snare in music

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   a drum with metal wires stretched across its lower surface, producing a sharp, rattling sound.

   Grammar: Countable: 'a snare', 'two snares'. In music, the full name is 'snare drum'.

   Patterns

   • play the snare
   • a snare drum

   The drummer hit the snare on every second beat.

   A snare gives the backbeat in most pop songs.

   She tightened the snare to get a crisper sound.

2. 2nouncountable

   a device used to catch birds or small animals, often a loop of wire or rope.

   Grammar: Countable: 'a snare', 'set snares'. This is the older, non-musical meaning.

   Patterns

   • set a snare
   • catch something in a snare

   The farmer set a snare to catch the rabbits.

   The fox was caught in a snare.

   Snares are illegal in many places because they hurt animals.

Word forms

Common combinations

snare drum

The snare drum is at the center of the drum kit.

play the snare

He plays the snare with brushes for a softer sound.

snare beat

The snare beat falls on beats two and four.

tune the snare

Tune the snare carefully before the recording.

Synonyms and how they differ

snare drum

The full, precise name for the instrument; 'snare' alone is common in speech among musicians.

side drum

A British term for a similar small drum, but it is less common in modern pop-music writing.

Word family

snare verb

To catch an animal in a snare, or to trap someone in a difficult situation.

Commonly confused: snare in music or snare (trap)?

Practice

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