GEAR GUIDE
There is no best snare drum, only the right one for the situation. An orchestral snare and a rock snare are built, tuned and played for completely different jobs. This guide breaks down the standard setup for each playing situation, and why each choice is made.
In the orchestra the snare has to speak clearly at pianissimo and blend at fortissimo. Everything about the drum is aimed at a crisp, articulate sound with no ring.
| Size | 14" diameter, about 5.5" to 6.5" deep |
| Shell | Wood (often maple) or metal; many players keep one of each |
| Snares | Cable, gut or coated-wire snares, often with a strainer that tensions each strand separately |
| Heads | Calfskin, or a synthetic calf-style head such as the Remo Renaissance |
| Tuning | High and tight for articulation; snares set so soft rolls stay crisp |
| Why | Rolls and soft passages must be clean and even. Ring and excess wire buzz get lost in a hall or clash with the strings. |
The rest of the section is its own instrument family: a concert bass drum (usually 32" to 36"), suspended and crash (clash) cymbals, timpani, and mallet keyboards. Orchestral players are expected to cover all of it.
Rock needs volume, a fat backbeat and projection over amplified guitars. The drums are bigger, the heads are thicker, and the tuning is lower.
| Size | 14" x 6.5" is the standard; 14" x 5" for a tighter crack |
| Shell | Metal (brass, bronze or steel) for cut; the Ludwig Black Beauty (brass) and Supraphonic (aluminum) are the classic references |
| Heads | Coated single-ply for an open sound, or a thicker two-ply batter for a fat, controlled backbeat |
| Tuning | Medium to low, with enough tension that rimshots bark |
| Why | The backbeat is the loudest thing on the kit and has to sit on top of a loud band night after night. |
| Bass drum | 22" or 24", often with a port in the front head |
| Toms | 12" or 13" rack; 16" (and often 18") floor |
| Cymbals | 20"-22" medium or heavy ride, 14"-15" hi-hats, 16"-19" crashes |
| Why | Bigger drums move more air and punch through amplified guitars. |
Jazz is the opposite: a small, high-tuned kit that sits inside an acoustic band and lets the ride cymbal do the talking.
| Bass drum | 18" (sometimes 20"), tuned up like a big tom, often with no port |
| Toms | 12" rack, 14" floor (the classic bebop kit) |
| Snare | 14" x 5" or 5.5" wood, coated single-ply heads, tuned high |
| Cymbals | 20"-22" thin or medium-thin dark ride, 14" hi-hats; many players add a sizzle cymbal |
| Why | An 18" kick tuned high sounds like part of the band, not a thump underneath it. The tone of the ride is the sound of the drummer. |
A session player's job is to deliver whatever sound the record needs, so the kit is a toolbox rather than one instrument.
| Snares | Several: a deep metal snare, a shallow wood snare, and something dry or trashy. The Ludwig Supraphonic 14" x 5" is one of the most recorded snares ever made |
| Heads | Chosen per song: coated for warmth, clear for attack, pre-muffled for control |
| Muffling | Gel pads, tape, or a towel on the snare for the dead, close-miked sound of 1970s records |
| Cymbals | Several rides and hi-hats to match the key, era and density of the track |
| Why | The producer hears the sound in the control room, not the room. Being able to change it in five minutes is the job. |
| Size | 14" x 12", very deep |
| Heads | Kevlar or high-tension synthetic batter heads, cranked extremely tight |
| Why | Outdoors there is no room to help the sound. High tension gives the crack and articulation that carry across a field. |
| 7A | Light and thin. Jazz, low-volume and small rooms |
| 5A | The all-rounder. Most students start here |
| 5B | Heavier. Rock and louder situations |
| 2B | Heavy. Loud rock, and building strength on the pad |
| Brushes | Wire or nylon. Ballads, swing and anywhere sticks are too loud |
| Mallets | Soft felt for cymbal swells and tom rolls; orchestral players carry many hardnesses |
Sizes vary a little between makers, so try the same size from two brands before settling.
Before a drum set, every student needs the same few things. Start with these.
A pair of 5A wood-tip sticks. The all-rounder most students start on.
A 12" pad for rudiments and daily hand work, quiet enough for an apartment.
Holds the pad at snare height so your posture matches the kit.
A dedicated metronome with subdivisions. Every exercise on this site is played to a click.
Drums are loud enough to damage hearing. Musician's earplugs or isolation headphones.
Wire brushes for ballads and swing, and for the brush grooves in the library.
Keeps sticks, brushes and mallets together and hangs on the floor tom.
For tuning and changing heads. Keep a spare in the stick bag.
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For specs and current models, go to the makers directly: Ludwig (snares and kits), Remo (heads), Zildjian and Sabian (cymbals), and Vic Firth (sticks, brushes and mallets).