Why do some drummers have two snares? How do the use them

[tbwannabe]

I know this prolly sounds stupid but why do some drummers use two snares? another q. in your opinion what brand of snares are the best?

[Joel Woody]

i have two.......i like the sound.....tune one lower than the other one......i think it sounds cool

[brittc89]

Different sounds, all types of woods and metals sound different and different tunings can give even more sonic options. Whatever fits the song.

[fijjibo]

Extra snare = Extra sound

Same reason jazz drummers have multiple rides.

[TitanSound]

I have a main brass 14x6.5 and my aux snare is a 13x3 Maple piccolo. 2 completely different sounds for different situations.

[cwignall]

I plan to have 2 rides, 2 snares and 2 hi hats...

each for a purpose

[de Nick]

I´ve got a pdp cx 14x5,5 as a main snare (came with the set) and my old pearl export metal snare (I think its 14x6) as a second snare. The tuning is almost the same but they sound different because the pdp is maple and the pearl is metal. I think of getting a new snare because the pearl is very old. Maybe a popcorn snare or the noble and cooley alloy classic (my favourite snare^^).

[Raymond Bloom]

For some type of music it's essential, for example: d'n'b, hip-hop, r&b etc...

I'm mostly a d'n'b drummer, righ now I have a 13''x4'' primary maple snare drum, tuned really high and a little bit dry, and a secondarry snare 14''x5,5'' steel shell, with a Coated Emperor tuned very very low, it gives a nice contrast

I'm planning about adding 3 more snare drums to my set-up :-)
10''x5'', 12''x7'' (already have it, but I'm not using it yet), 10'' Remo TSS, and a Roland e-pad!

[Trip McNealy]

I have a main brass 14x6.5 and my aux snare is a 13x3 Maple piccolo. 2 completely different sounds for different situations.

same here. sometimes i'll switch out the piccolo for a 13" rack tom to my left. you have so many more options with your stick patterns too.

[zambizzi]

I do this occasionally and it provides a lot of options that one snare alone won't give you. For one, it adds a whole new texture to your groove and allows new tones to be introduced. Another thing I'm not sure anyone mentioned is; it allows for greater freedom of your hands if you're using both hands on the hats. You can toss in nice syncopated notes on the left snare w/ your left hand, in-between whatever groove you're doing on your right snare when grooving w/ two-handed 16ths on the hats.

I've been using the Frank Briggs "Modern Drumset" book a lot lately and there are a lot of linear exercises where the sticking calls for alternating the hands between the hats & snare...two snares makes this easier. Frank does this in the DVD that goes w/ the book.

[TioChaka]

Ive got my main maple 14x5.5 Mapex snare and a 13x6 maple side snare.

My main snare is just perfect, great response, just a little bit of harmonics and a very tight bottom head; perfect from rock or jazz.

My side snare is mad, no muffling, adjust the snares and use it for jazz or release them for reggae flams, very high pitched, and although both snares are maple, their sound is very different.

[sticksnstonesrus]

My main is a Maryland DC 14 x 6 with a 20 mm shell...bomb-fattiness. Side snare is a 13 x 3 Pearl brass piccolo...the hign-n-tight, crack-n-pop, light march in the bridge of the right song, kind of snare. Snares off, it's almost like a timbale...

I love the dynamic of having the two different snares...

[Melvin]

Wanna see a how cool two snares can sound? Check out Virgil Donati on this solo, he plays some crazy polyrithms using two snares.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPXV_vI8pmU

[spartacus1989]

I find that using 2 snares to replace the ride or hi-hat can be effective using the right ways of accenting and the right technique.

Also random fills where toms are to over powering!