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Snare Drum Master ClassNorwin Percussion

What’s wrong with this picture…

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The Snare Drum

Usually wood or metal shell

Tension rods used to tighten the batter head and snare head

Snares are stretched across the bottom snare head.

Batter head

Snare head

Counterhoop

Lug

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Types of snare drums…

Piccolo

5 inch concert

6 inch concert Field drum

Rope tension Marching

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Setting up the drum to play Make sure to use a concert snare drum stand. Drumset snare

stands do not reach the appropriate height for concert playing. Position the legs so the 3rd leg points away from you. To find your comfortable height, stand with your legs shoulder

width apart. Close your eyes, lift your sticks from your elbows to playing position and then open your eyes. This will give you an accurate height at which you should play.

The on/off mechanism should ALWAYS be at your stomach. This allows for easy on and off and also assures you are playing over the snares.

If needed, put the muffle in a place that will not interfere with your playing. It may start in one place, but if not affixed to the drum could drift one way or the other.

Keep your music stand low. The music stand also, unfortunately, acts as a shield for the sound.

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Sticks Snare sticks are generally made of wood. Wooden

tips have a better sound and are more authentic. When picking out sticks at a music store:

1. Roll them on a flat surface to find a pair that is straight. 2. Drop the sticks on a hard floor or tap them on a hard

surface to match their pitch. Choose the pair with the highest matched pitch. *Pro-Mark and Vic Firth do this for you

3. Inspect the sticks to be certain the weights and diameters are closely matched and general finishes are smooth and free of flaws.

Thinner sticks are meant for drumset while thicker/weightier sticks are meant for concert and marching.

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Appropriate playing area

Avoid the middle, “deadest” part of the drum. Usually 4-5 inches from the rim is the most resonant

part of the drum. EVERYTHING you play needs to be in this area. The

same timbre should be used when approaching every passage.

Avoid the edge of the head near the rim. This creates a very thin sound and changes the tone completely. Do not use the edge as a crutch for playing softly.

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Grips

Matched The hands mirror each

other Carries over to all other

percussion instruments Provides the most logical

approach to evenness

Traditional Originally designed for a

tilted drum with a shoulder strap or leg strap

Carries over to a very limited number of percussion instruments

More difficult to produce like tones and dynamics between the two hands

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Musical example #1

Rope drum music

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Match Grip

The match grip is a culmination of many different elements. Fulcrum: the most important element of the grip Back fingers: should remain lose but stay in contact with

the stick Back of the hand: flat and facing upward Wrist: combined with the fulcrum used as pivot points

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Things to remember about the Stroke• Lift the stick by pulling up the tip of the stick

as if a string were tied to the end

• Use the back fingers to help with expanded range of motion

• Use a nice legato, marcato, or staccato stroke when necessary. Legato is an appropriate default stroke.

• Throw through the drum to create a rebound.

• Never tense up your muscles

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Rudiments Rudiments are like our

scales on the snare drum. They are a collection of stickings in specific patterns.

There were originally 13 rudiments, which then expanded to 26, then 40, and now there are over 80 thanks to drum corps.

Rudiments help to develop dexterity and “chops”

They should be performed slow to fast to slow.

When practicing for speed, you should play for 2 minutes without stopping.

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Indications of rudimental style

Many flams and drags/ruffs

Many stickings written

Stroked rolls sometimes indicated

Noticeable rudiments

Repetitive rhythms and visual appearance.

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Music example #2-

Rudimental

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Indications of Concert Snare Style

More sophisticated rhythms.

Little or no stickings written.

More varying dynamics.

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Music example #3-concert/orchestral

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Rudimental or Concert Style?

Example #1

…rudimental

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Rudimentalor Concert Style?

Example #2

…concert

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Rudimental or Concert Style?

Example #3

…concert

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Rolls

The ultimate goal of our rolls is to create a seamless sound from the drum.

The only way to do so is to match exactly the sounds coming from each hand.

Too many times we try to roll too fast and do not let the tip of the stick bounce enough.

Practice triple, quadruple, quintuple, and sextuple bounces in each hand.

If you think of a sloppy open roll, it will draw you away from a roll that is too pressed.

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Rolls continued…

When we initially learn how to count rolls, we start by filling the length of the note with 16th notes, double the number and add the tail.

For example:

A quarter note contains (4)-16th notes. Double the (4)–16th notes which equals 8 plus a tail is 9. This roll is performed by buzzing each of the four 16th notes and then playing the tail. (rrllrrllr) i.e. 1 e & a 2

What would a half note roll tied to a quarter note be?

What about a dotted half note tied to a quarter note be?

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Sticking When performing quicker passages, try not to

use more than two hands in a row. Try to always use right hand lead Look ahead and prepare your sticking for the

next measure to start with the correct hand. Always write in stickings on hard passages

that require doubled hands.

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Last but not least…

Practice and exposure makes you better…not wishing.