Snare drums! They’re the bulk of a series of music producer memes, hold down the backbeat of a song, and are the center of any drum set. What all goes into their sound depends on several different factors, and what works for one song may not work for another. With all the different options out there, let’s go through the basics, and figure out how to get you the best snare drum sound!
My main go-to snares are a 13”x7” maple Pork Pie Little Squealer, and a 14”x6.5” brass Tama Starphonic. My Tama brass snare gives off a dark, full-bodied sound, while the maple snare has more crack to it, and offers a brighter, poppy sound. Both sound great, and I’ll change out the drums based on what I’m recording, and what will fit best with the music. In that same vein, I recently changed out the snare head on my Tama snare, and shot a video that goes through how I tune my snares, and what different tuning ranges sound like. Give it a watch if you’re interested, and we’ll dive into more snare drum specifics below!
Snare Materials
If you’ve been to a music store with a drum department, you’ve no doubt seen that there are several different types of snares. In addition to the types of material used (generally metal or wood), they also vary in diameter and depth. The standard snare drum size is 14” in diameter, and generally around 6” in depth, which has a good balance of stick attack and body. A smaller snare such as a 13” one will have a slightly higher pitch than it’s larger counterpart, and a deeper snare will sound deeper, or more “full” than a shallow one.
One of the industry standard snare drums used in recording rock music is the Ludwig Black Beauty, a brass snare drum offered in different sizes. Brass has a darker, “warmer” tone, that lends itself well to most types of music. It’s counterpart, the Ludwig Supraphonic, is an aluminum snare that offers a slightly brighter sound with increased high-end response, and was the go to snare of John Bonham from Led Zeppelin. In addition to these materials, steel, bronze, and copper offer more of a treble and mid focus, a darker controlled tone, and a dark tone with more resonance, respectively.
Similarly, wood type affects tone the same way, with maple having a very equal response of middle and high frequencies, birch having a more focused low-end and brighter high-end, and mahogany having that go-to darker vintage tone.
When choosing a snare drum, picking a head that accentuates the material’s natural characteristics is a good idea, but picking something else can give you an entirely different sound if needed.
Ludwig Black Beauty
Head Selection
The type of head you put on a snare drum should be something that fits the genre or style of music you’re playing, which usually comes down to deciding between a 1-ply or 2-ply head. A ply, or layer of mylar/plastic affects the response of the drum when struck, with a 2-ply head having a little less ring to it due to the additional thickness. Most snare heads are coated with a thin white film to lessen the overtones, or ringing out, of the drum when struck.
If you’re going for a nice open sound that lets the drum ring freely, or a head that has a slightly higher pitch, a single ply coated head like the Evans G1 or Remo Ambassador will do nicely. For those looking for more of a deep sound with a more controlled ring, a 2-ply head such as the Remo Emperor or Evans G2 are great starting points.
In addition to the single or double ply nature of a drum head, you may have seen drum heads with a dot in the center, small holes or vents around the edge, or a thin ring of the same material around the edge of the underside of the head. The dot in the center serves to add a bit more durability where the drum is hit the most, and has the added benefit of focusing the sound more.
Remo Controlled Sound
Evans HD Dry
The Remo Controlled Sound head has become a studio standard due to its open yet focused sound, and is actually what I just switched over to in the video above! A head with vents, such as the Evans HD Dry, lets the air escape from the inside of the drum more quickly, and results in a shorter sustain. This same head also has a thin ring around the underside, to cut down on excess ringing as well.
Tuning
When tuning a snare drum, there are several different approaches that yield several different results. At a basic level, you’re simply putting a drum head on the snare drum, and making sure that the tension is even across the head. After that, it’s just up to taste as to how tightly you tune it, and what type of head you’re using.
After putting the head on the drum, tightening the lugs around the hoop raises the pitch every time they are turned. It’s important to have mostly equal tension on each lug so that the drum head vibrates evenly, although sometimes a lug or two will be left intentionally different than the others to achieve a deeper or more “dead” sound. At a low tuning, or a tightness where the drum starts to have a tone to it, sustain is short, and the pitch is low. This can work great for slower songs, or a song where a deep snare sound is needed.
A medium to medium-high tension is where more sustain starts to come forward, and gives off more of a distinguishable note, usually around an E or an F. A good bit of rock snare drums sit in this tuning range, which offers a good blend of stick attack, body, and sustain.
Even higher than this, the ringing can become more prominent, and changes the balance of “body” to “crack” more towards the latter. This type of tuning works great in faster songs, since the snare hits and promptly gets out of the way, and is heard often in reggae.
