Recommendation for a drum kit for a 6-year-old?

[mlucas123]

The piano is a percussion instrument, and is way better for a 6yo to start on.

I'd suggest just some noisemaker drum that's fun to hit and piano lessons with drumset as a carrot if 2 or 3 years of piano go well.

There's a good reason schools don't start brass/woodwind/percussion until 5th grade at the earliest. Due to the size and highly physical nature of those instruments, starting them earlier than that provides almost no long term benefit but time for them to become frustrated and quit. There's barely any measurable benefit to styarting in 5th grade instead of 6th. I started in 7th but took piano before that. It worked out great.

I actually don't accept very young percussion students anymore. 4th grade at the very earliest and even then it's rough. So many technique issues their tiny hands can develop even with small sticks. I tell them to get them into piano and call me back when they're in the 5th grade.

100% this. Drumsets for little kids are a waste of money and effort.

 

[felis]

.... the kick pedal broke, the hi hat stand never worked properly, and I’d like for him to have a proper upgrade.....

At that age, I'd say keep those drums, but get a decent hardware pack.
Hardware can last a long time if properly cared for.

 

[repete]

I think I saw one mention of hearing protection. Please please please get him used to using something at this early stage. Even if he doesn’t stay with it for long it’s important.

 

[Skyrm]

Wouldn’t piano be pretty hard for 6-year-olds hand size??

 

[Pat A Flafla]

Wouldn’t piano be pretty hard for 6-year-olds hand size??

Nope. It's perfect. Literally centuries of pedagogy backing up most teachers' methods. My daughter started piano at 3 and she wasn't an anomaly.

 

[bbunks]

Nope. It's perfect. Literally centuries of pedagogy backing up most teachers' methods. My daughter started piano at 3 and she wasn't an anomaly.

2 of my kids started piano at age 4 and added percussion in 4th grade for school band.

On the drum kit, I bought a Ludwig Questlove Pocket Kit for my grandson 2 years ago. It’s set up next to my kit, so he’s only playing when he visits.

At the time I bought it, he was 4 and it was a little big for him, even with the throne at its lowest height. Now it fits fine, and he should be able to play it for several years before outgrowing it.

I like the simplicity of it - everything including a throne - in one box. Appears to be well made and tunes up pretty easily. The cymbals are really basic, so at some point “real” cymbals will be warranted.

 

[Cpb282]

We tried to get my daughter started on piano around 7. She hated it and only wanted to learn drums.

She started drum lessons at 7 or 8, with only a snare at home, primarily due to space constraints.

At 9 when we had more space, we got her a Pearl roadshow. It worked out fine and she didn’t upgrade until she was 14. The roadshow stayed her primary gigging set for another 2 years given the location of her primary set.

I’ll note that going with an 18” bass drum and shallow toms at 9 was important, as she was on the small side.

 

[Vistalite Black]

I'd get an electronic drum set to preserve the kid's hearing.

 

[Lt. Frank Drebin]

Hello. I have a son who is very interested in learning to play drums. He’s turning 6 on April 2, and I’d like to get him a decent drum kit to learn on. He has an SPL Li’l Kicker kit, but the kick pedal broke, the hi hat stand never worked properly, and I’d like for him to have a proper upgrade.

The two most obvious options that I’m aware of is Ludwig Questlove kit and the Pearl Roadshow Jr. I’m really a guitarist who can play drums more than a drummer, so I have a set of cymbals he can use, but I don’t have any other extra drum hardware laying around. What is the consensus on these two kits for a child? Anything else I should consider?

Thanks!

Browse classifieds for used drum sets. I see some really good deals on Facebook Marketplace. Of course - I'm talking Pearl Roadshow, Vision, or Export kits that you could get for $300 or less.