According to the article referenced below about Snare Drums, they are percussion instruments with a lot of nylon or gut or wire that had been covered by silk strings stretched across what is called the lower head.
The strings’ vibration is goes up the top head called the batter head emitting a high-sounding snappy sound.
Snare drums have a cylinder shell on the outside consisting of wood, metal or plywood.
The ends which beat the drum are composed of small knobs of plastic, nylon or calfskin at the end of a tapered stick.
These are kept in place by a flesh hoop around which the drum membrane is lapped with a counter hoop also in place.
Screws keep the membrane tension correct and these are worked each independently and separately on each head by either metal rods or in the case of military bands by rope lacings
