Long gone are the days when drums in church was a taboo topic. Nowadays, almost every church is kitted out with a drum kit. Worship music has drum parts in all its forms, meaning as a church, you’re going to need a good kit.
There are a few different styles of music involved in church and a great drum kit will help you express all of them musically.
Having had the privilege to play the DW Collector’s Series 5-Piece Shell Pack, here’s a concise review based on my professional experience:
The DW Collector’s Series exudes robustness with a sleek veneer finish and sturdy chrome hardware, blending modernity with a touch of classic charm.
The snare delivers a crisp, clear sound while the toms offer a versatile range, demonstrating the kit’s suitability across a spectrum of musical styles.
Thanks to DW’s HVLT shell technology, the resonance and tonal clarity are remarkable. Each drum produces a clean, sustained sound, enhancing the overall musical experience.
This kit is adaptable and capable of fitting into a variety of worship settings, from traditional hymns to contemporary arrangements.
The robust build quality ensures longevity, making it a reliable choice for drummers seeking a long-term investment.
The DW Collector’s Series 5-Piece Shell Pack stands as a testament to DW’s craftsmanship. While the price point is high, the quality and versatility justify the investment for serious drummers.
Gretsch’s USA Custom reveals detailed craftsmanship with its sleek design and durable chrome hardware. The build shows a time-honored aesthetic blended with modern-day robustness.
The snare cuts through with a vintage crispness while the toms carry a warm, resonant tone. The bass drum has a profound punch, making it a hearty backbone for any worship setup.
With the “Silver Sealer” interior, each drum carries a notable resonance. The richness of sound is palpable, catering well to dynamic worship settings.
This kit can transition seamlessly from soft ballads to upbeat contemporary numbers, showcasing its adaptability across various worship music genres.
The solid construction hints at longevity, making it a dependable choice for churches seeking a long-term musical companion.
The Gretsch Drums USA Custom is a stellar blend of tradition and quality. Though a premium offering, its sonic attributes and durability make it a worthy consideration for dedicated musicians.
Tama’s craftsmanship shines through with the STAR Walnut. The robust walnut shells, coupled with sleek chrome hardware, shows Tama’s enduring quality.
The walnut shells provide a unique blend of warmth and attack. The snare snaps with authority, the toms resonate with a deep warmth, and the bass drum thunders with a controlled low-end punch, essential for a rounded worship sound.
The resonance of this kit is truly captivating. Each strike lingers, filling the room with a rich, full-bodied sound that is bound to elevate any worship experience.
The Tama STAR Walnut transitions effortlessly across a spectrum of worship music styles. From soft hymnal passages to exuberant praise sessions, this kit accommodates with ease.
Tama’s robust construction indicates a kit built to endure. The quality of materials and finishing suggest a long-lasting companion.
The Tama STAR Walnut is an example of excellence meshed with tradition. While priced on the higher side, the acoustic finesse and build quality justify the investment.
Gretsch is one of the oldest drum companies out there are known for producing high quality drum kits. The Catalina kit includes a 14” snare, 8″ and 10” and 12” rack toms, a 14” and 16″ floor toms and a 20” kick drum.
This kit has short maple shells that have an explosive sound. The wide-ranging tone of the drums makes them very versatile, meaning this kit will fit well in any style of music.
The kit sounds huge, but doesn’t take up too much space. This makes it a great option for small churches. It’s also great for churches where you have to bring your own equipment.
The one downside to the kit is that the toms can be quite difficult to position comfortably.
For more about the Gretsch Catalina, check our buying guide.
The PDP Concept Maple 5-piece is an affordable kit from DW that includes a 14” snare drum, 10” and 12” rack toms, a 16” floor tom, and a 22” kick drum.
DW designs their PDP kits with their famous construction quality, yet somehow sell them at a seriously affordable price. The maple shells on this PDP kit give it a punchy tone that is balanced and effective.
The toms have a fast response, allowing you to play intricate drum fills with a lot of clarity. This makes the PDP Concept Maple a great kit for Gospel music. You’ll find that a lot of Gospel churches have this kit because it works well with high intensity music.
The snare drum sounds especially great when it’s tuned high, giving a massive crack when you play rimshots. It utilises DW’s MAG throw-off system which allows you to turn the snares on and off extremely quickly and smoothly.
The stock drumheads that come with the kit aren’t amazing. So, you’d need to change those to get the best sound.
The Pearl Export has been one of the best sounding entry-level drum kits for decades. It doesn’t have as much attention as it used to, but it’s still a great kit. This particular model includes a 14” snare, 10” and 12” rack toms, a 16” floor tom, and a 22” kick drum.
The shells are made from a mixture of poplar and mahogany, giving the drums a lot of resonance and tone. The sound from the rack toms has a fear bit of low-end, with the floor tom and having an even deeper tone. The snare drum is dry with a fair bit of overtones.
Included with this kit is Pearl’s 830 series hardware. Pearl has some of the most sturdy hardware around, providing a solid platform for the drums and cymbals. The kit also comes with a P-930 kick drum pedal.
The one downer to this kit is the tom mounts. They aren’t very easy to move around, stopping you from getting really comfortable.
The low-end punch of this kit makes it a great option for church drumming.
The Yamaha Custom Stage is Yamaha’s entry-level drum kit. This shell pack includes a 14” snare drum, 10” and 12” rack toms, a 14” floor tom and a 20” kick drum.
The shells are made from birch wood, giving them an even tone that sounds pretty good when fitted with some 2-ply drumheads. They’re quite easy to tune as well.
This kit is aimed at beginners and intermediates. You can feel it in the hardware construction. However, it’s still a great option for a church on a budget. The snare and toms can be tuned to get a great resonating sound that fits church music. The kick drum can sound huge, especially when it’s mic’ed up.
Pair this kit up with some affordable cymbals and you have a great budget option for a church drum kit. Just realise that it’s not going to sound as good as some higher priced options.
A great church drum kit is one that will allow you to be sensitive as well as loud and effective. Worship music goes through a wide range of dynamics, so the drum kit should be able to follow along with that. It should respond well to soft playing and also produce a loud sound if needed.
The drum kit is only half of the setup. The other important parts of drums in church are the cymbals. A lot of drum kits sound the same, meanwhile cymbals are where the sound can differ drastically.
Hillsong, known for its contemporary worship music, often utilizes high-quality drum kits to achieve their distinctive sound. In the past, they have been seen using DW Collector’s Series and Gretsch drums among other top-tier brands. However, the specific gear may change over time, so it’s advisable to check the latest live performances or contact the team for the most current information.
The choice of drum shell material greatly influences the overall tonal character of the drum. Maple is often praised for its warm, balanced tone, making it a popular choice for worship settings. Birch, on the other hand, offers a brighter tone with enhanced low-end and projection, which can also be suitable depending on the acoustic nature of the church and the style of worship. It’s advisable to experiment with different shell materials to find what complements the worship environment.
The specific drum heads used by Elevation Worship may vary over time and between different drummers within the group. However, popular brands among worship drummers include Remo and Evans due to their reliable quality and wide range of tonal options. Checking the latest gear rundowns or contacting the Elevation Worship team directly could provide the most accurate information.
Drum shields serve a few important purposes in a church setting:
There is no brand of drums that is completely better than others. However, there are a few brands that are well-known for constantly producing high-quality products. These are brands such as Yamaha, DW, Pearl, Tama and Gretsch.
They all produce drum kits that have unique benefits to them. They range in price and work well in different situations. The price of a drum kit will depend on how it was constructed and what type of wood it has. Higher priced drum kits are obviously a lot better than lower priced ones.
Each drum company has a flagship model and all the flagship models are on a similar level of sound and quality. We have a list of some of the best kits by brands.
A great drum set for beginners would be one that comes with hardware and cymbals as well as the drums. It should be a one-stop-shop that will get you playing and improving quickly. Beginner drummers may be hesitant to spend a lot of money, so a good beginner kit should be affordable. We have a list of some of the best beginner kits.
When it comes to church drumming, it depends on the style of worship music that you’re playing. Gospel music has a high intensity sound that requires fast response from the drums. This means that the sizes of your toms should be smaller, allowing them to produce quick sounds.
Modern contemporary Christian music generally requires a large sound with lots of resonance from the drums. This means that the drums should be bigger to produce longer sounds.
If you play everything, you should get a kit that falls somewhere in the middle. Luckily, most drum kits have similar sizes, meaning they’re quite accessible.
Most drummers learnt to play drums in church. It’s an environment that allows you to consistently perform and improve. As a church drummer, you need to be sensitive to where the music is moving and be able to catch on to what the band leader and congregation are doing.
It’s important that you have a great kit to do that with!
Now that you picked your drum set check my buying guide on cymbals for church.
Drum Teacher
Brett Clur has a Drum Performance Diploma from Trinity College London has been playing drums for over 20 years. He is passionate about advanced concepts and uses his years of experience to teach his students about them. While he is a full-time drum teacher, he is also working on growing a YouTube channel where shares his insights. You can see him playing there, or on Instagram where he posts daily videos.
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