Stand firm and straight with your shoulders slightly back. Place the snare over your shoulders and support the weight of the drum with your arm and shoulder muscles. Avoid overarching your back, and use your shoulder muscles to keep the drum in line.
Hold the drum sticks with a matched grip. The palms of the hands should be facing downward and the stick should be held between the thumb and index fingers. The other fingers will wrap around the stick. The sticks should be placed 3 to 5 inches above the drum for open (or slow) playing and 1 to 2 inches for closed (or fast) playing.
Learn to play each of the 40 drum rudiments recommended by the Percussive Arts Society. The R on a rudiment tells you to play with the right hand. The L on a rudiment instructs you to play with the left hand. Start with the single stroke roll by alternating in a steady pattern between right and left hand. Strike the drum in the center to get the best sound.
Practice the single stroke four and seven until you have perfected them and can play them at a tempo of approximately 120 beats per minute. Start at 40 to 50 beats per minute and gradually increase the speed over several weeks. A good metric will have you increasing your speed by two beats per day.
Learn to play bounce rudiments by striking the drum and letting the stick bounce the appropriate number of times for the rudiment. Aim for a controlled bounce so that you get an evenly measured rhythm.
Practice playing flams by bouncing the stick on the drum to create a quick double hit. The flam acts as a grace note into the main beat. Flams should come directly before the beat and provide a quick flutter to the main articulation.
Practice the rest of the rudiments using your knowledge of single, bounce and flam rudiments. These elements make up the basis for all other rudiments.
Use a pillow to gain increased control over your drum technique. A pillow will not naturally rebound the stick, so you will have to build strength and control by physically moving the stick back to the starting position. Marching snare drummers must have strong forearms to avoid fatigue while playing.