Timpani
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
The Timpani (aka kettle drum) is one of the principal members of the percussion section. For a long period in the history of classical music it was the only percussion instrument used, as a key feature of Symphonies and large orchestral pieces.
The Timpani is constructed of a large rounded copper barrel with a skin and a means of tuning the drum to a particualr pitch.
Traditional Timpani had animal skins and were tuned using pegs to tighten or loosen the skin. More modern models have synthetic skins and are tuned using a foot pedal.This is more convenient for the performer as the drum can be tuned silently and accurately between movements of a symphony or key changes in the music.
A set of Timpani will consist of 2 to 8 individual drums, depending on the ppiece. Earlier pieces will use only 2 or 3 drums (with exceptions) and more modern and contemporary pieces will often use in excess of 4 drums, which may need to be re-tuned several times during the piece.
Beaters used are wooden and wound with felt at one end and come in several grades. These range from soft, for producing a muffled, soft sound which blends in well with the bass line of the music, to staccato, which produce a more detatched sound and create a staccato effect. The hardest are made completely of wood, however these are rarely used in the orchestra.
The timpani forms an essential part of a percussion ensemble, where the most skillful playing is needed. Performers take great care and go to great lengths to ensure that the quality of the sound they produce is as good as possible. As with many other instruments, the dedication of the performer is overlooked. It may take many years for the performer to perfect a certain aspect of his/her playing. A particular area of this is quality and evenness of the roll and the speed, and also smooth movement between the drums.
The Timpani is constructed of a large rounded copper barrel with a skin and a means of tuning the drum to a particualr pitch.
Traditional Timpani had animal skins and were tuned using pegs to tighten or loosen the skin. More modern models have synthetic skins and are tuned using a foot pedal.This is more convenient for the performer as the drum can be tuned silently and accurately between movements of a symphony or key changes in the music.
A set of Timpani will consist of 2 to 8 individual drums, depending on the ppiece. Earlier pieces will use only 2 or 3 drums (with exceptions) and more modern and contemporary pieces will often use in excess of 4 drums, which may need to be re-tuned several times during the piece.
Beaters used are wooden and wound with felt at one end and come in several grades. These range from soft, for producing a muffled, soft sound which blends in well with the bass line of the music, to staccato, which produce a more detatched sound and create a staccato effect. The hardest are made completely of wood, however these are rarely used in the orchestra.
The timpani forms an essential part of a percussion ensemble, where the most skillful playing is needed. Performers take great care and go to great lengths to ensure that the quality of the sound they produce is as good as possible. As with many other instruments, the dedication of the performer is overlooked. It may take many years for the performer to perfect a certain aspect of his/her playing. A particular area of this is quality and evenness of the roll and the speed, and also smooth movement between the drums.
