A Snare Drum Is Named After Its Wires
A snare is a trap with a running noose. The drum takes its name from the wires stretched under its lower head.
A snare is a trap consisting of a loop that tightens when an animal enters it. The snare drum is named for the same idea of a taut cord: strands of wire or gut, called snares, are stretched across the underside of the drum, and they rattle against the skin when it is struck. Releasing them turns the drum into a plain tom. Old Norse *snara* meant a noose, from a root meaning to twist, which also gives *nerve* through Latin *nervus*.
- A noose trap. *Set a snare.*
- To trap. *Snared a rabbit.*
- A drum. *The snare drum.*
- Snares — the drum's wires. *The snares rattle.*
- Old Norse — *snara*, a noose. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | snare | A snare. |
| Plural | snares | Snares. |
| Verb | snare | Snare it. |
| Compound | snare drum | A snare drum. |
| Norse | snara | A noose. |
- Poachers set snares along the path.Trapping.
- The snare drum cuts through the mix.Music.
- Releasing the snares changes the sound.Technique.
How a snare drum works
- Two heads — the batter head on top, the resonant head below
- Snares — wires stretched across the lower head
- They vibrate against it when the drum is struck, adding the crack
- A throw-off lever releases them for a plain tom sound
- Sympathetic buzz from other instruments is the drummer's constant enemy
Old Norse *snara*, a noose, from a Germanic root meaning to twist or turn.
Why is it called a snare drum?
From the snares, strands of wire or gut stretched across the underside of the drum that rattle when it is struck.
What happens when you release the snares?
The rattle stops and the drum sounds like a plain tom, which is why drummers have a lever to switch between the two.