10 Handy drum accessories

Posted: 10 December 2019

You’ve got your kit. You know it like the back of your hand but it’s not enough. You want more. You need more. Your band needs more. This article is going to take you through a few key accessories you can purchase that will really bolster your arsenal.

Read time: 4 mins

Stick holder

It’s basic but it will come in super handy. It’s probably happened before, you’re in the middle of playing and your sticks break. So you’re fumbling around on the floor for your spares, hoping no one has noticed and that you can sit back up and move on smoothly. Now imagine that you’ve got a stick holder. Your sticks break in the middle of a song and you simply pick a new pair up from right in front of you and carry on like nothing ever happened.

Metronome

When practicing, this is a drummer’s best friend. As a drummer, you are the timekeeper for the whole operation. Young Drummer of the Year 2018 JJ Wallace, has some good advice: start playing with the metronome and then have a friend or band member turn it down for 15/30 seconds before turning it back to its original volume. The trick is to stay in time with it when the volume is down.

Tuning key

It really goes without saying that you should own a tuning key. One of the key bits of kit you’ll have with you at all times.

Side Snare

When one snare just isn’t enough. A side snare is a smaller snare that is often placed to the left of the original snare and usually offers a higher tone. Great for adding a bit more variation and flair to your beats.

Ear protection/ In-ear monitors

As a drummer you’re sitting directly behind one of the loudest bits of kit on stage. Also, your hearing is quite important to your livelihood/ passion, so it’s very important that you start thinking about hearing protection sooner rather than later. Owning some in-ear monitors are a great investment. They’ll allow you to hear your bandmates and click / backing track whilst simultaneously protecting your ears from the barrage of noise you're creating.

Sampler

We touched on samplers in our ‘How to use a backing track’ article. Samplers are incredibly versatile instruments and can allow you to take on a hybrid style of playing. Perhaps you want an electro inspired breakdown in one of your songs or want to use some obscure percussion without forking out the money for it. The options for what you can do with a sampler are endless. Check out this video by reverb in which they teach you how to add live samples to your drum playing using the Roland SPD-SX.

Cowbell

Everyone knows what a cowbell sounds like. They are used relentlessly across all genres of music, even popping their heads up in a variety of electronic genres. The signature sound of a cowbell is perfect to give your song a driving pick up or for helping you add a bit more variation in your playing.

China

China cymbals, nicknamed trash cymbals, are quite popular in today’s music as they give a bright, crisp and explosive tone, hence the name.

low volume

For home practice, low volume cymbals are a good option. Some cymbals on the market can reduce their sound by up to 80%. Couple those up with some drum pads and your neighbours might start talking to you again.

Sizzler

Sometimes you need to add a bit of sizzle to your rides, but do you need to do it so much that you should buy a rivetted cymbal? They can be quite expensive and feel like a wasted purchase if not used often. A sizzler works by clipping a chain to your cymbal, mimicking the sizzle effect. It may be annoying to have a chain dangling around on your cymbal but it’s probably not £150-on-a-new-cymbal-you’ll-barely-use annoying.

So, there you have it

Not everything on this list is essential but there are a few items on there that are handy to have in your gig bag or lying around the house. The two-up, one-down kit has been a staple for years but it can be built on with a few well-placed and purchased items.