“The snare rings too long” is the most common complaint of all. Usually people reach for damping straight away. That is the last step, not the first.
1. Check the tuning
A long, singing ring often comes from uneven tension. Tap once all the way round, two centimetres in from each tension rod, and listen to the pitch. If one is off, tighten or loosen it slightly until they all sound the same.
Very often the problem is half solved after that. What sounds like an annoying ring is frequently two slightly detuned spots beating against each other.
2. Do not forget the resonant head
On a snare the bottom head determines more than many people think. If it is tuned noticeably lower than the batter head, the tone gets longer and lower. If it is higher, it gets short and snappy. Try that before you put anything on the drum.
3. Snare wire tension
Snare wires that sit too loose rattle on and extend the impression of sustain even though the head has long gone quiet. Tighten them enough that they respond cleanly but do not sound choked.
4. Only now: damping
If the drum is tuned properly and still rings more than you want, damping is the right tool. And then the question is: how much, and of what kind.
If you only want the ring gone
A Drops® 60 g is the right weight for most snares. It cuts the ring and lets the attack through — the drop briefly lifts off on the hit and then falls back. The attack stays, the ring goes.
If that is too much for you, take 40 g. If it is not enough, add a second one opposite.
If you want the whole drum to sound different
If you want not just shorter but also darker and quieter — the damped studio sound of the sixties — then a T-towel® 16" is the right tool. It lowers the pitch slightly, smooths harsh highs and takes 2.6 dB of volume on average.
On the snare the difference is most clearly audible, because the large cloth covers more head area.
The order in short
- Tune the batter head evenly
- Match the resonant head to it
- Check the snare wire tension
- Damp deliberately — a little first, then more
If you work in this order, you usually need less damping than you expected. And you keep more of the drum.