Tilting the snare

rogue_drummer

Gold Member
Does anybody tilt the snare anymore? When I was a wee lad it seemed like everyone tilted the snare either away from them (like Buddy Rich), or tilted it towards them. Some tilted it towards the hats like a young Charlie Watts in several old Stones photos.

Rarely do I see drummers with it level.

I'm in the process of experimenting (okay, obsessing) over tilting the snare away and to the side towards the hats because I'm finding I'm hitting my sticks together whenever I play the hats sometimes and that added lower inch or two helps the bad technique I'm trying to fix.

Also it's easier for me to do rimshots with the end close to me up a bit.

Anyone else tilt their snare drum?
 
One way to look at it is, if you always play traditional grip tilt away like Buddy may be good for you.
 
Mine is tilted toward me. Quicker to the rack tom and not every hit is a rim shot.
 
I tilt my snare down away from me because it is the most comfortable way for me to play.
If I play traditional grip I also tilt the snare down to my right, as well as away.. If I play matched grip I only tilt down away from me. I keep my snare at the same angle as my thighs.
The angles of my snare change with the style of music that I am playing.
I have never been able to play a snare tilted up in front of me. If I try to play that way the sticks choke up between my fingers and I lose the balance point.
 
I have it very slightly tilted to my left, you can't notice it if you just see with your eyes but when you play you do, or it's just me.
 
Mine is usually flat as I have a tendency to switch back and forth between matched and traditional grip. But depending on what I'm doing I can go either way.
 
I bit away from me, but mostly all the drums have a slight tilt towards the imginary center of the kit. It just feels good to me, when I'm doing rolls, the rebound from each drum pushes my stick towards the other drums.
 
Mine is as flat as my stand can go. I do play a lot of rimshots, so this works well for me. Plus it's more comfortable for me that way.
 
My snare is tilted away from me which has been puzzling to other musicians in the past. I play trad grip and I have found that it helps with left hand rimshots.

I had a guy come to my house and give me a lesson recently. Poor guy seemed completely baffled by the tilted snare. He asked me "Have you always played with your snare like this?" Sure have, at least as long as I have been playing trad grip.
 
I play traditional grip primarily but my snare drums are flat. I cut my teeth growing up in and around drum corps; the drums were always level so that feels like "home" to me. I understand the history of traditional grip and I've experimented with tilting but I've always gone back to flat.
 
I always tilt my snare a little bit away from me and toward the right. That's just how I've always done it, probably because I saw Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa set up that way decades ago. It's funny how things make and impression on you as a kid. It's easier to get good rimshots this way too.

You can see it in my avatar.
 
Trad grip most often...tilted away and a bit to the right. This makes it much easier to play
left handed only drum rolls and rim shots while playing rolls etc. I can't articulate as much
with a snare flat with either trad or matched grip.
 
Tilted less than 30 years ago but slightly tilted up towards 8/10 rack toms.
 
Played trad grip for years and always had the snare tilted away a la jazz drummers. Switched to match about 5 years ago and tilted it slightly up. After I learned to keep better posture and my arms and shoulders up, it's pretty much flat. Also lets me use trad on occasion. If I get tired and start slouching I might tilt it up a couple of degrees. Never could manage the '80s dashboard set up with everything tilted up in front of you.
 
I play traditional grip primarily but my snare drums are flat. I cut my teeth growing up in and around drum corps; the drums were always level so that feels like "home" to me. I understand the history of traditional grip and I've experimented with tilting but I've always gone back to flat.

I thought the tilt of a snare has always come from the roots of the drumset being in marching bands. Like spleen says above, modern equipment allows snares to be dead level, but back in the day they looked like this.

images


which looks a lot like your typical trad grip jazz players tilt down and right
 
My snare is tilted away from me which has been puzzling to other musicians in the past. I play trad grip and I have found that it helps with left hand rimshots.

I had a guy come to my house and give me a lesson recently. Poor guy seemed completely baffled by the tilted snare. He asked me "Have you always played with your snare like this?" Sure have, at least as long as I have been playing trad grip.

I play the same way...for the same reason. And yes, the baffled looks I get from others is pretty entertaining.
 
I keep mine flat I am always switching between trad and matched. I have tried tilted up and it was just awkward for me. I tried tilted down and it was great for traditional grip but not matched. So I have settled on flat with no plans in changing. I always thought that the away and to the right looked awesome though.
 
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