How to Play a Rim Shot on a Snare Off

We are all familiar with the loud popping sound of a snare drum. It’s the backbone of most music and practically an iconic part of the stage, the football field and the battleground, in older days. But did you know that with a quick flick of a lever the snare drum sounds completely different? It’s called turning the snare off, and in a few short steps, you can learn how to play a rim shot with it.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Snare drums
• Drumsticks

How to Play a Rim Shot on a Snare Off

1. Place the snare drum comfortably between your legs on the snare stand. Depending on the drummer’s comfort level, the drum can be higher or lower and closer or farther to the drummer. The only general rule of thumb is that the rim of the snare drum should stay above the drummer’s thighs, so he doesn’t smack into his legs with his fists.
2. Grab the sticks with the knuckles of your fingers pointing down and your thumb resting flat on the backside. Your hands should be about three to four inches up from the bottom of the stick. This will ensure that you are not wasting too much power by swinging too much of the stick. It also gives you more power, much like choking up on a bat.
3. Hold your arms in the American position for drumming. This means keeping your shoulders relaxed, your elbows about four to six inches from your sides and your hands holding the drumsticks diagonally in toward the center of the snare drum. This style is the mid point between the close form of the French style and the distant form of the German style.
4. Turn the snare drum off. There will be a lever on the side of the snare drum fixed in the upright position. Push it until it becomes loose and rests in a more horizontal direction. This releases the tight metal gut chords pressed up against the bottom face of the snare. These gut chords are what give the snare its signature pop. Now the snare will sound more like a bongo or a Jamaican drum.
5. Bring the stick down onto the snare head while striking the rim of the drum at the same time. It will take some practice, but it should have a more tinny sounding pop than a normal hit to the snare drum will.