What is most likely the cause of a buzzing sound when a beginner snare drum student plays fast?

• A. He is hammering the sticks, or playing too heavy
• B. The drum head is too tight
• C. The snare wires are loose
• D. The sticks are too short

Answer: (A)

Controlled rebound and a relaxed touch are what keep snare drum notes clean as you speed up. When a student hammers the sticks, the hands press into the head with excessive force and the stick doesn’t rebound smoothly. That heavy contact causes the stick to stay on the head longer and land in quick, hard successive hits, which excites the head and snares in a way that produces a buzzing or rattling texture instead of a crisp, clean tone. The fix is to loosen the grip and use the wrists (and fingers) to let the stick rebound naturally, even at fast tempos. With a lighter, more controlled stroke, the notes articulate crisply and the buzzing diminishes. If the head were too tight or the snare wires loose, you'd hear different issues (unwanted pitch or constant rattling, respectively), but the buzzing described here most directly results from a heavy, hammering touch and poor rebound.