Play Snare drum frequencies
Pick a band to boost it on the loop. Cut and Solo use the same frequency.
Snare drum
Where a snare drum usually needs help
Snares get lost when the body is hollow around 200 Hz or the crack near 2–4 kHz is dulled.
Keep the shell's note, cut the cardboard, and decide whether you want wire rattle up high or a darker backbeat.
| Frequency | Job | What you are hearing |
|---|---|---|
| 180 Hz | Body | The fat of the drum. Too much is thud without crack. |
| 400 Hz | Box | A narrow cut here usually helps more than a treble boost. |
| 800 Hz | Honk | Ring that fights the vocal. Sweep and cut, do not shelf. |
| 2000 Hz | Crack | Stick on head. The part that reads as a snare in a dense mix. |
| 8000 Hz | Wires | Sizzle. Pull it down if the snare is all hiss and no drum. |
These are starting points for this instrument, not a preset. The numbers differ from the hi-hats page because the problems differ. Playback is a peaking filter around +9 dB or −10 dB, or a solo, as described in the methodology.
Other instruments
Hear it in a chart. Train it in the app.
The frequency trainer uses drums, bass, guitars and mixes so the bands on this page show up in daily practice.
Download on theApp Store- EQ & compressionDaily drills on drums, bass, guitars and full mixes.
- Intervals & chordsPiano training that uses the same note names as these pages.
- Studio toolsMetronome, tone generator and tap tempo live in the app too.
Explore the cluster
Keep training & testing
FAQ
Snare drum EQ questions
What frequency is most important on a snare drum?
Start with the fundamental or the mud, not the air. On this page that means reading the first rows of the table and soloing them before you touch a high shelf.
Will these exact numbers fit my recording?
No. Microphones, tunings and arrangements move the resonances. Use the labels to know what you are hunting, then sweep a few semitones either side.
How loud should I listen?
Keep soloed bands at a conversation level. These pages can generate steady tones and noise, which fatigue your ears faster than music. If anything rings or feels uncomfortable, stop and turn the volume down.