3 vs 4 vs 5 Piece Drum Sets – What’s Best For You?

Drum sets come in many different configurations. The setup of your drum set should be determined by your personal preference, as well as influenced by the style of music that you play.

When we’re talking about the ‘pieces’ of a drum set, we solely focus on drums and do not include the cymbals.

The ‘pieces’ of a regular drum set are made up of Snare Drum + Bass Drum + (Toms). In the usual one-snare, one-bass-drum setup, the difference between 3, 4, and 5-piece kits is the number of toms: one, two, or three. Piece count alone does not tell you the drum sizes or what is supplied. A four-piece shell pack may contain a bass drum and three toms without a snare; check the itemized contents before comparing it with a complete four-piece kit.

5 Piece Drum Set

5 Piece drum sets are extremely common. They generally include 2 toms that are attached to the bass drum and one floor tom with metal legs connected to the sides of the drum shell. Alternatively, the toms can also be connected to a rack instead of being connected to the bass drum.

Having 3 toms makes it great for big drum fills. If you play music that has classic tom rolls, then it’s great to have 3 (or more) toms to roll between.

Benefits:

• More drums and sound possibilities, particularly great for fills.
• Really fun to play and roll between multiple toms.
• Looks cool!

Disadvantages:

• Takes up more space.
• Takes more time to mic up.
• The second rack tom can limit where you place the ride cymbal. Moving the toms slightly left or using a different mount may let you keep the ride within comfortable reach.
• More toms to tune and drum heads to maintain.
• The first tom can often be quite small on drum sets (such as 10-inch toms), which some drummers don’t like gigging with.

4 Piece Drum Set

4 Piece drum sets are also very popular. The two toms offer some variation to play in your drum fills and grooves while allowing you to position a ride cymbal or other item in the place of the second tom.

In the picture above, the first tom is clamped to a cymbal stand, rather than the cymbal itself. Rack toms can also attach to the bass drum or a separate tom stand.

If you own a 5 piece drum set, you can remove either rack tom and reposition the one you keep. Keep the smaller one for a higher voice, or the larger one for a lower voice; choose the sound and spacing that suit your music.

Benefits

• Great for genres such as jazz, where the ride cymbal leads the groove.
• More compact kit to set up and transport

Cons

• Fewer toms!
• Not as much versatility.

3 Piece Drum Set

3 piece drum sets are commonly used for drummers that want a really compact option. The street performer in the picture above, no doubt, uses this kit configuration for this very purpose.

Junior drum sets often come in 3 piece configurations due to their simplicity.

Benefits

• Very compact, easy to transport, set up, and mic.
• It gives a lot more space to cymbals, other percussion items, or sample pads.
• Often cheaper when comparing the same series, finish, and included equipment. Fewer drums do not automatically mean a lower total cost.

Disadvantages

• Only one tom – not a lot of diversity for drum fills and grooves.

2 Piece Drum Sets

In a common minimalist configuration, a 2-piece drum set contains a bass drum and snare with no toms. Other two-drum combinations are possible, so check which drums the player or seller is counting. This type of drum set configuration is often used for more experimental type kits or hybrid drum sets.

If you’re looking for a really minimalist drum set configuration that’s easy to transport, a 2-piece might be your option! It can be a bit strange if you’re not used to it.

Bigger Drum Sets

Of course, we’ve all seen videos or images of drummers with monster kits! (1980’s hair metal type bands spring to mind, though there are still many drummers of many various genres that use bigger drum sets).

If you have the budget and willingness to transport and set up a drum set with 10+ toms, then you don’t need permission from us!

In general, a 5-piece drum set is big enough for the majority of musical scenarios. Also, metal drummers don’t need a second bass drum if they use a double bass drum pedal.

Below is a 7-piece drum set, because it includes 4 toms (2 clamped to a cymbal stand and 2 floor toms), one snare, and two bass drums.

What are the other elements of a drum set?

The other elements of a drum set are cymbals (hi-hat, ride cymbal, crash cymbal, splash, china, etc.) and hardware (stands, pedals, clamps, legs, etc.).

You can optionally add in other parts as you wish, such as percussion elements and electronic drum pads.

Things to consider before opting for one option

There are things you have to consider before opting to purchase one of the options listed above. Firstly, examine your musical style and what fits it best. Do you play jazz? A 4-piece can leave room for a low, easily reached ride. For pop, hip-hop, or funk, a 5-piece offers an extra tom for fills, but a smaller kit can work just as well. Listen to the parts you need to play before choosing the number of drums.

Secondly, you should consider your preferences and/or limitations. If reaching around the kit is difficult, prioritize comfortable pedal, snare, and cymbal positions. A smaller kit may help, but drum dimensions and placement matter as much as the number of pieces. Also, if your preference is “the more the better”, then opt for a bigger kit to satisfy your needs.

Lastly, and this is common, is the looks of the drum kit. This may not be a viable option but drummers do like how their set looks. If you prefer the look of a 5-piece over a 2-piece, that is a valid personal preference. Just make sure you can comfortably reach the kit and transport it where you need to play.

What is the best drum kit for Beginners?

As experienced drummers already know their preferences, I’ll focus on some advice for beginner drummers that still want some guidance on choosing the right set.

Usually, beginners start off with a regular 5-piece drum set. However, I’d say it’s better to go with a 4-piece drum set when starting, or just get a 5-piece and remove one rack tom. You then have a bass drum, a snare drum, a rack tom, and a floor tom to work with which is more than enough to build your skill and gradually add parts as you progress.

For cymbals, I’d say get the standard – Hi-hat, one crash cymbal, and one ride cymbal. This would be more than enough.

Conclusion

I hope that’s explained the differences and pros/cons between 2,3,4 and 5-piece drum sets. If in doubt, it’s probably worth going for a 5-piece set. You can swap out the rack toms as you please. Although drum sets follow a general standard, you have a lot of freedom to mix and match whatever you like into your setup.