Things You'll Need:
- Drum sticks
- Practice pad
- Metronome
- Snare drum music
- Snare drum
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Step 1
Select your drum sticks based on the type of music you plan to play. Marching band drum sticks are thicker and heavier, so you may want to begin with the thinner, concert band variety. Beyond the situational sticks, your selection is widely determined by your personal tastes. Try holding some different sticks in your hand and see how they feel. They should feel well balanced and comfortable in your grip and be free of any cracks or dents.
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Step 2
Choose the drum stick grip that works best for you. In most concert band and orchestral settings, snare drummers use the matched grip. In this grip, the tops of the hands are facing up and the sticks are balanced between your thumb and the second knuckle of your index finger. The back portion of the stick should rest against the top of your hand and about a half inch should protrude from pinky side of your hand. As nine muscles are used in each arm for the matched grip, it is easier to produce an even sound between both of your sticks. As only four muscles are used in your left hand when using the traditional grip, an even sound can often be difficult to obtain.
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Step 3
Use your practice pad to practice your stick stroke. The tip of the stick should slightly bounce off the head if the stick is held correctly. Do not keep the stick too close after striking the pad or the tip of the stick will vibrate on the top of the head (called a snare drum roll). Aim to produce clean and even strokes between each of your arms. Set a metronome to 120. Strike the drum with your right arm first and then your left arm. Match each strike to a beat on the metronome. You can gradually increase the speed of the metronome as you become comfortable matching your strokes.
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Step 4
Open your first piece of music. On snare drum music, the notes will look quite different if you are accustomed to reading normal sheet music. Each note is marked with an "x" connected to a stem. The stem denotes note length while the "x" simply denotes that a note should be played. As there are no tones on the snare drum, the notes will appear on the same line of the staff (set of lines). Some snare drum music contains only one line. Basic rhythmic knowledge will be necessary to begin reading snare drum music.
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Step 5
Use your snare drum at least twice as long as you use your practice pad. Although practice pads are perfect when you need to practice quietly or in a location where a snare drum is not available, practicing on a snare drum is the best way to prepare. Notice how the recoil from the snare drum head differs from the practice pad. You will notice that the stick bounces higher on the snare drum than your pad. Do not stop this bounce with your hand but allow the stick to naturally stop on your palm. Use the same practice technique that you used while practicing on your practice pad.
