- Drumsticks should be a fairly simple area to navigate. After all, it’s just some wood, right?
- With various sizes and materials, it is easy to get lost – especially as a beginner.
- We break down the x best drumsticks available for beginner drummers on the market today.
- Also check out the 6 Best Drum Gloves.
The number of different drumsticks on the market today is simply mind-boggling. To save you the headache of sorting through them, we rounded up the seven best drumsticks for beginners and explained why they are the best options.
We’ll assess the sticks based on ease of use, durability, and ability to tackle different musical scenarios.
Drumstick Sizing
But first, a little side note on drumstick sizing.
The most common drumstick sizes are 2B, 5A, and 7A. The main thing to keep in mind is the number. The smaller the number, the thicker the stick. So in most stores, 2B is the thickest stick, while a 7A will be the thinnest stick.
The letter indicates a slight change in size and weight between two sticks of the same number. A is a regular-size stick, while B indicates a thicker, heavier stick. So a 5A is a stock standard stick, while a 5B will be a bit bigger.
What are the Best Drumsticks for Beginners?
The best drumsticks for beginners are the Vic Firth American Classic 5A. They’re great general-purpose sticks that will serve you in any musical situation.
The best lightweight drumsticks for beginners are the Vic Firth American Classic 7A.
While the best drumsticks for durability are the ProMark Classic Forward 5A.
Our list for the 7 best drumsticks for beginners is as follows:
- Vic Firth American Classic 5A (Best For Beginners)
- Vic Firth American Classic 7A (Best Lightweight)
- ProMark Classic Forward 5A (Most Durable)
- Vic Firth Kidsticks
- Vater Hammer 5A
- Vater Colorwrap Los Angeles 5A
- Promark Finesse Maple 7A, 5A, 5B, and 2B
Vic Firth American Classic 5A (Best For Beginners)
This pair of 5A wood tip drumsticks features a teardrop tip for rich cymbal sounds. These sticks are great for every style of music!
Features
- Excellent all-rounder
- Comfortable to play
- Best-selling drumsticks in the world!
Review
If you don’t know which sticks you want, then start with the American Classic 5A. They’re the best-selling drumsticks on the planet for a reason. This stick is an excellent all-rounder that will serve you well across many musical situations.
5A is generally the most popular drum stick size choice across all brands. They’re also the best drumstick size for beginners who have regular-sized hands.
This is because 5A is so versatile. They are thick enough that you can rock out and hit hard without breaking the stick, and they’re also light enough to use a softer touch for more casual drumming scenarios and genres.
The American Classic 5A are hickory drumsticks. Hickory is the most common wood used for drumsticks because it’s firm enough to be durable, but it also retains enough flex to absorb the impact of strikes, making it comfortable to play.
Vic Firth American Classic 7A (Best Lightweight)
This pair of 7A wood tip drumsticks features a teardrop tip. These sticks work well for jazz applications.
Features
- Lightweight
- Perfect for jazz and softer music
- Great for players with small hands
Review
The Vic Firth American Classic 7A is one of the best beginner drumsticks. The 7A size means they have a small circumference (thickness), so they are lightweight and easy to hold.
The 7A size is the best drumstick for beginners with small hands, such as elementary school-aged children.
Vic Firth designed these hickory drumsticks for jazz and other styles that call for a light touch.
7A and 5A Vic Firth American Classic are available with nylon or wooden tips. Nylon drumsticks provide a slightly brighter sound than wooden tips.
Therefore nylon is popular for drummers who want to project their cymbal sound aggressively, while wooden tips are popular with more chill styles.
ProMark Classic Forward 5A (Most Durable)
This pair of Pro-Mark TX5AW wood tip hickory 5A drumsticks features oval-shaped tips. These sticks are great for all playing styles.
Features
- Great for heavy-hitting
- Manageable size and weight
Review
If you like the standard 5A, but want a tad more weight and power, then the ProMark Classic Forward 5A is a perfect choice.
This stick has a short taper leading to the tip, producing a forward-weighted feel which adds extra power to your playing. The short taper also means the stick is quite durable.
This added durability is a big deal for rockers. I’ve purchased just about every drumstick brand, but I keep returning to ProMark and Vater.
This is because I hit hard and break sticks with long thin tapers easily. ProMark and Vater – in general – tend to have a thicker taper on their sticks than Vic Firth and other brands.
Vic Firth Kidsticks
The smaller size of this pair of Vic Firth Kidsticks drumsticks makes playing easy for very young drummers.
Features
- Designed for young children
- Smaller and thinner than normal sticks
- Colorful
Review
The Vic Firth Kidsticks are good drumsticks for beginners in the younger age bracket. Vic Firth designed them to be perfect for kids aged three to eight.
I taught drums for many years and never had a problem using 7As for elementary school-aged children. However, if your child is preschool-aged or has trouble with regular sticks, these beginner drumsticks are the way to go.
To give you an idea of their scale, the standard Vic Firth American Classic 5A has a .565″ diameter and 16″ length, while the Kidsticks have a diameter of .520″ and a 13″ length.
The Vic Firth Kidsticks are available in a fun bright blue or pink.
Vater Hammer 5A
The VH5AS sticks have the same grip as a standard 5A with some extra reach. The smaller acorn tip warms up cymbal tone and make for a very versatile drumstick.
Features
- Hard, aggressive sound
- Double butt design
- Perfect for heavy music
Review
The Vater Hammer has two butt ends – so both ends of the stick look like the back end of a normal stick. This creates maximum grunt and power with the stick’s stroke, as there’s much more weight behind your hits.
Nirvana’s Dave Grohl famously turned his sticks around and played with the butt ends to create his signature, massive snare crack. The Hammer makes getting that sound even simpler.
I play in a heavy band, and once I found the Vater Hammer, I used them for all my band’s gigs and rehearsals. The amount of oomph you get from hitting with these feels great and is so satisfying.
The Hammer has the thickness of a 5A stick, but as there is no taper, they are much more durable. I have never broken the top end of these sticks on the cymbals before, which is where most other sticks break.
I’ve only managed to gradually crack these heavy drumsticks in the middle, where the stick hits the metal snare rim during rimshots (which I do an enormous amount of).
As a beginner, it’s a good idea to practice sometimes with a pair of sticks with a regular taper to get the feel of working with the most common type of stick.
Wondering why your snare is ringing? Here’s the reason!
Vater Colorwrap Los Angeles 5A
Vater's Color Wrap drumsticks are finished with a lustrous colored wrap which lets stage and theater performers express their inner showperson.
Features
- Bright, colorful sticks
- Many different colors
- 5A size
Review
The Vater Colorwrap Los Angeles 5A are good drumsticks for beginners who want to make an impression!
The Colorwrap has the following color options: Blue Sparkle, Gold Sparkle, Red Sparkle, Black Optic, Silver Optic, and Purple Optic.
All the Vater Colorwrap Los Angeles sticks are 5A, although you can choose between wood or nylon tips.
Most drumsticks from big brands are basically the same price, but the Colorwrap is an exception. It’s priced at about 1/3 more than a regular pair of 5As. It ain’t cheap to look this good!
Promark Finesse Maple 7A, 5A, 5B, and 2B
Every Promark set starts with responsibly harvested hickory, maple, or Japanese oak that’s carefully selected and pre-finished for dependable performance.
Features
- Lightweight sticks
- Maple drumsticks
- Variety of sizes available
Review
The Promark Finesse Maple are good drumsticks for beginners who want a lighter stick. Maple drumsticks are 10% lighter than the most common wood type hickory.
Maple is slightly softer than hickory, so there is a trade-off with durability. However, it’s still tough enough to hold up well under regular playing.
The Promark Finesse Maple is available in 7A, 5A, 5B, and 2B. So every kind of drummer is catered for.
They are good beginner drumsticks for players who want to try out the thickest size 2B. This is because they are lighter than a regular 2B, making them easier to work with.
FAQ
What type of drumsticks should a beginner use?
7A and 5A size drumsticks are the best choices for beginners. 7As are thinner and suitable for people with smaller hands. 5As are the standard drumstick size and are a great all-rounder stick that can be used for any musical style.
The three main brands of drumsticks are Vic Firth, Vater, and ProMark. They all produce high-quality sticks, so you can’t really go wrong.
How do you pick out the right pair of drumsticks?
The best way to pick out drumsticks is to go to a music store and play various pairs. Use whatever feels the most natural for you. Most stores have a practice pad next to the sticks for trying them out.
I like to weigh the sticks in my hand and pick out a pair which are equally balanced. This means your playing will sound more consistent.
What drumsticks do professionals use?
5A is the most commonly used drumstick size among professionals (and everyone else). 7As are often used by pros who play softer styles like jazz as their light weight makes it easier to control the playing dynamics.
Hard rock and metal drummers sometimes choose the heavier 5B and 2B drumstick sizes for greater durability and power.
Professional drummers use many different brands. The four biggest companies (Vic Firth, Vater, ProMark, and Ahead) all have a large list of big-name players who use their sticks.