How do snare drums produce sound?
Snare drums have two drum heads or skins stretched across the top and bottom of the drum, which work together to produce sound. This sound can be altered in several ways.Bottom HeadRunning along the thin bottom skin are snares; strands made of metal, plastic cable or curled metal wire.Batter HeadThe top skin or drum head, called the batter head, is much thicker than the bottom skin. It is the one that makes contact with drumsticks. When struck, it causes the snares on the bottom skin to vibrate, thus producing a sound.Different SoundsThe sound of a snare drum can be altered from a dull to a bright sound or from a deeper sound that rattles to a crisper sound. Changing drum heads produces different sounds.StrainerSwitching the lever on the strainer, a metal band of wires located on the bottom of the snare drum, will also changed the sound. When released, the snare drum will produce a sound suggestive of a tom-tom drum. Re-activated, the snare drum will produce its traditional “pop” sound
