What Is the Difference Between a Junior Drum Set and a Normal One?

Playing drums can be an excellent activity for children and adults alike. The instrument teaches physical discipline, rhythmic fundamentals, and perseverance. Practicing regularly can be a good way to get some cardio in, as well.

A junior drum set is scaled down in size, allowing smaller children to play them properly. Compared to a standard size kit, the drums will be a few inches smaller in diameter, and the cymbals will e scaled down according to the size of the drums.

Normal, full-sized kits may be too large for small children, making it difficult for them to play the instrument.

If your child is interested in learning the drums, you need to get them the proper kit to keep them interested in practicing. Read on for an explanation of different types of drum sets and which ones are best for your child to use.

Drums Silhouette

Why Would I Use A Junior Drum Set Over a Normal One?

Want to introduce your child to the drums? If your child is interested in learning the drums, you need to get them the right kit to keep them interested in practicing. 

A junior drum set is a scaled-down version of a regular size kit and is perfect for young children who want to learn how to play. 

You should use a junior drum set because these kits are built specifically for children’s proportions and are easier to use for young children.

Full-sized drum kits are usually adjustable, making them suitable for adults or larger children. Younger kids, however, will have trouble reaching all of the different components. Junior drum sets are designed for smaller children to get them started learning the instrument.

A good starter kit is any five-piece kit that looks cool and fits your child’s body. If your kid is excited about their drum set, it’ll keep them interested and practicing longer. However, you should avoid toy store drum brands since they’ll sound bad, break easily, and aren’t representative of what it’s like to play a real kit.

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What Age Is a Junior Drum Set For?

If you are looking for an instrument to introduce your child to, drums may be a perfect choice. 

If your kid is excited about their drum set, it’ll keep them interested and practicing longer. A junior drum set is a scaled-down version of a regular size kit and is perfect for young children who want to learn how to play. 

In general, junior drum sets are built for children younger less than ten years of age. Consider a junior-sized drum kit if your child has trouble reaching the pedals or hitting the toms and cymbals. 

Older children can usually play on a full-sized kit with a few minor adjustments.

Junior kits are also lighter, with smaller hardware suitable for smaller hands. (Good luck making adjustments with your adult-sized hands!) The action on the bass-kick pedal will also be lighter, allowing the child to hit the pedal with enough force to ring the drum. A full-sized kit may be too firm and too large for them to play correctly.

The best way to be sure is to let your kid try out the drum set before purchasing it. Most music stores will have display models ready to be tested. Additionally, people selling used kits will most likely be happy to let you try the kit out.

Can Kids Use Adult Drum Sets?

Full-sized adult drum sets can often be a little big for smaller kids. However, as you probably already know, kids can be very adaptive.

In general, kids can use adult drum sets as long as the child can reach the drums and the pedals. The drums may need some adjustments in order to achieve this.

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Adult drum sets have a better sound quality and may give your child extra motivation to practice and continue learning the skill.

Tips using an adult drum set for your child:

  1. Change the angle of the drums also. Young children may have to tilt the snare a little towards them, or they won’t be able to reach over it.
  2. Choose a snare that is smaller and with a stand that will allow for a low setup. allowing your child to reach over the snare easier.
  3. If sharing the drum set, consider having two thrones. You may want to alternate between “your chair” and “his chair” to avoid having to adjust your seat height constantly.

The few factors to consider are the number of pieces, the quality of the hardware, and how easy the kit is to set up and tune. 

If you go with a full-sized kit, your child won’t grow out of it. However, if your child is too short, they’ll most likely benefit from having a junior drum set to reach all the drums, cymbals, and pedals. 

There are plenty of high-quality junior kits out there that will give your kid a great start on the fundamentals of drumming. 

Once again, avoid toy store drum sets. These drums aren’t as exciting, and your child won’t learn the real fundamentals of setting up, playing, and maintaining an actual drum set.

Can Adults Use Junior Drum Sets?

Junior drum sets are scaled-down versions of regular size kits and are great for young children who want to learn how to play. 

However, as you probably already know, kids can be very adaptive. Adults should use adult drums as long as they can reach the drums and pedals.

As a rule of thumb, adults should not use junior drum sets. Junior drum kits are not well built, have inferior sound quality, and are intended for players shorter than 4’6”. 

As you can tell, I recommend against adults using a junior-sized kit. They’re not built well, and you’ll be irritated at your hardware, and you’ll be trashing the whole thing before you find your first groove.

Instead, be on the lookout for sets like the Ludwig Breakbeats or Tama Club-Jam. They are pretty small and compact, and you can find great deals on used sets.

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Final Thoughts

Drumming is an excellent creative outlet for children and adults of all ages, and it provides a way to learn the fundamentals of keeping a beat while giving you a decent cardio workout to boot. The most suitable drum set is one that fits your body and your budget.

As long as you pick a drum set that gets your kid excited about practicing and learning the instrument, you really can’t go wrong. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask away in the comments section.

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