Snare Drum Height and Position Explained

[@Moondruidcollectibles]

Good stuff - straightforward, no nonsense, explained clearly. Thank you!!

[@SONORSQ2guy]

It's about time someone makes a great series of videos! 👍

[@ulanowsky]

exactly what I needed to know, very informative, and kept short, thanks!

[@MarlonOwnsYourCake]

This helped me a lot, my snare was too low and too flat

[@odysseuslaertiades1528]

I watched most of your videos on drum kits ergonomics and find them extremely helpful and reasonable. Thanks a lot! May I add three requests (or questions): (1) Even after playing traditional grip for many years I still have problems hitting the rim shots with my left hand, although I positioned my snare in the way recommended by you in this video. Could you, please, do an educational video on that? Perhaps I am not the only one with that problem. (2) There are a lot of photos showing Dave Tough, a really great swing drummer from the 1930s/40s, with an incredibly low and steep position of his snare drum. Do you have any explanation for that? (3) It might be interesting to make a video about professional drummers who suffered from drum-related health problems. Buddy Rich, for instance, who looks on some photos like the hunchback of notre dame while playing drums, suffered from severe back pain for many years.

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

1) maybe. 2) I don’t know. There are photos of him playing on a practice pad at a much more normal height. So it seems he practiced high and performed low. That’s just weird. 3) I might. Phil Collins is a great example of a dude with back problems. MANY people comment on my Phil video that “it didn’t stop him from being successful” ...but it literally did injure him! That’s the important part. I’m not sure how injury is ok just because of fame or success. Both he and buddy could have been famous and successful and also not had back problems.

[@odysseuslaertiades1528]

Ryan Alexander Bloom Thank you very much!!

[@SarahBergsvik]

Very helpful- my snare was too high! Thanks so much. :-)

[@rankjuan]

Nice, Deserves more views

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

Rank Juan Thanks, I agree!

[@damianbroderick3913]

Really excellent video, thank you Ryan.

[@joemichael3549]

Great video, thanks!

[@anotterone3229]

Very well explained!

[@TariqZainal]

Thanks man. Good info here

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

no problem

[@alisonrae]

Thanks, this video helped a lot 😊

[@edsterling5258]

Very well done. Great explanations.

[@SHlTSANDWICH]

you're very informative

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

+E.J. Hennie Thanks, information transfer was the goal.

[@alexkiro1867]

Excellent video, my snare is definitely too low!

[@hectormcmillan3752]

I think mine’s too low. Thanks for the video!

[@claudeabraham2347]

Very good. Thanks.

[@magicfairycome]

is it okay if my forearms angle down? i feel like i can play faster and get better rebound when my forearms are flat (like EVERY single drummer ive ever seen) but my snare feels a little high? in drumline i had my snare SUPER high and loved it but it feels strange on drumset. keep in mind ive been playing for 7-8 years so i might just be accustomed to having my snare too low.

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

Many people are used to having the snare too low. It often stems from learning to play when they were shorter, then growing up. Many drummers never adjust their kit because it’s a slow gradual change. Then one day they’re just way too big for the height they used a few years ago and yet they feel as though that’s normal height. Maybe this didn’t happen to you but in either case too low is too low. If you make the adjustment and play on it for a few weeks you may find that you can adapt to it.

[@lobbyrobby]

Well I need to raise my snare and tilt it a bit more. It's pretty close but rim shots are kind of a challenge.

[@micpep]

Thanks!

[@thephatbastad2235]

Thank you

[@IamUncledeuce]

Good info

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

thanks!

[@Rusli1659LPSoldier]

3:39 I want that position for my snare, But I tried to change it on my PDP snare stand, It stuck! I wanted to do rimshots to practice those beats perfectly.

[@WhatsANotUsedHandle]

I play with my snare Drum angled slightly away from me. I feel it helps me play faster.

[@Eccentricjuices]

I have a cheap concert snare stand I’ve been using for years and it doesn’t go lower than my upper thigh. Guess I gotta a new stand.

[@williamweir1547]

In regards to the snare drum tilting away from you you state that with matched grip it makes no sense. But with traditional grip one hand is still holding the stick as you would in matched grip. The only reason I ask is that I play matched with the snare leaning away from me and find it comfortable?

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

william weir traditional grip is a compromise and always has been. People argue about it all the time and supporters say it has a certain feel or whatever... but the truth is, there isn't any reason that a drum set player should use it. Technically speaking it uses fewer muscles and therefore you have to work harder with each one. It also causes you to be unable to play to your left side easily for crashes and toms because your left stick faces right so drastically. It effectively shortens your left arm. It also makes it harder to play accents because you can't lift the stick as high without involving your shoulder. You are right, if you tilt the drum for the left hand, it makes it weird for the right hand and that's just another flaw. If it's comfortable for you, that's fine but abnormal. I guess just do what you do, but of course I'm not going to teach that in a video. Drummers already have a hard enough time sitting up straight without tilting their drums away and tempting their backs to follow. Really the away tilt just allows you to have the drum lower than normal and still get away with it. But that's not necessary and it really doesn't make sense. I'm not telling you to change, just why I said that in the vid.

[@williamweir1547]

Ryan Alexander Bloom Thanks for the feedback Ryan. I've asked myself why I tilt the snare away from me and probably the only reason I can think of is that i play palms down with the sticks forming about a 90 degree angle. Love your videos keep up the great work !!

[@tubular167]

Perfect 😁😁

[@itecnus3490]

My snare is too low. I didn't even know you could play rimshots. I have more to learn. :D

[@addthisto]

which throne you have there?

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

addthisto uh a big round Gibraltar one. I don’t know the model but it’s probably 10 years old at this point. Screw adjustment, double braced. I’m sure they still sell one just like it.

[@krusher74]

The too low postion is Brad wilk from rage against the machine.

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

It’s honestly most drummers. Seat too low, snare even lower.

[@TheDeuceofSpades]

Tilting the snare too far toward you not only looks amateur, it has a number physical disadvantages. One, you lose rim shot access without mangling your arm position. Two, the natural rebound of the stick will tend toward your body rather than straight back toward the downward stroke of the stick. This will inhibit rolls, multiple bounces and general ghosting. It is a recipe for sloppy form and sloppy playing.

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

Yes. I advocate for no more back tilt than a single notch on the tilting mechanism. I don't like a perfectly flat snare, personally, though I can deal with it. More than the single notch is too far and I would rather have flat than 2+ notches. There are many seasoned professionals that use a heavily tilted snare and they often have it mounted too low as well. This causes amateurs to think that it is somehow acceptable. Watching what you're favorite drummer does for positioning is a foolish endeavor.

[@noeljohn4569]

I'm not able to lower my snare

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

That’s odd. Sounds like you’re either really really short or you need a better stand? Most go pretty darn low. Usually need an extra piece to make them go high enough for concert snare playing while standing. But will go nearly low enough for a toddler.

[@babdeli5189]

Good video! But you forget pedals height.

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

Báb Déli ideally you would do this at your kit where your pedals already are.

[@babdeli5189]

Ryan Alexander Bloom Hi! Ty for answer! You mean everything goes upper with pedal's height?

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

Báb Déli yeah throne height and snare height will change slightly if you set them without pedals and then add pedals in because they’re and inch or two thick from the ground. But like I say: ideally you’d do this in practice at your kit where your feet are on pedals. So you don’t have to try and compensate for it. It’s just part of the process.

[@dornelli1]

Neal Peart had a very low snare and he played, well...like we all know

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

Ok but you aren’t Neal and I’m not Neal and Neal even took lessons for most of his life, long after being regarded as a drum god. I wouldn’t do something wrong just because someone else more famous also does it.

[@davegarciaofficial]

Actually he didn’t have a low snare at all. I’d suggest pulling up pics from his last 10 years of playing