Caisse claire

As Printed on a Score

French for snare drum, abbreviated C. cl. on later systems. Older French scores often call it tambour or tambour militaire instead — Ravel’s Boléro labels its snare drum Tamb. — so do not mistake that abbreviation for a tambourine. Rolls are written with three tremolo strokes, and sans timbre asks for the snares to be released.

Abbreviations: C. cl., Caisse cl.

Also spelled: Caisses claires

How Composers Use It

Crisp, articulate and military in association: its rolls sustain, its flams and drags sharpen a rhythm. Ravel built the whole of Boléro on a snare-drum ostinato, which shows both its carrying power and its relentlessness, so write dynamics with care. Name sticks or brushes when they differ from the norm, and ask for sans timbre when you want a dull, tom-like sound.

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