Snare drum
The drum kit |
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The snare drum or side drum is a tubular drum made of wood or metal with skins, or heads, stretched over the top and bottom openings, and with a set of snares (cords) stretched across the bottom head.
A cluster of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords is stretched across the bottom head. When the top head is struck, causing a sudden increase in pressure within the instrument, the snares vibrate against the bottom head. This produces a short, distinctive, snap-like sound. The snares can be disengaged if this effect is not wanted. Snare drums come in many different sizes as well, which ultimately changes the way the drum will sound. Snare drums that are shallow in size will give a higher "cracking" sound, while the larger ones will give a deeper, heavier, and thicker tone. The same is true of drums with a smaller diameter. Many drummers opt to have more than one on their drumset for better dynamic setup.
The snare drums used in a pipe band are almost unique in having a second set of snares on the bottom (internal) side of the top (batter) head. Some military side drums have this feature as well.
The drum used in pipe and tabor traditionally has a single snare on the outside of the head that is beaten.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/SnareDrumCa1780.jpg/220px-SnareDrumCa1780.jpg)
The drum can be sounded by hitting it with a drumstick or any other form of beater, including brushes and rutes, which produce a softer-sounding vibration from the wires. When using a stick, the drummer may strike either the head of the drum, the rim, or the shell. When the drummer strikes both the rim and the head at the same time, this is known as a rimshot. Because of the dramatic, sudden vibration inflicted on the shell of the drum, the rimshot is generally louder and more distinct than a regular strike on the drumhead, and is usually used for accented notes. The closer the bead of the stick is to the rim itself when a rimshot is struck, the higher the tone of the rimshot will be.
Originally, snare drums were military instruments originating from Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. They were commonly called a tabor and were used with the fife in the Swiss military. Today, the snare drum can be found in nearly every form of western music. Snare drums are used by fife and drum corps, marching bands and drum and bugle corps to provide a steady source of rhythm. The sound of a marching snare is a classic military sound. The snare drum was incorporated into classical music to provide color, or timbre, for march-like segments of music. It is used in popular music styles like rock and roll and jazz to provide an accented backbeat. In jazz styles, the snare drum is often used for "comping", or accompanying, supporting, and interacting with another musician's part. The snare drum (specifically, a caixa) is the driving force in samba music: ghost notes are played continuously with accented strokes outlining the rhythm. The snare is also used extensively in extreme metal, to provide a "blast beat": a rapid alternation of snare and bass drum beats, and is the bread and butter of Reggaeton beats.
Types
See also
Audio samples | ||
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Component | Content | Audio (Ogg Vorbis) |
Snare | Unmuffled snare drum | |
Muffled snare drum | ||
Rim Click on a snare | ||
See the Drums page at Wikipedia Commons for more |
External links
- SnareScience - The purpose of this Web site is to further the art and science of rudimental snare drumming.
- Marching Snare Drum Heads - Description of types of marching snare drum heads.
- Royal Schools Sources Percussion Page Sources for the prescribed music for the Royal Schools of Music practical exams