Snare drum

The snare drum or side drum is a percussion instrument. It has strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords. They are stretched across the skin on the bottom of the drum. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums can have a second set of snares on the bottom side of the top head. This is used to make a "brighter" sound. The snare drum is considered one of the most important drums of the drum kit.

The snare drum can make some special sounds:

• A rimshot: When the drum is hit in a way that makes the side of the stick touch the rim. This makes it louder.
• A cross-stick: The stick is laid down on the drum with its tip touching the head and the bottom end being used to hit the other side of the rim. This makes a loud "click" sound.