snare drum height

[parksung]

typically, should the snare drum be level to your lap (sitting with legs at 90degree angle)? higher, lower than this?

[Shane G]

The snare drum should be at a level that is conducive to the way you strike the drum.
Regardless of how you strike it.


There is no universal height or angle.

[DrumProgressive]

I keep my legs in a slightly wider angle than 90° and my upper snarehoop reaches a good 4 inches (10cm) above my thigh. This way my hands have enough room to play freehand rolls. I had trouble doing them with a lower snare because my hand kept hitting my legs if i put a double underneath it.

[thebrza]

the height i find people tend to use is so that the rim is just around the top of your leg.

some people go with a little higher or lower, but i seem to see a correlation between the style and the height. drummers who play stuff that's maybe more mellow and they aren't going to be playing a lot of fast rolls or complicated moves...

the top of the leg, i find, is not too high, but also not so low that you're about to punch yourself in the sack while playing

[pdp 9091]

I was watching my zep dvd and noticed that bonham played his snare really high. So i said hey let me give it a try because i like to try new things. I put my snare a little higher than my knees and i havent turne back. For some reason i love having the snare at that height. Its just so comfortable for me

[groovemaster_flex]

I keep my snare fairly high, compared to most drummers i know. The head of the snare is about 3 quarters of an inch above my thigh, and angled slightly towards me. iunno why, but i find that i get better (or rather more comfortable) rebound and hits on it then when its placed flat and low. dont ask why though, its just. weird. lol.

[finnhiggins]

There is a test that you should be able to pass. Can you hold your sticks in the required position to hit rimshots (i.e, touching both head and rim at the same time) while playing heel-up singles with your feet, without your knees hitting your hands or sticks?

If not, your snare is too low and you're making problems for yourself to solve unnecessarily.

[thebrza]

finnhiggins - good point, and awesome avatar

[Steady Freddy]

The top hoop should be about belly button height.

[Paul Quin]

The top hoop should be about belly button height.

Interesting! As long as the position of your snare drum does not inhibit basic technique you should put it where it is comfortable - and angle it in the manner which most suits your grip and technique. There is a tremendous variety in snare drum position among very accomplished drummers - just compare Nico McBrain's snare (low and heavily angled toward himself) with John Bonham's (high and virtually level) or Steve Smith's (eitehr flat, angled slightly toward himself or slightky away from himself depending on the era) with Steve Gadd's (slight angle toward himself) or Keith Carlock's (tilted away and to the right).

The rule of thumb I was taught as a youngster was that the top hoop of the snare drum should be about level with your belt. Now, I don't know if Steddy Freddy wears his pants particularly high but I would think that level with your belly button would be too high! But if it works for him then that is the right position for him.

Paul

[fusssion]

There is a test that you should be able to pass. Can you hold your sticks in the required position to hit rimshots (i.e, touching both head and rim at the same time) while playing heel-up singles with your feet, without your knees hitting your hands or sticks?

If not, your snare is too low and you're making problems for yourself to solve unnecessarily.

Where did you hear about this "test"?

[TheSteve]

On the Wekl technique video, he talks about snare height and he makes a great point. Play around on the snare while playing the hat and bass drum. While doing this you can check to see how high your legs will actually go and you can base the height of your snare so that your hands aren't hitting your legs.

[finnhiggins]

Where did you hear about this "test"?

I'd initially had the point made to me at Drumtech by Paul Elliott, but TheSteve is right - it's also on Weckl's most recent technique vid. It is really just common sense - if you can't do that then there are certain combinations of limb movements that will cause your hands to collide with your legs, which limits your ability to play anything you like. It's sort of like cymbal placement - you could put your cymbals in a place where you can hit one, but not the one next to it because they collide if you hit them together. But why would you do that? It's silly, because you could just place them far enough apart that you can hit any of them at any time without worrying against them banging into each other.

[Will Hendrix]

There is no real set height to play at, but basically don't have it excessively high or low. If it's too low, you will be unable to play rimshots, and also will have trouble moving between the toms and snare. If it's to high...well all you'l be able to play is rimshots, if not just rim, haha. I personally like it just a tiny bit below my belly button, I think most drummers (espeically new ones), position their snares WAY too low.

[h3r3tic]

In my playing, my snare always gets a little bit higher than my knees. In the old days I used to have lower then my knees which in consequence gave me pain on my legs because eveytime I would strike the snare I would hit my leg...

But know everythings ok now :)

[Raymond Bloom]

There is a test that you should be able to pass. Can you hold your sticks in the required position to hit rimshots (i.e, touching both head and rim at the same time) while playing heel-up singles with your feet, without your knees hitting your hands or sticks?

If not, your snare is too low and you're making problems for yourself to solve unnecessarily.
yeah, absolutely right! That's the same stuff I allways tell to everybody regarding snare drum height

[gr82bagn]

Neil Peart does a great job explaining how he positions his snare in the DVD A Work In Progress. He talks about his sessions with Freddy Gruber and circular motion and how everything takes place above the drum. As the head of the drum is the ending point of this motion with Freddy's guidance he adjusted his snare until his snare drums final resting place was level to his belly button (the center of gravity for men, "per Neil"). After listening to him I liked the idea and implemented it myself. It took some getting used to but I've acquired a taste for it and continue to do so with my current set up.

[hungrypo]

stand up. raise the snare stand until you can reach the drum comfortably. sit at your throne. lower the snare until your arms hit the drum at the same position. for me this is when my hands are level with my nipples, or "pecks" if that makes you feel less awkward.