To tune the timpani the player will acquire the desired note from a tuning fork, piano, marimba, or some other pitched instrument and then try to tune their drum to that pitch. The younger player or a player that hasn’t had a lot of experience in tuning might find it difficult to ‘zero in’ on […]
An Introduction to Cross Sticking on Timpani
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When you have timpani music that requires you to play quickly from one drum to the next we often have to cross stick if the tempo is very fast. I’m talking about something like this where you play 4 sixteenth notes on the high drum starting with your right hand and then 4 sixteenth notes. […]
Timpani Grip and a Simple Exercise
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There are two fundamental timpani mallet grips in use among the worlds’ timpani players. I use the French Grip which has a thumbs up and palms facing each other profile and there are many German Grip players who play with a palms down and thumbs to the side profile. The French Grip that I play […]
How to Play Timpani Rolls from Soft to Loud and Back to Soft
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The ability to play a smooth and controlled roll at all dynamics and throughout a crescendo and diminuendo is extremely important for the timpanist to develop. It is very common for composers to rely on the timpani to lead the entire orchestra in dynamics and for the timpani to create drama and mood with carefully […]
How to Tune Timpani
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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 […]
