There are a ton of snare drum books on the market today. Some are better than others. It can be hard to know which one is going to get you where you want to be in the shortest amount of time. When choosing a snare drum book to work out of, I look for a few key elements. The first thing I look for in a snare book is whether or not it's progressive. What I mean by progressive is that it gets gradually more challenging as I do each exercise or etude. I would not want to start a beginner where the first etude was quarter notes in 4/4 and the second lesson was 8ths and 16th note combinations with flams in 6/8. I want the exercise to have some challenges, but I don't want such a leap that it's overwhelming. The next thing I look for in a snare study is that it covers a wide range of skills and challenges found when playing music. Some of the skills and challenges to look for are rhythm, meter, dynamics, rolls, flams, ruffs, four stroke ruffs, and syncopation. Finally, when you're looking for a good snare drum book, try and find material that has some musicality to it. What I mean by musicality is that it resembles the form, style, and phrasing of music you'll be performing. You don't want a book that is just a mish mash of technical problems all thrown together without any rhyme or reason. I hope this helps you when choosing your next snare drum book. Here are some of the books I've found very helpful. Exercise Books Stick Control by George L. Stone Accents and Rebounds by George L. Stone Wrist Twisters by Elden "Buster" Bailey Etude Books Intermediate Snare Drum Studies by Mitchell Peters Advanced Snare Drum Studies by Mitchell Peters 12 Studies for Snare Drum by Jacques Delecluse Keiskleiriana 1 by Jacques Delecluse Keiskleiriana 2 by Jacques Delecluse Rudimental Books All-American Drummer: 150 Rudimental Solos by Charlie Wilcoxin 14 Modern contest Solos by John S. PrattSnare Drum Studies
