Drumsticks are available in a variety of sizes and styles. As a drummer, one of your most valuable assets is a good set of drumsticks. This guide compiles a list of the best drumsticks for beginners.
Junk drumsticks are often imbalanced, constructed of inferior materials, and readily shatter. They can also be inconsistent even even the same models, meaning that various pairings may not have the same playability.
Table of Contents
Vic Firth American Classic 5A Drum Sticks
- The world's best-selling stick!
- Great all-around size and weight for any musical situation
- Tear drop tip for rich cymbal sounds
Our top recommendation for any beginning drummer is the Vic Firth American Classic 5A drumsticks. These are a great place to start if you’re not sure where to begin. Everyone relies on them since they are a versatile and dependable drumstick. A 5A drumstick can be used in nearly any drumming circumstance. It’s similar to a tough automobile that will take you through any situation.
Vic Firth sticks are pitch matched, which means that when you hit the drum, each of your drumsticks will make the identical sound. Everything you play will sound a little weird and higgledy-piggledy if your left and right sticks don’t make the same noise. We want to learn to make a consistent sound with every note we play as a novice drummer.
Drummers that play rock music must have a lot of strength and aggressiveness. A decent starting point for every rock drummer is a 5A type stick, and Vic Firth’s American Classic 5A is a great example of this. These sticks are often regarded as the best for rock drumming, with a good length, a medium taper for extra strength, and a large diameter for the average drummer’s hands.
The teardrop tip produces a powerful combination of attack and warmth, allowing everyone from light players to heavy hitters to pull spectacular tones from their drums. Each stick has a smooth lacquer coating that promotes comfort and grip when your hands grow sweaty while playing for long periods of time.
ProMark Junior Hickory Drumsticks for Kids, Oval Wood Tip
The JR "Junior" stick is designed for beginning students. At 13" long,...
- Hickory is the most popular wood choice for drumsticks due to its...
- Diameter: .531" Length: 13"
It’s critical for younger drummers to utilize a drumstick that feels comfortable and controllable in their smaller hands when learning to play the drums. Full-size sticks can be difficult to control because to their length and weight. This can have an impact on technique and, in the worst-case scenario, turn off prospective young drummers before they’ve had a chance to learn the fundamentals and love playing the drums.
Promark’s Hickory Junior Wood Tip sticks are the greatest drumsticks for youngsters, with a pint-sized 13″. They’re shorter than normal models, fostering a more comfortable, natural feel, while a medium taper aids in delivering a consistent balance and rebound, allowing you to swiftly pick up crucial techniques. No matter what style is being performed, the oval tip is great for getting a well-rounded, warm tone from the drums.
Vic Firth 5A with NOVA imprint
- Economy quality American hickory offers superior strenghth and feel
- Weight-sorted
- 5A - Wood tip
Drumsticks are one of the more affordable purchases for drummers, but if you play frequently and break them frequently, the expense of replacements quickly adds up. Vic Firth’s Nova Series sticks are constructed from B-grade hickory, which saves money yet doesn’t make them any less playable.
Novas, like all Vic Firths, are weight and pitch-matched before leaving the factory, ensuring that each pair feels balanced in your hands. It’s even worth carrying a few pairs in your stick bag as backups in case you run out of your first-choice sticks at a fraction of the price. Vic Firth also offers 5B and 7A Novas in a variety of colors in addition to the 5A model.
Vater Percussion 7A Drumsticks
If you’re a full-size human learning to play the drums for the first time, it’s critical that you start with a drumstick that provides you with the optimum feel, length, balance, and power. Then, as your skills improve, you can begin to experiment with other models to see which ones best suit your needs.
The 7A size isn’t too huge in the hands and is light enough to aid early mastery of important techniques. The Manhattan 7A by Vater is a superb illustration of this. It’s a high-quality stick with a small circular tip for crisp and defined cymbal playing. In fact, it’s such a versatile drumstick that you might never need another. This stick is available with either wood or nylon tips from Vater.
Promark Japanese Shira Kashi White Oak 7A Wood Single pair
- ATTACK 7A DRUM STICKS: The ProMark Classic Attack 7A drumstick features an...
- SHIRA KASHI OAK: Shira Kashi Oak is a dense, heavy wood providing a sturdy...
- OVAL, WOOD TIP: The ProMark Classic oval wood tip provides a full-bodied,...
Although hickory is the most prevalent drumstick wood, there are a variety of other options to explore. Shira Kashi Oak is dense and hefty, which are excellent characteristics for cymbal articulation, making it an excellent choice for jazz drummers. Because Japanese oak is famed for its durability, these Promark sticks should last longer than hickory counterparts if cared for properly — despite the greater price, we’re big supporters of this.
The Shira Kashi Oak model’s shorter length and smaller diameter allow the musician to add more nuance and drama to their drumming while maintaining a sense of balance and control in their hands. The oval tip, on the other hand, aids in extracting a darker, warmer tone from your drums.
Ahead Classic Series Drumsticks – 5B
- Last 6-10 times longer than wood
- Half the shock of wood
- More power, less effort
The metal core and plastic covering used in the Ahead Classic series. These drumsticks, according to Ahead, last 6 to 10 times longer than hardwood drumsticks.
Metal drummers employ ahead drumsticks, which are popular and useful. This is likely due to endorsements from world-famous metal drummers like Joey Jordison (ex-Slipknot) and Lars Ulrich, both of whom have signature models of ahead drumsticks. This drumstick’s substance allows for greater bounce, which can aid in quick drumming (such as speed metal).
If you’re a big hitter who frequently breaks his wooden drumsticks, the Ahead Classic series might be worth a look.
Zildjian 5A Dip Drumsticks
- The world's most popular drumstick size
- Classic stick choice for beginner drummers and professionals
- Mid-sized shaft and medium taper
If you’re looking for a pair of sticks that not only feel amazing but also look beautiful, the Zildjian 5A Wood Tip Hickory Black Dip are a great option.
Zildjian makes some amazing sticks with a ‘dip’ coating, which not only makes the stick look interesting, but also makes it less slippy in your hand. This means you’re less likely to unintentionally throw your drumsticks across the room!A dip option gives you a nice-looking set of sticks while avoiding the clutter that some of the other designs can cause.
Zildjian is also a well-known drum brand (which has since amalgamated with Vic Firth), thus they’re a popular choice among drummers. The classic 5A hickory wood tip is the stick I’ve chosen to recommend here. There is no better sort of drumstick to buy if you’re just getting started as a drummer — it’s the most popular!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which drumsticks are best for a beginner?
Start with a pair of 5A drumsticks for beginners. You’ll discover that 5A drumsticks are of average weight and size, so that’s a decent place to start.
What is the difference between 5a and 7a drumsticks?
A 5A drumstick is heavier than a 7A drumstick, but their thickness is the same. As previously said, the numbers on the drumstick indicate the weight of the drumstick, while the alphabet indicates the thickness.