A music store or drum shop can provide consumers with a great diversity of musical instruments beginning with the ordinary classical instruments and up to modern high-tech ones. Drums are an irreplaceable part of any band, and depending on the drum set used; the sound of the band can be quite different. But first of all let's find out what is drum and what kind of drums are in existence.
Drums are percussive instruments built by stretching a membrane across an opening in a vessel. The sound originates from the vibration caused when you strike the membrane, called the head, with another object. There are different classifications of drums - classification on shape and sound characteristics.
A common, easy way to classify drums types is by their shape. Most drums fall into the following categories: cylindrical (frame drums, with squat hoop, and long drums, which are thin and tall), barrel (Tabla), conga (tapers at its bottom), waisted (tapers in the middle), goblet (Djembe), or bowl (Nakari).
One characteristic all drums share is their pitch. Drums have a certain tone due to the body shape and head size, but not all drums are specifically tuned. A drum's pitch can be adjusted by pulling a cord or moving a peg to stretch the head. Drums set is several drums each with a pitch tuned to harmonize with the others.
The most frequently used drums - and the ones typically found in a music store or drum shop -- are acoustic drums or electronic drums. Acoustic drums are played with both drum sticks and brushes. They produce sound at high volumes that do not require amplification and allow you to create the full range of musical expression. Electronic drums such as Yamaha and Roland require amplification from a drum amplifier or PA system to produce loud volumes sound.
As a rule electronic drum sets are used to accelerate sound checks prior to a show, but require a good monitoring system that allows you to hear yourself play. Electronic drums produce a concise, consistent sound during recording sessions. They also let you incorporate and mix unique music samples, trigger sounds, alter pitch, and easily add effects such as reverb and delay. Electronic drums usually support Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) that can be used to lay down drum tracks in one pass and fix any errors with the simple click of a mouse.
A music store can give you an opportunity to choose any of the above mentioned types of drums but in such a variety it's very difficult to make a right choice, especially if you are a tyro. So here is a kind of a guide that helps you to buy a drum set at a music store. Before making an $800 to $1200 minimum investment in the equipment noted below, one should obtain the intermediate percussion skills. The component parts of a typical drum set include the following:
1.Bass Drum.
2.Support Rods.
3.Foot Pedal.
4.Snare Drum.
5.Sticks.
6.Brushes.
7.Adjustable stool.
8.Ride Cymbal.
9.Crash Cymbal.
10.High Hat Cymbal.
11.Cymbal Stands.
12.Toms.
The music store staff can be of use, but remember the prime aim of any salesperson at any music store or drum shop is to sell the product - with an eye on the top-of-the-line merchandise. Before making such an expensive purchase at a drum shop or music store keep in mind the following:
•Work closely with a percussion teacher or an advanced student when making a purchase
•Avoid getting carried away by visions of playing solo.
•An impromptu demonstration of percussion skill by a salesperson should not be the main reason for making a purchase.
•Glitter, lacquer and external finish are the least important factors when purchasing a drum set.
•Learn to listen well to the sounds that are produced.
And one more, be prepared to pay high prices if you decide to purchase "premium" equipment - $5700 is the total that one online company asked for a full set.
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