Percussion · Drums & cymbals · unpitched
Snare Drum
A shallow drum with two heads and metal wires (snares) stretched across the bottom head, which give it a crisp, rattling sound.
- Family
- Percussion · Drums & cymbals
- Classification
- Membranophone · double-headed drum
- Pitch
- Indefinite (unpitched)
- Notation
- Percussion clef, single line
Parts of the snare drum
The snare wires run across the bottom head, out of sight. Photo: Stephan Czuratis, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons. Labels added by Musicians Tools.
Writing for the snare drum
- Written on a single line or a percussion staff; it has no definite pitch.
- Sustained sounds are rolls. Say whether you want an open (military) roll or a closed buzz roll.
- With the snares off it sounds like a tom-tom.
- Rimshots, playing on the rim, brushes and soft sticks all change the colour.
History
The snare drum descends from the medieval tabor, often played together with a pipe. It became the military side drum and entered the orchestra in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Listen
Key works featuring the snare drum. Each link opens a YouTube search, so you can pick the recording you like.
- Ravel – Boléro
- Nielsen – Symphony No. 5, 1st movement
- Shostakovich – Symphony No. 7 “Leningrad”, 1st movement
- Prokofiev – Lieutenant Kijé
Useful tools
Relatives
Pages coming:Tenor drumTom-toms