The snare drum seems to have descended from a medieval drum called the
tabor, which was a drum with a single-gut snare strung across the bottom. It is a little bigger than a medium
tom and was first used in war, often played with a
fife (pipe); the player would play both the fife and drum (see also
Pipe and tabor). Tabors were not always double-headed and not all may have had snares. By the 15th century, the size of the snare drum had increased and had a cylindrical shape. This simple drum with a simple snare became popular with the
Swiss mercenary troops who used the
fife and drum from the
15th to
16th centuries. The drum was made deeper and carried along the side of the body. Further developments appeared in the 17th century, with the use of screws to hold down the snares, giving a brighter sound than the rattle of a loose snare. During the 18th century, the snare drum underwent changes which improved its characteristic sound. Metal snares appeared in the 20th century. Today the snare drum is used in jazz, pop music, and modern orchestral music. Much of the development of the snare drum and its
rudiments is closely tied to the use of the snare drum in the military. In his book,
The Art of Snare Drumming,
Sanford A. Moeller (of the "Moeller Method" of drumming) states, "To acquire a knowledge of the true nature of the [snare] drum, it is absolutely necessary to study military drumming, for it is essentially a military instrument and its true character cannot be brought out with an incorrect method. When a composer wants a martial effect, he instinctively turns to the drums." Before the advent of radio and electronic communications, the snare drum was often used to communicate orders to soldiers. American troops were woken up by drum and fife playing about five minutes of music, for example, the well-known
Three Camps. Troops were called for meals by certain drum pieces, such as "Peas on a Trencher" or "Roast Beef". A piece called the "
Tattoo" was used to signal that all soldiers should be in their tent, and the "
Fatigue Call" was used to police the quarters or drum unruly women out of the camp. Many of these military pieces required a thorough grounding in
rudimental drumming; indeed Moeller states that: "They [the rudimental drummers] were the only ones who could do it [play the military camp duty pieces]". Moeller furthermore states that "No matter how well a drummer can read, if he does not know the rudimental system of drumming, it is impossible for him to play 'The Three Camps', 'Breakfast Call', or in fact any of the Duty except the simple beats such as 'The Troop'." During the late 18th and 19th century, the military
bugle largely supplanted the snare and fife for signals. Most modern militaries and
scouting groups use the bugle alone to make
bugle calls that announce scheduled and unscheduled events of the organization (from
First Call to
Taps). While most modern military signals use only the bugle, the snare is still retained for some signals, for example, the
Adjutant's Call. Snare
drumheads were originally made from
calfskin. The invention of the plastic (
Mylar) drumhead is credited to a drummer named Marion "Chick" Evans, who made the first plastic drumhead in 1956.
Drum rudiments seem to have developed with the snare drum; the Swiss fife and drum groups are sometimes credited with their invention. The first written rudiment was drawn up in
Basel, Switzerland in 1610. Rudiments with familiar names—such as the
single paradiddle, flam, drag, ratamacue, and double stroke roll, also called the "ma-ma da-da" roll—are listed in Charles Ashworth's book in 1812. == Definitions ==