I am often surprised to learn that many people and not only non musicians do not know that the timpani are tuned instruments. The four drum set of timpani has a range of almost two octaves from low C on the big 32” up to a high A on the smallest (23”) drum of the […]
How to Tune Timpani While You Play
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In this video I demonstrate how to tune Timpani while playing. This is an important technique to practice so that you can learn where your pedals need to be for the notes that are playable on your drums and it helps you with your ability to accurately tune your drums very quickly. Tuning quickly is […]
How to Develop a Consistent Sound with Both Hands On Timpani
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In this video I’ll show you a short and seemingly easy exercise meant to develop consistent sound between your two hands. It’s very important that both your right and left hand sound the same when you’re playing timpani, or you will sound like you’re playing on two different instruments. Timpani Exercise to Develop a Consistent […]
How to Start and Stop Your Timpani Roll with Either Hand
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It is very important to develop the technique and skill to start and stop your timpani roll with either hand for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons is that the music you are playing requires you to start your roll on one drum and finish on another drum which might be to […]
Timpani Pedals Explained: Your Guide to Working the Timpani Pedal
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I played a concert this season with a professional orchestra with very fine players in all of the sections. Even though my musician colleagues were very experienced musicians on their own instruments I wasn’t too surprised when a ‘cello player that I know came up to me when I was practicing before the rehearsal started […]
How to Play Timpani Rolls on Low and High Notes
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There are several factors that have to be kept in mind when trying to produce a nice timpani roll and one of the most important is that your roll speed needs to change if you are playing low notes or high notes. The rule of thumb to follow is that rolls on higher notes and […]
How to Hold the Timpani Mallets
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A firm relaxed grip that allows for the wrist to move freely is what makes a good timpani mallet grip. I play with what is generally referred to as the French Grip or really the American Grip. The profile of this grip is that the palms of your hands face each other and that your […]
