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The Snare drum is regarded as the heart of the drumset, not only becaue of its central location in the setup but also in its importance in relation to the structure of the drummer's input.
Head sizes fall generally in the range 10-15" with
the majority of drums being 14", although 12 & particularly 13" drums are
becoming increasingly prevalent as main snares. Depths fall generally in the
ranges 3"-4" (piccolo),
5" -5.5" (standard), and 6" - 12" (deep) although custom drum builders can cut
any depth if required. The snare almost always is played with a single ply head
on the batter side, occasionally heavier hitters wishing to extend the lifespan
of the head at the expense of tone, may use a head with a dot or similar
appliqué.
The
resonant underside side of the drum (reso head or snare side head) is where the
three main differences lie between the snare and any other drums in the set.
Firstly the snare has a number of wire coils stretched across it, these vibrate
and snap against the resonant head in response to the batter head being struck
and give the snare its distinct sound; secondly, the bearing edge has a shallow
flat spot cut into it at two opposite points falling between tuning nodes, this
is known as the snare bed and is there to accommodate the snare wires or cords
being held flat against the reso head, were it not to be there, the snare wires
would sit slightly above the head and would give unwanted rattles and buzzes.
Finally, the resonant head itself is only 3-4/1000ths (3-4 mil) of an inch
thick, this head is this thin to make it more responsive to the vibrations
caused by hitting the drum's batter head.
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The Drumset 
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