Tinkering: The Search for That Snare Sound

What I am about to talk about isn't backed by science. There is no wrong or right way to do this. This isn't a blog post on how to achieve that sound either. You can google and find lots of methods on this subject. I'm just speaking from personal experience/tinkering.

This post stemmed from being on the road the past 2 summers playing the camp circuit. Every new session I would get asked the same question.

"Dude. I love your snare sound. How do you get it to sound like that?"

One kid even followed up with this.

"Do you use samples?"

I chuckled a little bit.

 This is where some of you will (and might) disagree with me. So...keep reading.  You are half way through this thing.

Here were some ways to tinker:

• Be inspired by a sound.
• Tune top and bottom head.
• Put some tape here and there.
• Find a quarter and tape it to the head.
• Take off some tape.
• Tighten the top head a little more.
• Loosen all lugs and start again.
• Make weird shapes with the tape.
• Cut an old thin pillow case into strips and put it across the snare before you put the head on.
• Check the snare tension. Toy with that a little bit. Lose. Tight. Off?
• Put your wallet on it. iPhone. Moon gel. DrumTacs. Snare Weight. Big Fat Snare Drum. All the snare stuff out there!

You kind of get the hint? This is about how much do you want to experiment with your snare. You don't have to have the "vintage snare" or the best brass snare on the market. Play around with everything. And if you have the vintage snare or the best brass snare...play around with it too. Try and imitate a sound from an electric kit you played at Guitar Center. It's OK to tinker. Do it! 

Here is how I accidentally stumbled on a snare sound that I love. A song called for me to use my ProMark BroomSticks. I knew I needed to loosen up the wires...but...because I wasn't using sticks...I needed to toy around with the top head. My go to snare has 10 lugs so I knew I had some wiggle room to toy with. I liked where the sound was already so I just decided to completely loosen 2 lugs. I chose the ones where my sticks fall right in-between them. Instant gush. After Church I had drummers/guitar players/sound guys...asking me that question that is as old as time...

"How did you get that snare sound?"

I tinkered.