The snare drum is often the first purchase made by any drummer because of its practicality for learning technique and rudimentary skills. Unfortunately, many drummers often purchase the first snare they find and end up wasting a lot of money on a poor choice. Additionally, many parents will buy a snare drum for their child yet know nothing about what they’re purchasing. This buyer’s guide will help you in your search for quality snare drum whether it’s for yourself or your child.
Snare Drum Parts
Snares
Snares are wires or cables spread across the bottom head of the drum. These snares vibrate when the drum is struck, giving off a crisp sound.
Shell
The snare drum shell is usually made of wood or metal. There are some drums constructed from synthetic materials such as fiberglass but they often sound inferior to their wooden and metal counterparts.
Drumhead
Snare drums have calfskin or plastic drumheads stretched across the top and bottom of the shells. The top head is called the “batter” head which is struck with a stick to create sound. The bottom head is called the “resonant” head and interacts with the snares to produce the crisp, snare drum sound.
Hoop
Hoops are round pieces of metal or wood which keep the drumheads in place.
Tension Bolts and Lugs
Tension bolts are screwed through the hoop and into lugs attached to the shell and when tightened with a drum key, these bolts lower the hoop and tighten the tension of the drumhead to produce a higher pitched sound.
Strainer
The strainer is a device mounted to the side of the drum which tightens the snares with a screw.
Throw-off
The throw-off is a switch attached to the strainer which detaches the snares from the bottom head, generating a sound similar to a tom-tom.
Sound
Shell Material
Wooden shells usually produce a warmer sound than metal. The most common woods used to make shells are maple, birch, or mahogany, each offering a different sound. Maple tends to be the warmest, refined-sounding wood. Birch shells produce a more focused sound which still blends well. Mahogany typically sounds deeper than either maple or birch.
Drums manufactured with metal shells produce a sharp sound that cuts through the texture of a band. Brass and aluminum are the most common metals used to make shells. Brass produces a sharp and pointed sound while aluminum sounds thin and “pingy”.
Shell Depth
The depth of the shell determines if the drum has a high or low pitch. 5 inch shells will have a higher pitch that cuts through the texture while 6 1/2 inch shells will support and blend well.
Snare Material
The material used to make the snares determines how crisp the drum sounds. “Snappy” snares are made from metal and produce a crisp sound while cable snares are plastic which produce a very full sound.
Snare Drum Features
Solid Shell Construction
These shells have a very pure sound since they’re made from one solid piece of wood.
Alternately, multi-ply shells are made from several different layers of wood and are much more common.
Die-Cast Hoops
Some drummers prefer die-cast hoops to triple flange hoops because they hold tension extremely well.
Custom Strainer/Throw-off
These are designed to allow quick and easy snare tension adjustment. Many companies offer specific strainers and throw-offs with additional features exclusive to their brand.
Dampener
Some snare drums have a built-in dampening device mounted to the inside of the shell. This device presses a piece of felt against the underside of the batter head and mutes the head slightly. Professionals usually remove this dampener because it’s not the best way to evenly dampen a head.
Specialty Snares
Piccolo Snare Drum
Piccolo snare drums are smaller in depth and diameter than normal snare drums. These drums have a higher pitch than common snare drums and often have a smaller sound.
While normal snare drums are 14 inches in diameter and five or six-and-a-half inches in depth, piccolos are usually 13 inches in diameter and 3-4 inches in depth. For specific recommendations, refer to my picks for “Best Piccolo Snare Drum”.
Soprano Snare Drum
Soprano snare drums are smaller in diameter than normal snare drums, but are often much deeper. These drums have a very unique pop which works well for hip-hop and other specific musical genres.
Brand
Companies known for producing quality snare drums include Ayotte, ddrum, DW, Gretsch, Ludwig, Mapex, PDP, Pearl, Rogers, Sonor, Tama, Trick, and Yamaha.
Pork Pie makes specialty snare drums, and manufacturers such as Black Swamp specialize in making orchestral snare drums. You can refer to my picks for “Best Snare Drum” to get specific recommendations.
Price/Value
A great sounding snare drum can increase in value and may quickly become a collector’s item so think of your purchase more as an investment. The price is based largely on the cost of the materials used to make the shell and hardware and while high prices usually correspond with a great sounding drum, this isn’t always true.
Maple and brass shells usually sound better than other materials but are often more expensive. If you’re looking for an affordable drum which still sounds great, I recommend an aluminum or birch shell with triple-flange hoops.
Snare Drum Size
Most snare drums are 14 inches in diameter with a depth of either 5 or 6 1/2 inches.