I live in an apartment building and my neighbors would probably kill me if I practiced drums every day. Now I'm thinking about getting an electronic drum kit like a Roland or Alesis. Can you train just as well with that as you can with a real drum kit?
For training coordination and technique an e-drum is totally enough, you're right about that.
The feel is obviously different - real drums have more weight and rebound, and the cymbals just sound better. But honestly, after 8 years on a real kit I can tell you: practicing regularly is more important than the gear.
With a Roland or Alesis you learn the same patterns, and you can practice at night without your neighbors calling the cops - that's not something to brush off. If you ever need a proper drum session, you'll pick it back up quick anyway.
It depends on what matters to you. The feel is just different - with real drums you get more rebound and the cymbals just sound way cooler, but for training your coordination and rhythm, e-drums are totally sufficient and honestly the better solution in your situation.
From my experience as a beginner, the good models from Roland or Alesis are pretty solid, but I'd test beforehand whether you like the feel of the pads - some people just find them too hard or too soft. For your neighbors and for your training though, it's more than enough.
Yo, I can only confirm what the previous answers said - e-drums are totally sufficient for training timing and coordination, and honestly in an apartment they're the only sensible option 😅 The thing about playing feel is real, acoustic drums just have a different dynamic and the sound is completely different, but that shouldn't stop you from getting started. If you get the chance later on, you can always switch to acoustic drums - the basics you learn on the pads transfer over 1:1.
Just go ahead and start with an e-drum set, your neighbors will thank you for it and you'll have more space in your room 🥁
Log into answer.
