A question I get quite often from parents (or students themselves): should we buy an acoustic drum set or an electronic one? And honestly: both have their advantages. So I’ll outline them below to help you a bit.

Acoustic drum set – the “real” drums

Feels like a real drumming experience

Advantages:

• This feels the most natural – good for technique, feel, and dynamics.

• You immediately learn how real drums sound and respond to your playing.

Disadvantages:

• It makes a lot of noise. Not ideal if you live in an apartment or have neighbors who don't like drums.

• It takes up quite a bit of space, and you can't just move it aside easily.

Electronic drum set – quieter, more compact

Convenient for home and beginners

Advantages:

• You can practice with headphones – so no one has to be disturbed.

• It takes up less space and some sets can be folded away.

• Often has useful features such as built-in metronomes, songs, and recording options.

Disadvantages:

• It plays just a little less “real” than an acoustic drum set. Especially in terms of touch and dynamics.

• You need to get used to the buttons and settings. And yes, it runs on electricity, so sometimes you might be fiddling with cables.

Good brands to look at:

• Acoustic: Pearl, Yamaha, Tama, Ludwig – you can’t go wrong with those.

• Electronic: Roland is top, Yamaha also, and Alesis is often an affordable option. Second-hand is also quite fine!

Marketplace tip:

There are regularly nice beginner sets on the Marketplace. Make sure that in an electronic set all pads, cables, and the module work. In an acoustic set: check if the heads and cymbals are still okay and if everything is complete (stands, pedals, seat).

Finally, my advice as a drum teacher:

• Is noise at home a problem? Then an electronic set is probably the smartest choice.

• Do you want your child (or yourself) to learn drumming just like on a 'real' kit? Then go for acoustic – maybe in a practice space or with mute plugs on.

If you want, I’d be happy to take a look at what you have in mind – then you can be sure you’re making a good choice!