze Of Glory (Bon Jovi), Blinded in Chains (Avenged Sevenfold), Blood On The Ground (Incubus), Blue Monday (New Order), Bonnie The Cat (Porcupine Tree), Bored To Death (Blink 182), Breakeven (The Script), Breaking The Girl (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Breathe (The Prodigy), Bullet In Your Head Rage (Against The Machine), Bullet The Blue Sky (U2), Bullet With Butterfly Wings (Smashing Pumpkins), Burnout (Green Day), Candy's Room (Bruce Springsteen), Can I Play With Madness (Iron Maiden), Car Radio (Twenty One Pilots), Carry On Wayward Son (Kansas), Cars (Gary Numan), Caught Up (Death From Above 1979), Chameleon (Herbie Hancock), Champagne Supernova (Oasis), Change (In The House Of Flies) (Deftones), Cherub Rock (Smashing Pumpkins), Chi Mai (Ennio Morricone), Chocolate (The 1975), Chop Suey (System Of A Down), Chuck E's In Love (Rickie Lee Jones), City Of Delusion (Muse), Closer (Kings Of Leon), Closer To The Edge (30 Seconds To Mars), Cocaine (Eric Clapton), Cold Sweat (James Brown), Constant Motion (Dream Theater), Could You Be Loved (Bob Marley), Crazy (Seal), Crockets Theme (Jan Hammer), Crunge, The (Led Zeppelin), D'yer Mak'er (Led Zeppelin), Da Doo Ron Ron (The Crystals), Dance Of Eternity (Dream Theater), Dance With The Devil (Cozy Powell), Dancing Queen (ABBA), Dani California (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Dark Eternal Night, The (Dream Theater), Dark Necessities (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Dark Side (Muse), Davidian (Machine Head), Day In The Life, A (The Beatles), Days Are Forgotten (Kasabian), Dazed And Confused (Led Zeppelin), Deep Kick (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Detroit Rock City (Kiss), Dig Down (Muse), Digging The Grave (Faith No More), Digital Bath (Deftones), Digital Man (Rush), Don't Ask Me Why (Nik Kershaw), Don't Look Back In Anger (Oasis), Don't Stand So Close To Me (The Police), Don't You Forget About Me (Simple Minds), Down (Blink 182), Do You Want To Rock (Danko Jones), Dr Feelgood (Motley Crue), Drive In Drive Out (The Dave Matthews Band), Drop Dead Legs (Van Halen), Drum Also Waltzes, The (Max Roach), Drumming Song (Florence And The Machine), Duality (Slipknot), Elephant (Tame Impala), Elephant (Them Crooked Vultures), Elephant Stone (The Stone Roses), Emit Remmus (Red Hot Chili Peppers) Englishman In New York (Sting), Eulogy (Tool), Every Breath You Take (The Police), Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (The Police), Execute (Slipknot), Exit Music For A Film (Radiohead), Fat Bottom Girls (Queen), Fear Of A Blank Planet (Porcupine Tree), Fear Of The Dark (Iron Maiden), Feeling This (Blink 182), Fell In Love With A Girl (The White Stripes), Fergus Sings The Blues (Deacon Blue), Fields Of Gold (Sting), Figure It Out (Royal Blood), Fire (Jimi Hendrix), Fire (Kasabian), Fireball (Deep Purple), First Date (Blink 182), Firth Of Fifth (Genesis), Flight Of Icarus (Iron Maiden), Fool In The Rain (Led Zeppelin), Fools Gold (The Stone Roses), For Whom The Bell Tolls (Metallica), Forgotten (Lamb Of God), Forty Six & Two (Tool), Foxey Lady (Jimi Hendrix), Free Flight (Whitesnake), Funky Drummer (James Brown), Get Lucky (Daft Punk) Get Off My Cloud (The Rolling Stones), Get Up (I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine) (James Brown), Ghost Town (The Specials), Gimme Chocolate (Babymetal), Give It Away (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Give Me One Reason (Tracy Chapman), Gives You Hell (All American Rejects), God Save The Queen (The Sex Pistols), Going Under (Evanescence), Good Old Music (Funkadelic), Good Times, Bad Times (Led Zeppelin), Goodbye (Army Of Anyone), Gotta Be Somebody (Nickelback), Got The Life (Korn), Grace (Jeff Buckley), Green Onions (Booker T and the MG's), Grudge, The (Tool), Head Over Heels (Tears For Fears), Heart Of The Sunrise (Yes), Heartbeat Song (The Futureheads), Hearts All Gone (Blink 182), Heathen (Twenty One Pilots), Heir Apparent (Opeth), Helicopter (Bloc Party), Hella Good (No Doubt), Hellcat Spangled Shalala (Arctic Monkeys), Here Comes The Sun (The Beatles), Hey Joe (Jimi Hendrix), Hey Jude (The Beatles), Higher Love (Steve Winwood), Highway Star (Deep Purple), Hocus Pocus (Focus), Hollywood Nights (Bob Seger), Honour Thy Father (Dream Theater), Hot For Teacher (Van Halen), Hot Fun In The Summertime (Sly & The Family Stone), House Of The Rising Sun (The Animals), How To Save A Life (The Fray), I Am The Resurrection (Stone Roses), I Don't Care (Fall Out Boy), I Feel Fine (The Beatles), I Keep Forgettin' (Michael McDonald), I Like Dirt (Red Hot Chili Peppers), I'm Coming Out (Diana Ross), I Miss You (Blink 182), Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin), Inertiatic ESP (The Mars Volta), In My Life (The Beatles), Interstate Love Song (Stone Temple Pilots), In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins), Instant Karma (John Lennon), In My Life (The Beatles), Invisible Man, The (Queen), Ironic (Alanis Morissette), Iron Man (Black Sabbath), It's The End Of The World (REM), It's The Same Old Song (The Four Tops), I Want To Break Free (Queen), I Want It All (Queen), Jack & Diane (John Mellencamp), Jamie's Cryin' (Van Halen), Jamming (Bob Marley) Jesus Christ Pose (Soundgarden), Jesus Of Suburbia (Green Day), Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry)...

Extensive Back Catalogue

For the most popular bands, artists and drummers in the world, we feature all of the greatest hits…and some of the more obscure hidden gems as well. Covering all genres of music from Rock, Metal, Jazz and pop – there is a song for all tastes and styles!

Not only that, we have multiple song lessons for the biggest bands/artists as well. Dive into the back catalogue of your favourite groups…

Massive Song/Band Catalogue
Red Hot Chili Peppers

14 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Kings Of Leon

7 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Queens Of The Stone Age

14 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

The Beatles

16 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Blink 182

16 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Tom Petty

4 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Led Zeppelin

22 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Radiohead

8 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Iron Maiden

10 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Faith No More

5 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Oasis

10 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Blondie

10 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

The Killers

8 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

The Kinks

4 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Guns N' Roses

10 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Bon Jovi

4 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Aerosmith

7 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

The Pixies

4 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

The Who

7 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Metallica

7 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

U2

14 Video Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Duran Duran

4 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Nirvana

19 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

The Police

8 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Deftones

8 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Smashing Pumpkins

6 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Queen

10 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Pink Floyd

4 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Arctic Monkeys

15 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

The Clash

4 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Muse

26 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Madness

6 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

The Rolling Stones

7 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Fleetwood Mac

8 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Simple Minds

5 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Alice In Chains

4 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Bruce Springsteen

3 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Thin Lizzy

3 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Dire Straits

6 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Audioslave

4 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

ZZ Top

3 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Rage Against The Machine

5 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Green Day

20 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Rush

6 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Incubus

3 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Deep Purple

2 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Paramore

4 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

The Cure

3 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Michael Jackson

4 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Soundgarden

6 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Tool

4 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Foo Fighters

22 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

Linkin Park

4 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

AC/DC

5 Drum Lessons & PDF Charts.

100s of Songs, Beats, Fills & Solos

All full song video drum lessons include the fully transcribed sheet music. As well as this, you also get access to 100s of mini transcriptions plus those within the ebooks.

IMPORTANT: Even though each song lesson does come with a fully transcribed PDF drum chart, there is no need to be able to read it. In fact, this is what makes DrumsTheWord so unique – the video lessons SHOW you how to play the drum parts, both slowly and up to speed.

Drum Sheet Music Preview
"Love Is A Long Road" - (Tom Petty & Jim Keltner) Full Song Video Drum Lesson Notation Chart Transcription Sheet Music
Drum Sheet Music Preview
"Now And Then" - (The Beatles & Ringo Starr) Full Song Video Drum Lesson Notation Chart Transcription Sheet Music
"Top 14 Essential Chad Smith Drum Beats" - Video Drum Lesson Notation Chart Transcription Sheet Music
"Hanging On The Telephone" - (Blondie & Clem Burke) Full Song Lesson Video Drum Lesson Notation Chart Transcription Sheet Music Drum Lesson

Frequently Asked Questions

What is DrumsTheWord?

DrumsTheWord is an online subscription platform focusing purely on teaching famous and popular songs, note-for-note. An online membership offers instant access to over 700+ FULL song video drum lessons including the fully transcribed drum charts. Plus access to three massive ebooks, bonus sheet music and 100s more video drum lessons. That's over 1000 hours of video lessons teaching famous songs, beats, fills and even drum solos!

Why not choose other websites?

Unlike other online drum lesson platforms, we focus purely on teaching you real music. Each song is taught through a video drum lesson demonstrating how to perform the parts - both slowly and up to speed. Simply watch, listen and copy! DrumsTheWord shows you how WITHOUT the need to read music. Although as a bonus, all full song video drum lessons comes with the fully transcribed PDF sheet music.

Is DrumsTheWord good for beginners?

Yes! You’ll be able to start playing along to over 100+ easy songs for beginners right away. And these are just the full song video drum lessons, there is also a ton of other material aimed specifically for new drummers. All lessons are categorised by level of difficulty, so you can always find the right song for you.

Am I too old to learn the drums?

Absolutely not. You are never too old to learn the drums. DrumsTheWord has a community of drummers of all ages, and from all over the world. And with lessons covering classic songs starting from the 50s, there is something for all ages and musical tastes.

Does DrumsTheWord have anything for advanced drummers?

For the more skilled tub-thumpers, DrumsTheWord shows you how to play songs from some of the most skilled and technically talented drummers on the planet. What better way to continue to improve your drumming than learning from the best. You’ll never be short of inspiration or practice ideas ever again.

Who is Robert Litten?

Rob has been drumming for over 30 years and teaching for over 20. He also studied drumming at degree level at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, England. Through the years he has taught 100s of pupils one-to-one as well running drum courses at local music academies. For the last 15 years, Rob has focused purely on creating content for DrumsTheWord. With a wealth of experience playing live with multiple bands, teaching and working online, Rob will be able to help you reach your drumming goals.

Do I need to read music?

No. Even though all full song video drum lessons come with a fully transcribed PDF drum chart, there is no need to be able to read it. In fact, this is what makes DrumsTheWord so unique – the video lessons SHOW you how to play the drum parts, both slowly and up to speed. As a bonus, you might even learn how to read music along the way thanks to the fact you get both mediums together.

DrumsTheWord 30 Day Money Back Guarantee

Happy drumming guarantee.

Start learning your favourite songs for 30 days. Zero risk.

We know that there are many online lessons out there to choose from. Maybe you’re wondering if the song lessons will work, if you’ll use them enough – or if you’ll even enjoy the experience. So to help put your mind at ease, if within the first 30 days of purchase you are not completely satisfied with the content and service, then you can ask for a full 100% refund, no questions asked.

You even get to keep the free bonus material, so you really have nothing to lose!

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