# What is a piccolo snare drum... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 4, 2007, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-piccolo-snare-drum/394565 "2007-03-04T19:33:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-piccolo-snare-drum/394565/1 "2007-03-04T19:33:41Z")
…how does the sound of it differ from a regular snare drum? If you can link me to a dynamite deal on a regular snare drum, you would be doing your good deed for the day. ---
**Author:** ![misterW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@misterW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misterW)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-piccolo-snare-drum/394565/2 "2007-03-05T01:37:05Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] …how does the sound of it differ from a regular snare drum? If you can link me to a dynamite deal on a regular snare drum, you would be doing your good deed for the day. [/QUOTE] smaller, thinner, higher pitch. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-piccolo-snare-drum/394565/3 "2007-03-05T02:30:33Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] …how does the sound of it differ from a regular snare drum? If you can link me to a dynamite deal on a regular snare drum, you would be doing your good deed for the day. [/QUOTE] The [Woodwind and Brasswind](http://www.wwbw.com/Welcome.aspx) generally have good deals, depending on the exact quality you’re looking for. Remember, though, a good snare will still cost a fair amount of cash. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-piccolo-snare-drum/394565/4 "2007-03-05T03:20:37Z")
What kind of music will you be playing mostly? ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-piccolo-snare-drum/394565/5 "2007-03-05T13:39:47Z")
[QUOTE=dnooman] What kind of music will you be playing mostly? [/QUOTE] I will be drumming for, and parading with, my 15-month old twin grandchildren at their house and mine - inside and out. So, I guess the answer is march music without the rest of the band. 🙂 Wait until you become a grandparent, **dnooman**. You’ll be doing crazy things like this and loving it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-piccolo-snare-drum/394565/6 "2007-03-05T13:43:07Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] …how does the sound of it differ from a regular snare drum? If you can link me to a dynamite deal on a regular snare drum, you would be doing your good deed for the day. [/QUOTE] [http://search.ebay.com/piccolo-snare-drum\_W0QQfnuZ1QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ3QQxpufuZx](http://search.ebay.com/piccolo-snare-drum_W0QQfnuZ1QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ3QQxpufuZx) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-piccolo-snare-drum/394565/7 "2007-03-05T13:45:01Z")
You don’t want a snare drum, you want bongos. You can buy a serviceable pair of bongos for each of you for probably $60 total. Throw in some sticks, mallets and brushes and you can all learn to play much more interesting stuff than you can play on a snare. The kids may struggle for a few years mind you. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-piccolo-snare-drum/394565/8 "2007-03-05T13:46:53Z")
And buy yourselves each a Hohner Marine Band harp, they are foolproof fun too. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-piccolo-snare-drum/394565/9 "2007-03-05T13:57:09Z")
[QUOTE=don’t ask] And buy yourselves each a Hohner Marine Band harp, they are foolproof fun too. [/QUOTE] I Googled it and keep getting harmonicas. Do you really mean harp? Are you any relation to WhyNot? You seem to be kindred spirits. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-piccolo-snare-drum/394565/10 "2007-03-05T14:02:36Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] I Googled it and keep getting harmonicas. Do you really mean harp? [/QUOTE] They are harmonicas; also known as mouth organ, or mouth harp. (Not to be confused with [jew’s harp, which is also called a mouth harp.](http://www.jewsharpguild.org/) ) ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-piccolo-snare-drum/394565/11 "2007-03-05T14:07:52Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] They are harmonicas; also known as mouth organ, or mouth harp. (Not to be confused with [jew’s harp, which is also called a mouth harp.](http://www.jewsharpguild.org/) ) [/QUOTE] Yes, I just now found out at one of the websites I Googled that that harp=harmonica=mouth organ. Thank you **Contrapuntal**. See my post below to **don’t ask** for latest developments. 🙂🙂🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-piccolo-snare-drum/394565/12 "2007-03-05T14:12:08Z")
Hey **don’t ask**! An absolutely great idea! I’ll get 3 harmonicas and the Bongo Drums - and maybe even the snare, too.