The Best Drum Practice Pads for Beginners (2024)
From standard beginner practice pads to kick drum practice pads,
which are the best drum practice pads and how should you use them?
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As drummers, we all know how important it is to build strength for consistent playing, control and speed.
It’s not always practical to be playing at an actual kit - just think of the neighbours when your bashing out those rudiments at midnight!
This is where practice pads come in.
Whether you're just starting on your drumming journey or you're a seasoned player looking to refine your skills, a good practice pad is an essential purchase.
Here’s our guide to the best practice pads available today.
1. Best drum practice pad for beginners: Vic Firth 12" Double-Sided Practice Pad
For beginners eager to establish a strong foundation, the Vic Firth 12" Double-Sided Practice Pad is an excellent choice.
One side features a gum rubber surface that provides a realistic rebound, emulating the feel of a drumhead.
The other side has a harder surface for building strength and precision in your strokes. With its durable construction and versatile design, this pad is perfect for honing your drumming skills.
Note the size is slightly smaller than a typical snare drum head to help focus your strokes.
2. Best no-nonsense practice pad: Evans RealFeel 2-Sided Practice Pad
Sometimes, simplicity is the key to effective practice.
For an alternative to the Vic Firth pad, the Evans RealFeel 2-Sided Practice Pad caters to no frills drummers who prefer a straightforward approach.
This classic practice pad features two striking surfaces with a comfortable and responsive feel.
3. Best pad for building strength: Moongel Workout Pad
The Moongel pad is a great option for drummers wanting to improve their strength and endurance. The striking surface is made from Moongel’s… erm Moongel.
For those who are unfamiliar Moongel is a soft rubbery material more typically used to dampen drum heads. The surface doesn’t provide natural rebound meaning drummers have to work harder to move the sticks, hence developing strength and endurance quickly, and improving grip strength.
The pad is 7 inches across and has a solid base for attaching to a stand or placing on a table.
4. Most stylish practice pad: Gretsch 6” Practice Pad
The Gretsch Practice Pad is a great pad in it’s own right - it has a natural feeling striking surface that is also quiet, and a wooden base for stability and foam rubber on the underside to prevent slipping or damaging the surface it’s on (including if placing on a snare drum).
The small size makes it portable and improves your accuracy.
However we’ve put it in this list because we love the way it looks, with the classic Gretsch logo splashed in orange across the surface. It’s also available in other colours. But go for orange surely.
5. Best multi-surface pad: Drumeo P4 Practice Pad
Looking for an all-in-one solution that suits various drumming styles?
The Drumeo P4 Practice Pad has got you covered.
This multi-functional pad offers four distinct playing surfaces, each replicating the feel of different drums and cymbals. From snare drum to hi-hat, you can practice various rudiments and techniques without needing to switch pads.
The Drumeo P4's versatility ensures a well-rounded practice session for drummers of all levels.
6. Best bass drum practice pad: Evans RealFeel Folding Bass Pedal Practice Pad
The Evans RealFeel Kick Drum Practice Pad is a fantastic tool for drummers looking to improve their footwork, rhythm, and overall bass drum technique. It has a realistic feel from the playing surface made from a high-density rubber that mimics the rebound of a real bass drum. The pad is sturdy and resistant to wear and tear, which is important for an accessory that’s being hit with a bass drum pedal.
The Evans RealFeel Kick Drum Practice Pad features a non-slip bottom, which ensures that it stays securely in place during practice sessions.
The compact and lightweight design, as well as the folding mechanism, makes it highly portable.
The pad is compatible with most standard bass drum pedals, so you can use your existing pedal with it.
In summary, the Evans RealFeel Kick Drum Practice Pad is a worthy investment for any drummer seeking to enhance their bass drum performance.
How to Practice Drums on a Practice Pad
Practice pads are great for working on hand technique and building strength and endurance.
They are well suited to working on rudiments and sticking patterns (which every drummer should do).
Many of the books that feature on our list of essential technique books have exercises to run through to help you to build strength and endurance on a practice pad.
In particular take a book such as the legendary Stick Control by George Lawrence Stone, and work through the exercise at different tempos and volumes, focussing on great flow and consistency, using your practice pad.
Don’t be fooled into thinking this is all you need to practice though. Unless you get a practice pad kit you’ll still need to work on your coordination and independence between your limbs, as well as get used to the feel of playing a real kit.
Some of the pad options described here aim to help with these areas.
What are Drum Practice Pads?
A practice pad is a roughly drum-sized surface made of rubber or other materials that drummers can use to practice certain rhythms.
They are designed for a number of reasons that a full drum kit doesn’t allow:
They make minimal noise so you can practice in situations where full practice isn’t an option.
Often this also means you can hear the strokes more easily without distracting overtones. Consequently drummers can hear whether their strokes are even, and work on straightening things out when they’re not.
They are portable - if you can’t get to a drum kit you may be able to take a pad more easily and work on your technique.
I play on my pad while I’m watching TV in the evening, getting in more valuable covert practice time.
They are often made of materials that don’t rebound as much as a real drum, which helps drummers to work out important muscles, ultimately meaning they can play more evenly, faster and for longer and with stronger grip.
How to Practice Drums Without a Drum Set
Check out our video on how to practice drums when you can’t get to a drum set:
In conclusion, the path to becoming a skilled drummer begins with dedicated practice. Having a good practice pad can significantly help your progress.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced drummer, consider investing in one of these top practice pads to elevate your drumming to new heights.
Remember, practice is not just about quantity but also about quality, so choose wisely and let your drumming skills flourish.
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