Deep Snare Drum vs. Shallow Snare: Which Is Right for You?

Deep Snare Drum vs. Shallow Snare Which Is Right for You

This article will compare deep snare drum vs. shallow snare to find the difference between the two. That way, you’ll know which one is right for you.

Deep Snare Drum vs. Shallow Snare: Comparison Table

What is the difference between a deep snare drum and a shallow snare? If you are confused about choosing between these two snare drums, you will have the answer through our comparison.

The Deep Snare Drum

The shallow Snare Drum

Depths 
  • From 7 to 10 inches in depth
  • From 3 to 4.5 inches in depth
Material
  • The shell is made from steel, wood, aluminum, etc.
  • The shell is made from steel.
Characteristics
  • Tend to produce fatter sounds.
  • Ideal for playing pop, metal,  rock, and much more genres.
  • Have a narrower depth than the remaining snare drums.
  • Produce tighter and higher-pitched sound.
  • Ideal for funk, jazz, and other related genres,

Deep Snare Drum vs. Shallow Snare: What Is the Difference?

Size

  • The Shallow Snare Drum

This type of snare drum typically features depths from 3 to 4.5 inches.

The shallow drum snare comes in three kinds, which are classified by diameter. These include popcorn, sopranos, and standard.

The popcorn has a diameter of ten inches, and the diameter of the sopranos ranges from 12 to 13 inches, while 14 inches is the diameter of the standard.

  • The Deep Snare Drum

The deep snare drum typically has a depth ranging from seven to ten inches.

Material

  • The Shallow Snare Drum

In most cases, these snare drums have shells made from steel since it could be tougher to create them with wood.

  • The Deep Snare Drum

The shells of these deep snare drums are typically made from steel, wood, aluminum, etc.

Characteristics

  • The Shallow Snare Drum

The fact is that the shallow snare drum typically has a narrower depth than the remaining snare drums. So it tends to be associated with the higher-pitched and tighter sound of the snare drum.

In addition to being the primary snare drum, this type may also be used as the side drum or effects drum, thanks to the unique sound it produces.

  • The Deep Snare Drum

These snare drums tend to produce fatter sounds, which is ideal for people playing pop, metal,  rock, and much more genres.

Deep Snare Drum vs. Shallow Snare: Which Is Right for You?

To decide which is right for you, let’s take a look at their pros and cons.

The Shallow Snare Drum

Pros

Many drummers use this drum as the primary snare drum for many good reasons.

First, it can offer many popping sounds, making it ideal for players who want to play with something that delivers high-pitch tones.

The shallow snare drum is popular in jazz, funk, and many related genres. The fact is that it is the trusted choice of most drummers of these genres.

In those genres, this snare typically produces cracking sounds, making this snare drum ideal for these situations.

Also, one of the main reasons the shallow snare drum is more responsive than other types of snare drum is the batter head and the lower distance between its snare wires.

We also appreciate this drum’s versatility as it’s easier to carry around, allowing you to take it to a live performance or recording session easily.

As the shallow snare drum has a smaller volume than other types of drums, you’ll carry it around with less effort and take up less space in your place.

Cons

No one is perfect, and this snare drum is no exception.

Some drummers don’t like to use this drum due to its sharp sound, which transmits a lot further before it is picked by its microphone further away when recording it. Therefore, you will feel complicated to record effectively.

If you want to work with fatter snare sounds, using the shallow snare might not be ideal. On the other hand, due to their depth, it could be challenging to create softer sounds from shallow snare drums.

The Deep Snare Drum

Pros

Deep snare drums are ideal for drummers who want to play a rock or a pop song since these genres typically require sound fatter from snare drums.

These snare drums might sound swampy when having a loose tuning with the. There is no denying that it is perfect for any rock, pop, or metal song.

The deep snare drum typically comes with a great tuning range, thanks to its depth. You can tune your deep snare drum to very high without any problem while tuning it to very low is okay.

Besides, many drummers also benefit from this drum delivering a louder volume than other snare drum types.

Cons

The first downside of these deep snare drums is that they feature less response than their shallow counterparts.

Another problem with the deep snare drum is that it is heavy. In addition, due to its larger volume, this drum typically takes up larger spaces than other types of snare drum.

So, deep snare drum and shallow snare drum: which is the best one? The answer should depend on what genre you typically play.

FAQs

What Does a Deeper Snare Do?

It delivers a “fatter sound,” especially when tuned low. It is common in many genres, rock, pop, and their sub-genres.

Are Deeper Snare Drums Louder?

The deeper the snare drum, the tighter and higher-pitched sound you will get.

What Is a Piccolo Snare Drum?

The piccolo snare is a kind of snare utilized by the drummer seeking a higher-pitched sound from their snare drum.

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