Percussion Education Hub

The SoundArt snare system encourages a deeper relationship with your instrument, transforming technical adjustments into musical choices. It allows you to approach every piece with confidence, knowing you have a reliable, beautifully voiced instrument ready to respond to your every artistic command.

Choosing the right concert snare drum is a critical decision. You need an instrument with a sophisticated voice, reliable hardware, and the versatility to handle any musical demand. The Black Swamp Pro10 Studio snare drum was engineered to be that instrument—a dependable, professional-quality drum for ensembles, studios, and educational programs.

Metronome practice is not about becoming a machine. It’s about training your inner sense of time so you can make musical choices with freedom. Whether you’re holding a delicate roll or locking into a funky backbeat, these practice tips from John Parks help you hear—and feel—time in a deeper way.

Snare drum basics aren’t just about sticking patterns, rudiments, and hand positions—they’re about the why behind your playing. Bella Scotti, a member of the Black Swamp Percussion Educator Network, reminds us that even seasoned players benefit from returning to fundamentals. Their approach blends physical technique with musical storytelling, encouraging students to think of the drum not as an object to hit, but as an extension of their voice. In this post, we’ll unpack Bella

The Multisonic snare drum empowers you to match your drum’s voice to the room, repertoire, and conductor’s vision. This isn’t about showing off a fancy piece of hardware, it’s about unlocking the right sound at the right time.

When most percussion students think about “snare drum practice tips,” they focus on the obvious: stick control, tempo accuracy, and clean technique. But as Josh Jones explains, focusing only on the physical side of practice leaves two equally important elements underdeveloped: the mental and emotional.

Ever wonder why your snare sounds out of place in orchestra rehearsal? It might not be your playing—it could be your drum. In this guide, we'll show you how to upgrade a basic snare into a refined orchestral snare drum. With insights from the shop floor to the concert stage, we’ll walk through component swaps, sonic considerations, and how to shape your sound with intention—not just gear.

Warming up isn’t just the first thing you do at the drum—it’s how you prepare your body and brain to play your best. Too often, student percussionists confuse warming up with jumping straight into practice, burning energy before building focus. In this post, we’re breaking down the warm up mindset with professional insights, examples, and a repeatable approach that sets you up for musical success.

Understanding where the fulcrum exists—and how to manipulate it—opens the door to fluid, efficient playing. It’s not about gripping tighter or hitting harder; it’s about letting the stick work with you, not against you.

Outfitting a high school percussion section can be daunting. Beyond the basic drums and cymbals, lies a world of nuanced instruments and techniques that can elevate your ensemble's musicality. In this guide, we'll explore essential percussion gear for the high school educator, with insights from a professional player on achieving depth and subtlety in performance.

Lt. Kijé is one of those deceptively simple orchestral snare drum excerpts that separates the good from the great. At soft dynamics and fast tempos, every detail counts—and audition panels are listening for nuance, not just notes. In this lesson, Shaun Tilburg, Principal Percussionist of the Phoenix Symphony, walks us through his thoughtful, musical approach using his daily method, The Regimen.

As a student percussionist, you’re not just developing technique—you’re building your musical voice. That means learning how to make smart, intentional decisions, even when the part looks simple.

The story behind crafting the Black Swamp 30th Anniversary Snare Drum.

If you're looking for a Piccolo Snare Drum but not sure which series is right for you, you've come to the right place.

The brand new, 3.5” x 13” Concert Maple Piccolo Snare drum is a compact and lightweight maple shell drum with a crisp articulate sound.

Seating a snare side head on an orchestral snare drum is a crucial step in maximizing sensitivity and response. The snare bed, a slight...

Percussion from the Podium: Snare Drum The following is excerpted from an article for wind band conductors originally published in the...

Metal drums vs wooden drums. What is the actual sound difference between the two?

Snare drum lesson by Andrew Baldwin addressing the 4 Snare Drum Stroke Types

Our steam bent, single ply, Unibody shells are one of a kind and blend a beautiful combination of art and science to create a beautiful...