Things You'll Need:
- Snare drum
- Replacement snares, if needed
- Replacement drum head, if needed
- Drum key
- Plastic drum ring dampeners
- Duct tape
- Damper pad, if missing from drum
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Step 1
Examine your snare drum carefully to determine the wear and tear on your drum head and snares. If the drum head is worn and puckered in the middle, it may be time to invest in a replacement. The drum heads that offer the best reverberation control are thicker, frosted snare heads. If your snares (the springs on the bottom head) are rusted or falling apart, it would be wise to replace them, too. Be sure to check the wear of the plastic, metal or fabric straps holding them in place to see if they need replacing.
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Step 2
Make sure that your snare drum has a damper pad installed and in place. The damper pad is a small circle of fabric that presses up against the underside of the top head. If yours is missing, buy and install a replacement.
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Step 3
After replacing any necessary components, tune your snare drum head with the drum key and tighten your snares using the knob on the side of the drum. Test your snare to see if you’re getting the sound you’re looking for. If there’s still too much reverberation, move on to the next step.
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Step 4
The best way to dampen reverberation is to buy a plastic ring dampener. These dampeners are simple, thin plastic rings sized to fit your drum, and they can be found at most music supply stores. Place one on top of your top snare drum head and test it again to see if it improves the sound to your satisfaction.
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Step 5
If you still have too much reverberation or you can’t find plastic dampener rings, you can use duct tape as a last resort. Start by applying small squares of duct tape to the top surface of the top head. This will drastically modify the sound, so experiment with different amounts of tape in different placements to achieve the sound you’re looking for.
