How to Get the Best Sound Out of a Snare Drum

The snare drum might be the most important part of the drum set. The way the snare drum sounds will seriously affect how a band sounds. Here’s how to get the most out of your snare drum.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A snare drum
• A tuning key

1. Determine what sort of sound you want. If you want to avoid a ring, get a heavier snare drum head—coated white, rather than transparent. This is standard for a snare drum, even if you have different heads for the rest of your drumset. A thicker bottom head can help as well, though this shouldn’t be coated.
2. Use a ring muffler. This can either be a clamp mechanism or else something that lays on the snare drum itself. A common method is to cut a ring out of an old snare drum head—around an inch wide—and lay that on the snare drum. An even cheaper method is to stick a piece of duck tape on top and/or on the bottom of the head.
3. If the snare drum is still ringing, tune the top and bottom heads down. If you want more ring, don’t do the above step and tune the drum up. Also use a thinner drum head.
4. Check the snare on the bottom. If the snare buzzes a lot, make sure that the snare is centered on the drum and is laying flat against the drum. The further away from the drum, the less of a snare sound there will be. Snares can snap as well, so replace the snare if any are broken. At the very least, remove the broken snare string.

Tips & Warnings

• A lot of this has to do with the quality of the snare drum itself. A metal snare drum can give a sharper, louder sound, with a tendency to ring more. A wood snare has a softer, warmer sound. Thinner snare drums will have a higher pitched sound. Rock drummers tend to use thicker snare drums—13 inches or more.