Things You'll Need:
- Snare drum
- Drumstick
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Step 1
Position the snare drum in a way that is most comfortable to you. When a snare drum is part of a kit, its placement is usually dictated according to where the kick is located. Depending on which hand you favor, the snare will either be slightly to the left or right of the kick pedal and will rest between your legs on a stand. Make sure that the face of the snare drum is at least two inches above your thigh level, or you will suffer bruises from striking your legs with your hands.
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Step 2
Grab the sticks so that your palm is just about two or three inches from the bottom. This will give you maximum power and help prevent fatigue. Since this maneuver requires striking a side of the drum that doesn’t have as much bounce as the other parts, you will need as much stamina as you can muster.
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Step 3
Hold the stick in the American style. Since you are going to need to hit the side of the snare, the straightforward and light French style will not work. Because of the awkward angle you will be striking, the German grip will not work either. Cradle the stick in the knuckle grooves of your fingers, and squeeze down on it with your thumb and palms.
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Step 4
Swing the stick into the side of the snare drum. To clarify, you will be hitting the side of the metal ring around the snare drum’s face. It should sound like a metallic click. While this maneuver can substitute for the high hat, it by no means mimics it. Side snare hitting has its own unique sound.
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Step 5
Continue hitting the side of the snare as you would a high hat. It’s probably easiest to practice this technique with a basic 4/4 drum pattern first--before you move into more complex rhythms. Practice often to get used to the different feeling of striking the side of the snare drum.
