Beginner-first gear roundups. Each guide gives you a budget pick, our recommended pick, and a premium option, with the trade-offs that matter.
300 guides · page 13 of 13
On an electronic kit, your headphones are your sound: and on an acoustic kit, isolation headphones let you hear a metronome over the noise. Either way, get closed-back. Here are three worth wearing, how we chose them, and what to expect.
Drummers sit inside the loudest instrument in the room, and hearing damage is permanent. Musician earplugs lower the volume evenly so the music stays clear: they're cheap, essential, and you should wear them from session one. Here are three, how we chose them, and what to expect.
A throne is not a chair: where you sit sets your posture, reach, and how long you can play without back pain. Beginners skip it and regret it. Here are three thrones worth sitting on, how we chose them, and what to expect.
A practice pad is where most of your real progress happens: quietly, anywhere, building the hands that the kit can't teach as efficiently. Here are three, how we chose them, and what to expect from daily pad practice.
Drumsticks are cheap and personal, the size you hold changes how the kit feels and sounds. Almost every beginner should start with a 5A, then explore. Here are three pairs worth gripping, how we chose them, and what to expect.
A capo clamps across the fretboard to raise your guitar’s pitch, letting you play songs in new keys using the easy open chords you already know. It is a small, cheap tool that unlocks a huge amount of music. Here are three, how we chose them, and what to expect.
Fresh strings transform how a guitar sounds and feels: and beginners often play far too long on old, dead ones. Light-gauge strings are easier on new fingers, and coated strings last longer. Here is what to put on your acoustic, how we chose, and what to expect.
A guitar cable seems like an afterthought until a cheap one fails mid-song or hums with noise. A good instrument cable is reliable, quiet, and lasts years. Here is what to buy, how we chose, and what to expect, and why you do not need to spend a fortune.
A strap lets you stand up and play, and a comfortable one makes long sessions painless. It is a small purchase with a real effect on how much you enjoy playing. Here are three worth wearing, how we chose them, and what to expect.
An out-of-tune guitar sounds bad no matter how well you play, and trains your ear wrong. A clip-on tuner is one of the cheapest, most essential things a beginner can own. Here are three, how we chose them, and what to expect.
Picks are cheap, tiny, and weirdly important, the gauge you hold changes how easily you strum and how your guitar sounds. Buy a variety, find your favourite, then stock up. Here is where to start, how we chose, and what to expect.
An electric guitar needs an amp to make a sound, but the right beginner amp does far more than get loud. Modern modeling amps pack dozens of tones and effects into a small box. Here are three worth plugging into, how we chose them, and what to expect.