Snare Drum

Kit & Gear

Also called snare.

The snare is the drum across your knees with wires, called snares, stretched under the bottom head. Those wires are what give it the sharp crack. Turn them off with the throw-off lever and the same drum becomes a dry, tom-like thock, useful for ballads and older styles.

The snare carries the backbeat, the slap on beats two and four that makes people nod their head. It also does most of the talking in fills, rudiments, and dynamic texture, from barely audible ghost notes to rimshots that cut through a band. If you want a groove to feel good, practise the snare quietly and consistently before you ever hit it hard.

Set the snare at a height where your sticks can strike near the centre without your elbows flying up. Most beginners set the whole kit too high. Lower the snare a touch and your stroke, your grip, and your endurance all improve on day one.

For tuning, start with both heads finger-tight plus a quarter turn with a key, then tune the bottom head slightly higher. Check the snares: too loose and the response fizzes, too tight and it chokes. Aim for a clean crack with the wires responding when you tap softly.