Virtual Drums – 5 Drum Games Online Using Your Keyboard
Don’t have a drum set near you? Fret not, all you need is your computer keyboard and a great virtual drumming website or app! It is a great way to cut your time when you’re bored or want to have some fun with your friends.
There are plenty of online drum games available today. Many developers offer their simulations of drum kits in order to provide some fun. These games are very simple and easy to use. In most cases, these are good for nothing more than making noise. However, there are also games that could be quite educational. Some of them offer drum lessons, step-by-step learning of popular beats, sheet music, and much more.
In most cases, the way you play is simple – via keyboard, though a mouse can be used as well. Some games are designed for desktop computers, smartphones, tablets, and similar devices, so you can play on a touchscreen as well.
Note: Some games could require Flash Player, but most of them won’t.
Contents
1. Virtual Drumming
Virtual Drumming is a great website. If you are a drummer, you will find a bunch of useful things on this site. One of them is this virtual drum game, which looks pretty amazing. The layout of the graphics is pretty nice and the drum set looks pretty convincing.
This game offers a wide variety of options. You can choose from a variety of drum kits. Many of these kits are inspired by world-famous drummers such as Travis Barker, John Bonham, Ian Paice, Lars Ulrich, Mike Portnoy, etc. Besides these “artist” sets, you can also choose some of the original kits like Vintage, Hip-Hop, Double Pedal, etc.
Each part of the drum set has its own button on your keyboard, so you can easily combine different sounds. Use your mouse instead, or combine it with a keyboard, if you feel more comfortable. Of course, you can configure controls according to your preferences. Aside from its convenient look and ease of use, this game has a pretty nice sound quality.
2. Online Drums Set: Play the Epic Drum Set
Session Town is a website that offers various kinds of music apps and games. Among them, you can find this drum game as well. The first thing you’ll notice about it is its non-appealing look.
I would say that the designers of this game didn’t put much effort into creating this game, at least when it comes to visual appearance. On the other hand, the game works quite well. You will find several pads with simple drawings. Each one is for a specific drum part, and each one delivers a pretty decent sound.
The best thing about this game is its easiness of use. You can play it in several ways. The most basic way would be via keyboard. Once again, every drum part has its designed button on a keyboard. Of course, a mouse cursor is another inevitable method. Finally, you can play this game on a smartphone, tablet, or any other device that features a touchscreen.
3. Bookaboo Drum Kit
Despite it looking like a little kids’ game, the Bookaboo drum kit is a pretty interesting tool for making some noise. It comes with a pretty flashy, circus-like look, so you’ll probably be suspicious at the beginning.
Once the loading is finished, you will find a common layout that seems quite the same as in other virtual drum games – a bunch of pads with different looks and sounds with even marked letters for easy playing on your keyboard. You can use a mouse as well.
The game seems effortless to play, though the sound quality could be better. Besides the drum parts, you will notice some kind of a metallophone at the top of the screen, so you can even play some notes if you wish. It should be quite interesting for youngsters.
4. Playdrumsonline
playdrumsonline is primarily for fun, and you definitely won’t learn anything about drumming with this one. Compared to most drum games, this one doesn’t simulate a drum kit. It features a layout that most of us will find similar to Guitar Hero.
Basically, there are several different colors and lines which you need to hit by a designated button on a keyboard at a specific time. Once again, it doesn’t have much in common with drum playing.
On the other hand, it is a great game for fun or to make time pass faster. A strong point of this one is that there is a pretty large library of songs to play along with, and all of them are well-known popular hits.
5. Buckle 8: Virtual Drum Set
Buckle 8: Virtual Drum Set offers pretty nice-looking graphics. It comes with a very basic drum set which consists of ten drum parts in total. These can be played via keyboard, but with a mouse as well. Still, a keyboard works much better, mostly because of the number-based control configuration.
The sound quality is decent. When it comes to additional options, there are a few presets with the most common beats to play along with. If ease of use is what you’re after, this is the game for you.
Go one step further: Get a drum pad or roll-up drum kit
Also, check out our buyer’s guides on electronic drum pads and roll-up drum kits for more information on these.
What are the benefits of playing Online Drum Games?
Online drum games are a great way to pass the time for music and drum enthusiasts. They are especially good for beginner drummers to get used to the sound of a drum kit and play around with them before committing to purchasing a full drum set.
While most games are simply virtual drums, some websites also offer educational tools and material like sheet music, drum lessons, and step-by-step song learning.
Conclusion
Online drum games using a keyboard are great ways to pass the time and make some noise. All these games are configured to play a certain drum part assigned to a dedicated key and almost all of them can be configured to personal preference. You can also use the mouse in conjunction with the keyboard. Have fun!
