Want to know more? Click here to read our blog article on wood vs metal snare drums! You’ll notice a slight boost in the low-end with a warm midrange, far less attack-focused.

Bronze – often used for cymbals but far less common for shells.

Copper – a darker, more rounded sound with less emphasis on top-end and a warmer response in the bass and mids.

Steel – boosted mids and even more treble than aluminium, Steel also offers improved sustain and presence.Great for cutting through pretty much any mix but not for the faint-hearted. Aluminium – a sharp, dry sound with a sparkling treble response.Accentuated top-end but not without some bass/low-mid warmth. Brass – as the earliest metal snare material, brass is the most familiar.Its sound is comparable to Mahogany but with some of the bass substituted for more top-end. Poplar – a softer wood, Poplar is becoming increasingly popular.Mahogany used to be a gold standard for shells, so is associated with a vintage sound. Mahogany – known for a rich warmth and resonance in the bass and low-mid frequencies.Beech – this hard wood offers a balanced tone not dissimilar from Maple, but with a slight mid-boost and accentuated low-end.Clear, balanced sound makes it highly versatile. Maple – slightly more well-rounded than Birch, but still with a healthy bass response.Plenty of attack, great for more aggressive styles. Birch – great for projection due to good low-end response and pronounced, crystal-clear treble.Here’s a selection of the most popular materials to choose from: Wood snare drums Snare drum materials can be divided into two main categories: wood and metal. It goes without saying that the material a snare drum is made of can make a huge difference to the sound. Honourable mentions: tabor, tarol and firecracker snare drums. These are the main variations of snare drum that you’ll find – chances are, you’ll find what you’re after among this lot. This gives them a higher pitch but with more of a full, colourful dynamic. Somewhere in between a drum kit snare and piccolo snare, but sometimes found with smaller diameters. As with drum kit snares, they’re most often seen as part of a drum kit. This gives them a higher pitch with a brighter attack. These are much like drum kit snares, but a lot shallower in depth – in some cases as shallow as 3”.

They’re very similar to marching snare drums, but usually with an additional set of snare wires – the reason for their unique sound, instantly recognisable alongside pipe music. The pipe band snare has a unique sound, higher in pitch and with a very short attack. Again, as the name suggests, they’re usually found in marching ensembles. They share a similar diameter, around the 14” mark. Marching snare drums are usually deeper than orchestral or drum kit snares, sometimes up to 12”. This may mean different drum heads, snare wires or tuning. Often similar to the above, but used in a percussive/orchestral context. Drum kit snares usually have a diameter around 14” with depths often ranging from 5” to 8”. As the name suggests, they’re designed to be used as part of a drum kit. The most common snare style among contemporary players, used for everything from funk to death metal. Here are some of the most common snare drum varieties that you’ll come across: Drum kit snare drum Each one has a distinct sound, feel and, in some cases, appearance. There are many different snare drums for different applications.

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