There’s a lot more than just shell composition that goes into creating a great snare sound, but this is certainly the foundation of the perfect drum.Īlong with a few anomalies, die-cast and triple-flange metal hoops are what you’ll find on most snare drums today. There are also tons of snare-demo videos on YouTube, as well as on most drum manufacturers’ websites. Looking up what kind of snare was used on a few of your favorite recordings can help you nail down some of the sounds that different shells will yield. Reinforcement rings are sometimes added to the top and bottom of thinner shells and can be made from the same wood species as the rest of the shell or from a different material. Some custom drum makers also use staves, or segments of wood, that are glued together to form the shell. While most wood shells are made from multiple thin plies formed into a rigid shell through heat and compression, others are made with a single thick, steam-bent ply. More adventurous materials, like carbon fiber, titanium, acrylic, and even glass, are fairly common, as are many rare, indigenous wood species from around the globe. Shells are typically made of single or mixed wood species, including maple, birch, mahogany, bubinga, ash, and poplar, or metals, including brass, bronze, steel, and aluminum. Here’s what you’ll need to know to help you choose the drum of your dreams.įirst, let’s have a look at the different parts of a snare drum and what purpose they serve.Īside from giving the drum most of its general appearance, the shell also has a huge impact on the sound. Drummers also tend to bring their own snare when playing backline kits, further illustrating the crucial role of the instrument in creating a distinct artistic voice. Some players have signature snare sounds that identify them immediately, where others aim for less-distinct tones that blend into the music. The practice of studio drummers using a different snare for every song, in order to change the overall voice of the kit, shows this theory in action. Snare drums are easily the most recognizable voice in the drumkit. This article originally ran in the Jan/Feb 2014 issue of Drum Business.
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