Choosing the Right Drum Practice Pad to Learn How to Play Drums

Are you a new drummer or an experienced drummer? How do you know which type of drum equipment to choose, or which brand to you choose? If you are in a high school band, drum corps international (e.g. Blue Devils, Phantom, Santa Clara Vanguard, Cavaliers, Madison Scouts), or just a guy who works in a drum shop, this article is for you! We want you do know how to pick the right drum accessory, or better yet, the right practice pad.

With so many practice pads out there, how do you buy drum pads? To answer this, you need to know the type of drum music you will be playing, the environment you will be playing in, the precise drum equipment you will be playing, and your budget for buying drum a percussion pad.

So what type of practice pads are out there? Well, what do you want the percussion pad to feel like? Do you want it to feel like a bass drum practice pad, snare drum head, tenor practice pad, or just a plain drum practice pad. Is there specific brand that appeals to you like a Remo practice pad (Remo drum pad).

Would you play with a Vic Firth drum stick? Danmark? Don't just look for the average drum for sale. Choose best for your situation. If you can't be serious about that, then join the woodwind and brasswind section. Most people know of Reel Feel by HQ. Other styles are single sided, double sided where one side has a soft rubber and the other is a hard rubber made of neoprene. Drum pads are made different sizes too such 6" and 12." Other types of drum pads are mutes, which are made for drum kits (drum sets) for the drum heads and cymbals. Mutes are made in many different sizes and they make quiet practicing on option on the drum set.

What type of drum music do you play? Do you play Jazz? Are you a Drum Corp guy? Or, are you just learning how to play drum music? You need to know this so that your choice in a drum shop will be intelligent. Don't get a used drum pad. Buy drum pads that are best for your condition of playing.

How about your environment? Where are you practicing? Are you in a garage? Do you play in bedroom? How about at school? That is a funny one, if you are in a high school band, are you learning how to play drums in class? Sometimes drummers tap on their legs while in class. That's detention time my friend. Either way, anywhere, depending on your surroundings, you need to choose a drum pad that best suits your ears, feeling and the one that does not annoy other other drum bum. As most drummers know, there are many types of musical instrument accessory. When it comes to drum pads, there are also many types of drum practice pads.

Finally, what is your budget? Are you willing to spend $10 or $150? Most drum shops who sell single side and double side drum pads offer drum pads at an average of $45.00. You can expect shipping to be around $5-$10 depending on the drum shop and practice pad. Don't buy used drum pads. In addition to drum pads, these drum bum drum shops sell mallet bags, drum videos, drum books, many drum accessory and other drum equipment.

Choose wisely and happy hunting for your favorite drum practice pad.

The owner of DrumEx.com - Darren Tunstall, has been drumming and providing drum instruction for years. Since the start, he has gained much knowledge and he wants to share that information with you. Visit [http://www.drumex.com] or http://drumex.blogspot.com/

How to Buy a Trampoline - Choosing the Right Safety Pads

An important question I get from my trampoline owning neighbors about after they owned their trampoline for a year is, "My pads are all worn out. How do I replace them?" Replacing a pad is as easy as placing an order on the internet. Most trampoline owners neglect the fact that a trampoline is a large piece of equipment that requires maintenance. Not as much maintenance as a pool, per say, but it does take some special care. Replacing pads and springs from time to time is a common occurrence.

In order to save you some reading, I more or less summed up this article at the bottom. If you are looking for in depth information, please read on!

The pads of the trampoline are very important for safety reasons. Trampoline injuries can occur when the jumper falls out of the mat and onto the frame. Although many such injuries result in bruises and scrapes, a small fraction of injuries can result in broken and fractured bones. A proper safety pad can prevent these sorts of injuries.

The leading factor of choosing a trampoline pad is your spring size. Most of the best trampolines use springs sizes at 8.5 inches. If you own a trampoline with 8.5" springs, you will need a trampoline safety pad that is 13 inches in width. The width of the pad will cover the pad and any gaps in the springs, preventing jumpers from slipping through the gaps.

Although the width is a leading factor in choosing the right pad, it is not certainly the most important. The thickness of the pad covering the frame is arguably the most important part for safety. Generally, some pads will come thicker at the frame, but taper off to a thinner foam insert at the springs. The truth is, you don't really need very thick pads where the springs are. The pad is supposed to protect the user from falling through the springs and not impact. That being said, having a thick padding at the springs is a very nice bonus. Personally, I have found that although thicker is better, a padding of ¾ inches is definitely more than enough.

Another factor in choosing the right pads, is the material the pad cover is made of. Trampoline safety pads come in two material types, PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) and PE (Polyethylene). PVC is the same material you will find in a sign banner. It is made to withstand UV rays and weather damage much better than PE. PE is what you get when you buy a plastic tarp. Now, PE is much cheaper than PVC but does not last as long in the sun. I can not advocate for either here. There are time when I have ordered a PE pad because I would just like to save on cost. I do have to replace the pad more often, but the lower cost can justify having to replace the pad. I do, however, tend to buy more PVC pads than not. I have found that PVC just looks a lot nicer.

A small factor in deciding the right trampoline is how the pad straps on to your trampoline. I have seen several different ways that companies will tackle this, from Velcro straps, to clip straps, to shoe string straps. But my favorite is the thick elastic band strap. These have been quite sturdy and have never failed me. The plastic clip kind has always found a way to break, and the velcro strap is just not strong enough.

Bottom Line:

If you have a nice trampoline with 8.5" springs you will have to buy a pad that is 13" in width. If you have a trampoline with 7" or smaller springs you will do well with any pad. The thicker the pad is better of course and as for the type of material, PE (Polyethylene - cheaper and replace more often) and PVC (Polyvinyle Chloride - more expensive, replace less often, and looks better) is completely at your discretion.

Now I just recently bought a new trampoline from a company, Tohama - http://www.tohamainc.com, that seems small but personable as I mentioned in my previous article,

I have to say that the Tohama pad I receive has to be one of the best trampoline pads I got for the money. It has all the right stuff in the right places and I do not have to pay for any frills that are not useful.