How Does the Snare Drum Produce Its Sound?

Skins

Drum skins, sometimes referred to as drum heads, are located on the top and bottom of a snare drum. The top one is a thick, durable skin called the batter head. This is the skin that actually contacts the drumsticks when the drum is played. The bottom skin is very thin to produce a higher note out of the snare. This bottom skin is fragile and is commonly punctured or ripped when transporting the snare from place to place, such as playing shows. All types of different heads are available that produce different sounds, from dull to bright. Experiment with them to see which sound you like best. Generally, a rock snare uses a thicker batter head, and a jazz snare uses a thinner one.

Tuning lugs are located all around the perimeter of the snare drum, both on top and bottom. The most common snares have eight of these lugs on each side for a total of 16, but snare drums can be found with more or less. To get a higher pitch out of a snare drum, tighten the lugs more. To get a lower pitch out of a snare, loosen them until the head no longer ripples or bends, and then tighten them another quarter to half turn. Generally, the top batter head is much tighter than the bottom resonating head. If the drum is old and has rust on it, clean the tuning lug threads so that you can "feel" when each of them is tightened to about the same resistance rather than physically counting the turns.

Both the heads and tuning lugs help give any drum its pitch and sound, but the strainer is specific to the snare drum. This is the metal band of wire located on the bottom of the snare, stretched across the resonating head. A release on the snare drum loosens the strainer to the point that the snare sounds like a high-pitched tom-tom. When it's locked and activated, it gives the snare the "pop" sound that is the signature of a snare drum. The strainer is also adjustable on both ends to fit the desired sound wanted from the drum itself. A loose strainer gives the drum a deeper sound that rattles a bit more, and a tight strainer provides a crisp attack, which most rock drummers desire. Most strainer adjusters have a twist knob on them for quick adjustments during play, negating the need to unbolt the strainer and loosen or tighten in that manner.