Arguably two of the coolest instruments, but when it’s Guitar vs Drums, who should win?
If you’re torn between these two popular instruments when looking for something to learn, you can consider the following.
Volume – Guitar vs Drums
When learning an instrument, the volume is something that needs to be considered.
A
classical or
acoustic guitar will have a very manageable volume. Suitable for home practice as well as small gatherings and even performances without being
plugged in.
Electric guitars are an interesting one. Unplugged they are very quiet, but still usable for practice. Plugged in, the volume depends entirely on the amp. Of course, stadiums can be filled with the volume of a guitar and large amp going through a sound system. But you can also get a
10-watt practice amp which gives you good levels for home practice.
Drums are loud. Which is near enough the end of it, they are inherently a loud instrument! Luckily there are some ways to control this if a loud instrument isn’t viable (or isn’t viable for your neighbours!).
Electronic drum kits ensure that you can play through headphones, or a speaker. Meaning you can control the volume. The only thing others would hear through headphones is the thud from the plastic or rubber pads being hit.
You can also get drum dampening pads. Usually made of rubber which fit on top of drums and cymbals. This brings the volume down, but it still wouldn’t be a good idea to practice late at night with these!
Difficulty of Playing
I would always lean towards the guitar as the easier instrument. You only need to use two limbs, and you can get learn a few chords and sound good.
With drums, you’ll be using all four limbs, and they’ll be doing very different things. If you have good coordination you will find yourself at home with the drums.
Really, as with anything, practice is the important thing. If you can put good time into either instrument, then you should be fine. With both instruments you can get a couple of basic songs under your belt within a week or so.
The Cost
Any musician who has been playing for a few years will tell you that instruments don’t come cheap! However, the cost of getting into an instrument doe fluctuate.
You can get a
low cost guitar to start learning on for very a very reasonable amount. The entry barrier for drums is a lot higher. This is purely because drums are much larger, and are comprised of a lot more parts.
Entry level acoustic and
electric kits aren’t too expensive compared to higher end kits, and they will be ideal to get you playing.
However, regardless of which one you pick, the call of new and exciting gear will always be there. There are always new things to add to your collection!
