What makes a Good Snare Drum Choice?

Snare drums are the trumpet of the percussion section. Everybody hears them, everybody notices them, and just about everybody will think of one if you say the word “drum” to them. Whether it’s your favorite rock band pounding out the rhythm to their souls onstage, or the high school marching bad performing a snappy cadence as they march into the stadium before the game, snare drums set the pace for the piece. So, what makes a good choice when it comes time to select your snare drum?

The basics: A snare drum is an un-tuned drum with two heads: a heavy one on top to withstand the strokes of the stick, mallet or brush used to produce the sound, and a thinner bottom one with metal or gut “snares” (tightly coiled bands) that lightly touch the thin bottom head and vibrate, making a sharp, loud and unmistakable sound.

To choose the right snare drum, you have to know what you want to use the drum for. If you want to use a snare drum for the high school band, you are going to want a snare designed especially for marching. These drums are deeper and heavier than a snare designed for stage or indoor use, to give that large sound needed to carry through the field. These drums will have specially designed snares on the bottom, made of Kevlar-infused gut or metal. Sometimes there is a plastic scoop under the drum, designed to direct the sound towards the audience.

For indoor use, snare drums are a little different. They are smaller, first of all, designed to be held by a stand as the featured part of a drum kit. To determine what constitutes your perfect snare drum, you need to know what kind of sound you want. Do you want a rich, dark mellow sound? Mahogany body construction is going to be your first choice, followed by maple, beech and birch. Oak will give you a nice mid-range all-purpose sort of sound, as will aluminum. For brighter, sharper sounds, brass is your top choice, followed by bronze, steel and copper. It would be fantastic if, in choosing snare drums, a prospective buyer had access to all types of body construction materials. Drum manufacturers like Gretsch use a wide variety of these materials and may give you your best options in selecting which sound you prefer.

There are many other factors to consider when determining your choice of snare drums, including size, porting (holes in the body that allow vibrations to escape) quality and number of lugs, head type and material, construction of the snare wires, and other factors.

When searching for snare drums, your best bet is to go with a reliable dealer who carries reputable, known lines of manufacture. You are certain to find snare drums that will meet your every musical need.