Marching Snare Drum Techniques
The snare drum is the heart and soul of any marching band, keeping time for the other musicians and thundering out to excite the crowd. A marching snare drum is bigger than normal kit drums, and played with a heavy stick to give it a powerful sound. In a drum line, you have to play precisely and confidently, perfectly matching the other musicians around you. Study your snare drum techniques and you will be firmly grounded in the fundamentals of drumming.
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Instructions
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Participate in a marching band. Marching snare drum techniques are designed to be used outdoors as part of a full ensemble. You will learn the techniques better in a marching band, and you will also understand what you are playing more thoroughly.
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Tune your drum properly. Adjust it slowly, one lug at a time, until it is at the proper pitch. Follow the link at the end of this article for more information.
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Hold your sticks properly. Grip the stick between the index finger and the thumb, then wrap the other fingers loosely around it. Hold the sticks so that the tips or "beads" are as close to the center of the drum as possible.
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Play a clean stroke. Start with a stick angled about thirty degrees up from the drum head and bring it down into the center of the drum. Practice with both your left and right hand.
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Practice variations. Learn to control how high the stick bounces off the drum head. Let it bounce high if you want to play a loud stroke next. Keep the stick close to the drum head if you want to play quietly.
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Try some advanced snare drum techniques. Play a double stroke roll by letting each stick bounce off the drum and switching off between two strokes of the left and two of the right. Follow the link below on drum rudiments for some techniques you can learn on snare drum.
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Tips & Warnings
Learning snare drum technique is a great way to learn solid drumming fundamentals. The skills you learn will serve you well on your kit.
Don't be afraid to experiment. Practicing rudiments is great, but have fun with your drumming.
