Drummer Gifts: What to Buy for the Drummer in Your Life
Drummers are easy to spot. They tap on steering wheels and kitchen tables. They can pick out the hi-hat in any song on the radio. They are also, happily, easy to shop for once you know where to look. The best drummer gifts are the things a drummer breaks or wears out, plus a few that make long hours behind the kit more comfortable.
This guide begins with sticks, the one gift almost every drummer needs. From there it works up to bigger presents. The last section covers the leather keychains we make for drummers and the families who haul their gear.
Start With the Sticks
Drumsticks chip and splinter with steady use, and a working drummer goes through many pairs a year. Sticks are sold by size codes. A 7A stick is thin and light, a common choice for jazz and quieter rooms. A 5A is the middle size that many drummers start with, and a 5B is thicker and heavier for players who hit harder.
Sticks also come with wood tips or nylon tips. Nylon tips last longer and sound a little brighter on cymbals, while wood tips give a warmer sound. Many drummers stay loyal to one size and one tip for years. Check the stick bag or the worn pair on the music stand, and buy a few pairs of exactly the same thing. A brick of sticks in their usual model is one of the most welcome gifts a drummer can open.
Small Gifts for Drummers
These fit a stocking, and each one gets used quickly:
- A practice pad, a quiet rubber surface for working on technique without the full kit
- A drum key or two, the small square-headed tool for tuning, which drummers lose constantly
- Musician's earplugs that lower the volume evenly, since drum kits are loud enough to harm hearing over time
- A stick bag that hangs on the floor tom and keeps spare pairs within reach
- Gel dampening pads that stick to a drumhead and tame unwanted ring
- A metronome or click with a headphone output for practicing with steady time
Earplugs deserve a special mention. Drummers sit closer to the loudest instrument on the stage than anyone else. A good pair of musician's earplugs keeps the music clear while protecting the hearing a drummer will need for decades.
Bigger Gifts for the Serious Drummer
A comfortable drum throne is a gift most drummers would never buy for themselves. They sit on it for hours, and a sturdier seat with good padding makes long rehearsals much easier on the back.
New drumheads are another strong choice. Heads lose their tone as they wear, and a fresh set can make an old kit sound new. Heads are sold by diameter, so measure the drums or ask the drummer which sizes the kit uses. Cymbals are more personal and easy to get wrong. If your drummer has a wish list, follow it closely. A double bass drum pedal opens up new patterns for a rock or metal player, though it is wise to confirm the drummer wants one first.
Hardware cases protect stands and pedals on the way to gigs, and they save a great deal of wear on the car. Lessons with a respected teacher can help a self-taught drummer clean up technique, and many teachers offer online sessions as well.
Gifts for Young Drummers and the Drumline
A beginning drummer needs very little to make real progress. A practice pad with a pair of sticks and a metronome will carry a new student a long way, and the pad keeps the household peace during evening practice. A small electronic kit played through headphones lets a beginner work on a full kit at any hour without waking the neighbors.
Students in a marching band drumline usually play with heavier marching sticks, and their section leader can tell you the model the line uses. Drumline season also belongs to the parents who drive to every competition. Our marching band gifts include Band MOM and Band DAD keychains under a trumpet in side profile. The parent who loads the trailer after every Friday game has a design of their own, Unpaid ROADIE, under a road case.
Leather Keychains for Drummers
Our drummer gifts come from The Liner Notes, a set of designs drawn from the credits on the back of a record sleeve. Crossed drumsticks stand at the top of each drum design. The personalized keychain sets the drummer's own name in brush script beneath them, with ON DRUMS in engraved capitals below, so the fob reads like a credit line.
Two more designs come straight from the drum throne. "One two / THREE FOUR" carries the count-in that starts every song, on cool gray leather. "Play louder / SAID NO ONE" sits on dark espresso brown, for the drummer who hears the opposite request at every rehearsal. Guitarists like to give that one as a friendly jab.
Every keychain is pressed into full-grain leather with a metal die and made by hand after you order. The design sits on the front. Gold foil is available at checkout, and shipping is free in the US. For the rest of the band, browse our gifts for musicians.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good gift for a drummer who has everything?
Sticks in their exact model never go to waste, and a comfortable throne or a fresh set of drumheads makes a strong bigger gift. A personalized keychain with their name and ON DRUMS adds something they will carry every day.
What drumsticks should I buy as a gift?
Copy the size code and tip type from the sticks they already use. If you have no clue to go on, a 5A with a wood tip is a common middle choice, though a drummer with a favorite will always prefer their own model.
Can I get a drummer gift with their name on it?
Yes. Our ON DRUMS keychain presses the drummer's name in brush script under crossed drumsticks, with ON DRUMS in capitals below. You type the name at checkout, and each keychain is made by hand to order.
