Over the 700 year history of the snare drum, it is basically pretty much the same thing now as it was then. So what were the changes over these years? The biggest changes were:
- The snare on the bottom of the drum that gives it its unique sound changed from a single snare to a multi-snare.
- The drum hoops or rims are made of metal and are fastened to the shell with tension rods. It can be tuned to much higher pitches than possible in its early years.
- A snare release or throw-off was later introduced and also made adjustable.
- Snares can now be found in various materials such as woods, metals or acrylics.
- A vast range of drum heads are available.
