To tilt or not to tilt...

[garfield]

Tilting the snare is more ergonomically correct for a snare line playing traditional grip, and theoretically seems to be a more natural playing environment for the hands. At my HS when we brought in a new battery percussion coach he put the snare at a slight tilt, and the veteran students really seemed to prefer it. They said that it felt like the tilt helped their left hand have more power/match the power of their right hand, and they seemed to feel more comfortable with the tilt than with regular straight snares. For high school kids (we did it in a year where half the snare line was freshmen), it makes sense as a means to help the younger students develop their chops & technique with such a radical playing adjustment as middle school concert band - HS drum line. There was a minor adjustment for the vet students, but nothing too radical: it was more of a confidence boost for the vets, who had to work less to match stroke velocity from left to right hand & had to work less to get a strong accent

Beat me to it, too.

I have a unique perspective because I marched snare in TBDBITL, the epitome of tilted snares. Ours were carried on our chests and tilted at 45 degrees. I also marched corps when flat snares were "the thing". In particular for the tall kids, like me, who had to carry the flat drum much lower than belt-height to match the level of the rest of the line. My left hand ached bad because I (we) had to lower our left hands to present the sticks flat across the line. It hurt like heck.

So I've always been in favor of tilted snares. "Ergonomically" is an excellent word for this and anyone whose played flat knows it doesn't match the "natural" left hand of traditional grip.

Still, I always considered it a challenge; imagine being Cadets '13-good on flat snares. Incredible.

Edited May 7, 2014 by garfield

[Stu]

Here is a kicker for you: Matched grip is actually more ‘traditional’ than what we call ‘traditional. When humans started banging on rocks and logs they used matched; when armies began to place drums on the backs of camels and elephants for drummers to play they used matched. So, when marching drums were taken off of animals backs and placed on the shoulders of humans, if they had been placed on shoulder carriers and remained flat instead of shoulder slings and slanted, what we call ‘trad’ grip would have never been invented in the first place.

[actucker]

Personally, I can't stand when most high schools play traditional because their technique is usually not good enough in matched grip to even try traditional, which is more challenging.

Matched is also better for being a versatile percussionist, as it transfers more to other instruments.

We are clearly not watching the same high school drumlines.

The "applicable grip" argument is completely bunk for several reasons.

1. There is no singular matched grip. There are several iterations of it ranging from thumbs on top to palms flat and all are perfectly legitimate depending on the musical setting/instrument/composition
2. There are several mechanical parallels between the motions required of traditional grip and that required of Stevens grip on marimba
3. Many drum set players continue to play traditional grip, not because of tradition but because certain styles of music flow better with one grip over another.
4. Every single other setting in which a high school percussionist plays exposes them to various forms of matched grip.

There are plenty of reasons to play matched grip. There are plenty of reasons to play traditional. Again, this isn't a black and white argument.

You also mention that the arm motion required to play traditional on a flat drum isn't natural. Explain that to every great mallet player that employs Stevens grip. The extension is the same. If you stretch, and stay relaxed, the motion is not hard to learn without injury. There are plenty of things that musicians do that "aren't natural". Every wind player forces themselves to breathe in a way that isn't natural in order to sustain a phrase. Violin and flute players have to hold their left hands in ways that they aren't designed to be held for long periods of time. Brass players (particularly trumpet players) often beat up their faces in ways that can cause deformities over time. Four mallet players develop calluses between their fingers.

Edited May 8, 2014 by actucker

[FlamMan]

No. Marching Snare Drums should never ever be tilted. Never. Ever. Flat just looks more uniform & symetrical. Snare lines look better flat. Tilted snares look bad. Leave the tilted snare drums for Fife & Drum bands playing 1776 era beats.

Edited May 8, 2014 by FlamMan

[Stu]

No. Marching Snare Drums should never ever be tilted. Never. Ever. Flat just looks more uniform & symetrical. Snare lines look better flat. Tilted snares look bad. Leave the tilted snare drums for Fife & Drum bands playing 1776 era beats.

Ok; we can respect your opinion. However, to be ‘consistent’ with your reasoning on this tilted issue, again to be 'consistent' you have to also contend that Marching Snare Drums should never ever be played with Traditional Grip. Never. Ever.... Leave the Traditional Grip for Fife & Drum bands playing 1776 era beats. If that is not your position on Trad Grip your reasoning for dogging on the tilted snares goes right down the commode.

Edited May 8, 2014 by Stu

[Jeff Ream]

Tilting the snare is more ergonomically correct for a snare line playing traditional grip, and theoretically seems to be a more natural playing environment for the hands. At my HS when we brought in a new battery percussion coach he put the snare at a slight tilt, and the veteran students really seemed to prefer it. They said that it felt like the tilt helped their left hand have more power/match the power of their right hand, and they seemed to feel more comfortable with the tilt than with regular straight snares. For high school kids (we did it in a year where half the snare line was freshmen), it makes sense as a means to help the younger students develop their chops & technique with such a radical playing adjustment as middle school concert band - HS drum line. There was a minor adjustment for the vet students, but nothing too radical: it was more of a confidence boost for the vets, who had to work less to match stroke velocity from left to right hand & had to work less to get a strong accent

I'm a fan, but it seemed for the most part to be a fad. I'm perfectly happy if it becomes more prevalent

[perc2100]

I'm a fan, but it seemed for the most part to be a fad. I'm perfectly happy if it becomes more prevalent

Yeah, I live in SoCA where there are plenty of SCV alum & fans so I see a bit of tilted snares out here. Like a lot of things, I think style is passed down through the generations, so instructors who never titled their snares are maybe likely to not tilt their lines' snares. I personally don't care as long as the members have solid technique and play well: tile, flat, it's all about the clean beats.

On the flip side, I've also sat in critique and listened to instructors try to explain that their students' lack of defined technique and sloppy playing could be "fixed" by tilting the snares: as if tilting the drum = the quick solution/fix for lack of fundamental technique teaching.

Edited May 8, 2014 by perc2100

[old skool drmmr]

Finally, while I understand the idea that for young players it might be easier to develop the left hand, I feel that developing the right hand correctly is even more important, and at the beginner level, teaching a slice in the right hand can be very hard to correct down the line. In my experience, it is easier to learn to play well on a flat surface, and adjust TO a tilt, than it is to learn on a tilt and adjust to flat. I consider my job at the high school level to prepare kids for opportunities beyond high school, so I choose to use flat drums knowing that the majority of the groups these kids will want to audition for will have the drums flat. If they never develop the extension required to play on a flat surface, then they will be at a disadvantage auditioning for a drum corps.

This is why I don't tilt my high school group's snares. It is WAY easier to learn on a flat drum and adjust to a tilt than learn on a tilt and adjust to flat. So from an educational perspective, I feel that I am setting my students up for future opportunities better by having them play flat.

Are the left hand mechanics easier on a tilt? Yes. Does one tend to develop bad habits in the right hand when playing on a tilt? Definitely. Which is more important?

[BozzlyB]

I'm a fan, but it seemed for the most part to be a fad. I'm perfectly happy if it becomes more prevalent

I believe Blue Stars will continue to use the tilt as long as the current staff is there. They looked bad ### last year and played the #### out of those drums, were scored way too low IMO.

[ibexpercussion]

Over the years I have tried it both ways with the lines I teach. It mainly boils down to what you and the kids like better. As far as visually, it is much easier to get all the drums aligned when they are flat as compared to tilted. That can be a headache in and of itself when trying to satisfy your OCD tendencies.