My question is something that was asked on another thread but was not responded to so I thought I would try to get an answer here.

What constitutes a piccolo snare? Is it depth of shell or head size? Traditionally, any 13" drum is considered a piccolo snare. This was designated in older Ludwig catalogs and some companies still use head size as the guide. So, if a 13' drum is a piccolo, a 12" would be a Soprano and a 10" a Sopranino. I believe Yamaha makes this distinction as well as some custom drum builders. BUT, is a piccolo snare in the eyes of the general public just a shallower shell regardless of head size? Or is it truly based on the size of a drum head?

Any opnions?








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snares now are generally considered by depth, not diameter. 4.5" and shallower are more or less considered piccolos.








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anavrinIV wrote:

snares now are generally considered by depth, not diameter. 4.5" and shallower are more or less considered piccolos.

I am not sure I agree, at least in the eyes of some drum manufacturers. I KNOW that Yamaha designates the terms piccolo, soprano and sopranino to 13", 12" and 10" drums respectively.

Any other opinions?








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George

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10" and 12" are typically called popcorn snares.

Piccolos are like anavrinIV said, under 4.5" inches in depth.








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i think piccolos mainly focus on the depth rather than the diameter. i have 13 inch diameter piccolos and i also have a 14 inch diameter piccolo. Piccolo comes from an Italian word meaning "tiny" so the name itself isnt very discriptive. but as far as soprano snares and popcorn snares. i dont know if those are "correct" terms or just what a cirtain manufacturer calls them. i've already seens companies sell a 6x10 snare and call it a side snare. pearl makes the popcorn snare in a 6x10 size, but also makes the fire cracker which is 5x10 and a 4x10 and calls it the sopranino and finally the soprano which is 7x12. so whether those are all standard terms for drum companies or just names givin to a cirtain drum by a drum company, im not sure. but if anyone out there knows, i would love to find out more about this.

drummert2k wrote:

i think piccolos mainly focus on the depth rather than the diameter.
i dont know if those are "correct" terms or just what a cirtain manufacturer calls them.

agreed, this is what I've noticed over the years.
Piccolo = under 5"

I think the other designations are basically 'model names' or nicknames for the drums with diameters less than 14"

I don't know that there's a definitive answer, but that's been my experience








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i think it's based on the actual sound of the drum when tuned normally..


at least initially it was.. but with the marketing of drums the term piccolo i think has lost its initial meaning..

and NOW its a size reference.. but now a days i think its meaning the depth of the drum..

thats my take..








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Hey fellow drummers.

This is my first post. When i bought my piccolo snare years ago. the only piccolo snares you could get was 14"x3 1/2". couple of years later, they came out with the 13", 12" and even 10" drum head, with various depths to choose from. i think yamaha has the right idea, but i think the general drumming public would consider anything smaller then a 14x5" snare would be considered a piccolo.

Soprano, sopranonino, popcorn, firecracker snares could all be thrown in the "piccolo" category.

Have a good one.

Ruben








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I want a popcorn snare, sounds tasty.








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You know who we HAVEN'T heard from regarding this topic? Drum builders, manufacturers or designers. Any one in the industry want to chime in on this one? I think we would ALL like to know what is considered a piccolo snare by drum companies.


Anyone? Anyone?








_________________
Peace and great grooves to all,
George

www.myspace.com/georgedrums