New to learning an instrument? No idea what to buy or where to go? Here are some suggestions for you (click on the links), let us know if you have any other questions.
Keyboard suggestions:
44 Key mini For the younger student (5 and below) this is a good entry level keyboard if you are just wanting to make sure your child loves piano (which they will) before investing in something a little more substantial.
61 Key boards Most of these options are well reviewed and a great entry level keyboard for most students and you will get plenty of use out of them. Prices range from about $90 – $200 and will last you for the foreseeable future.
88 Key digital pianos and keyboards. These are full sized keyboards and start from about $250 and will last for years to come.
Guitar suggestions:
For rockers under 10 or those with small hands we suggest the Mini Squire Electric guitar around $99.
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This 3/4 size guitar is playable, stays in tune, and is budget conscious. If your rocker is getting closer to 10 or older, you might want to consider going straight to a full sized options:
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The squire Bullet is affordable and also comes in a variety of colors. Search the site to view more color options.
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For $50 more the affinity series is the best bang for the buck. These are great for the money and also have options for color.
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If you want to get a pack that has an amp, gig bag etc: This is a great value. Multiple color options are available.
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Amps: You will want to get an amp pretty quickly (within a couple of months) for the electric guitar players. For the younger beginner and for $60, this Fender option works well. For the older / more serious rocker, the Fender Mustang amps are great.
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Looking to invest some cash in guitars and amps? Email Rob and he will help guide you in the right direction: rob@dontstoprockin.com
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Acoustic Guitars:
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Again, for under 10’s we would suggest a 3/4 size acoustic guitar and a full size acoustic guitar for over 10’s.
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Drum suggestions:
There are many options available when choosing a drum set for a student. Acoustic drums will be the most commonly found sets through all genres. However, these can present a noise problem when it’s time to practice.
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Electric drums allow you to control the volume and have a multitude of sounds available. While in the past many drummers did not believe these felt like acoustic drums attitudes have changed in recent years and this has become a great alternative to acoustic drums. It is also possible for a beginner to learn on practice pads. However, in the long run it is more difficult for a student to stay inspired playing pads only.
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Practice pads are a good first step to getting your drum chops together. They are fairly quiet and inexpensive. A practice pad is essentially a piece of wood with rubber glued on the top. This will feel similar to a drum and will help in the development of stick control. Pads come in a few different sizes and we recommend the 12 inch pad as it is closer in diameter to a snare drum. Below are a couple links to drum pads that will work well for a drum student. Real Feel 2-sided Single Sided Practice pad
If you would like a complete set of practice pads to mimic an entire drum kit, below is a link to consider. Please notice this does not include a kick drum pedal, which can be added for as low as $50 or so. Practice Pad Kit
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There are many acoustic drum options and most of the sets in similar price ranges offer similar quality. It is always a good idea to see what is on sale as these change regularly. However, in the $500-750 range we like the Ludwig Accent acoustic drum set as budget friendly acoustic set. This set includes stands, a kick drum pedal and a throne but does not include cymbals.
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Like acoustic sets there are a multitude of options available in electric drums. Drummers tell us the two most trusted brands are Roland and Yamaha. However, the technology has also made most electric kits in a similar price range share similar quality. For example the Alesis is well reviewed and affordable ($299). For $260, this may also work well Electric Thunder. These are certainly entry level kits and should work well for under 9’s. They are slightly different to the kit we use at HQ.
We use the Roland TD-11K and are very happy with it. It includes a mesh snare pad that reacts very similarly to an acoustic snare drum.
Also, you can check out Cap Music in north Austin, who rent (to own) electric kits from $29 per month. Several students have rented from these guys and are very happy – ask for Britt and tell him we sent you. For acoustic kits, see Dan at Loudmouth rentals – tell him we sent you.
Finally, every drummer needs sticks. The most versatile stick for a beginner is size 5A Hickory with wooden tips. You can even get these in three packs.
For online retailers we have had great service from http://www.austinbazaar.com/ although their drum selection is limited.
They are also located in Austin and so make returns or exchanges easy.
We also have used sweetwater.com for an online retailer.
Guitar Center, MusicMakers, and Strait Music are south Austin local retailers who also all carry a selection of drums.
