1. Hold the sticks correctly. Your dominant hand should be holding the stick at the fulcrum, which is about one-third of the way down the stick from the tip. Your non-dominant hand should be holding the stick in a relaxed grip, with the stick resting against your palm.
2. Position your hands. Place your dominant hand stick on the snare drum, about 2-3 inches from the rim. Your non-dominant hand stick should be placed on the snare drum, about 4-5 inches from the rim and offset slightly to the right of your dominant hand stick.
3. Play the basic beat. The basic beat for "Some Nights" is a simple 4/4 time signature. Play the following rhythm with your dominant hand:
```
1 e + a 2 e + a
```
The "1" and "2" represent downstrokes on the snare drum, while the "e" and "+" represent upstrokes. The "a" represents a ghost note, which is played by tapping the snare drum with a very light touch.
4. Add the hi-hat. With your non-dominant hand, add the hi-hat by playing a steady eighth-note pattern. The hi-hat should be played on the "and" of each beat (e.g. "1 e + a 2 e + a").
5. Add the bass drum. With your foot, add the bass drum on the first and third beats of each measure (e.g. "1 e + a 2 e + a").
6. Fill in the gaps. To fill in the gaps in the rhythm, use your non-dominant hand to add some light rolls and flams. You can also use your dominant hand to play some paradiddles or other rudiments.
7. Practice. The best way to learn how to play "Some Nights" on the snare drum is to practice regularly. Start off slowly and gradually increase the speed as you get more comfortable with the rhythm.