Questions tagged [timpani]
Pitched percussion instruments, usually arranged in a set of four, played by one musician. Also known as kettledrums, common in symphony orchestras.
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Is it common in modern classical music for timpani to play chromatic passages?
As far as I know, timpani are traditionally tuned only to the tonic, perfect fourth, and perfect fifth of the main scale of the piece. I also know that over time, various devices like pedals and ...
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Timpani roll help
I have 2 days until my concert and I still can’t figure out how to do a timpani roll, and no one will help me. Can anyone help me with how I do the roll? (because I am struggling a lot)
I’m struggling ...
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Can these two timpani play C-G as well as low E-flat?
I'm working on a piece that needs to use the same instrumentation as a classical-period piece. In the piece, the timpani uses exclusively this G and C.
For my work, I desperately want to use a low E-...
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Can one performer manage striking tubular bells and timpani simultaneously?
Assuming a professional performer with adequate equipment, can a single percussionist play a single stroke on both a timpani and a set of tubular bells at the same time (one with each hand)? The ...
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What is this part of a kettledrum?
Here is a picture of a kettledrum (from here). What is the name and function of the thing behind the pedal that is indicated in red?
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Question about tempo markings on timpani part
I’m playing a timpani part in 4/4 at 132 BPM. 4 measures into the excerpt, there is a “dotted quarter note equals quarter note” marking. In this new section (still in 4/4), there are still eighth ...
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Timpani alternative in the band room
I’m looking for a cheaper alternative to the timpani, that may be used in a middle school band.
Any Ideas?
Thanks in advance.
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Do I need to worry about Tympani glissando here?
So I have come across another thing that some people have said about my Pathetique Sonata orchestration. That is that my tympani pitch changes are too quick and that there will be glissando on the ...
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Will a forte tympani overpower a quiet orchestra?
So far, I have been mainly using the tympani in my orchestration of the Pathétique Sonata for the purpose of adding an accent. It might change later on to having a more important role but right now, ...
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Extra tremolo beams in timpani part
I’m transposing some music (Gusty Garden Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy) in Medly. Looking at the sheet music I came across this in the timpani part:
Does anyone know what this means? because I have ...
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Timpani notes for Bruckner's 7th Symphony
For Bruckner's 7th Symphony, the Timpani notes appear as:
1st movement (E major):
2nd movement (C# minor):
3rd movement (A minor):
4th movement (E major):
The thing is, Bruckner uses only the ...
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Can a timpani player play more than one note at a time?
Is it possible for a timpani player to play multiple notes at the same time such as a guitar or piano player would do?
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Why were timpani tuned most often in tonic-dominant?
The timpani tonic-dominant tunings appear like below for instances:
The image above shows examples of the tonic-dominant timpani tunings of certain orchestral pieces in all 12 major / minor common ...
user53472
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(0,1), (0,2) and (0,3) modes of vibration for a timpani
For a timpani, when hitting it in the center, how do you produce these three modes of vibration? Second mode has a higher frequency than the first, does that imply do you hit the timpani harder?
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Timpani Choke Notation
I'm writing a timpani part for a concert band score. I've seen timpanist "choke" the note with their hand (on the head) after striking it to stop it from sustaining. How can I notate this?
user33976
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Scoring for timpani
I have a mini-score of Beethoven's Eroica Symphony (Edition Eulenburg).
In the first movement, the timpani line specifies Eb and Bb which is not surprising since the piece is in Eb. The surprising ...
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How to stylistically prepare symphonic pieces for auditions
I was wondering what the general thought is behind preparing symphonic pieces for an audition for band at a University. The pieces have already been chosen, so what I am considering is whether to ...
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Should fast timpani notes be treated as a roll?
I know this could vary from piece to piece, but if there are no specific articulation markings or mallet suggestions, would it be safe to simply play extended measures of quick timpani notes as a roll?...
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Do timpani have access to all notes in their playing range?
I understand that timpani normally have a tuning mechanism, usually involving a pedal that controls the tension on the drum surface, which allows the timpanist to play a range of melodies. However, it ...
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How can I tune my timpani to different pitches just using a tuning fork or pitch pipe
Ok. So I consider myself to have pretty good pitch. If you give me a few seconds after you sound a note, I can tell you what the note is. I can also tune a timpani to any pitch using only my mouth (...
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How should I dampen timpani?
I've been working on my timpani playing, and the music has it written in that I should dampen certain notes at various parts of the song. But having I'm having trouble figure out the best technique ...
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Why are double strokes (with the same hand) taboo on timpani but recommened on snare?
I've played snare for a few years now and all my teachers recommended that I use double strokes for evenness of sound and speed. When I started playing some more difficult timpani parts however and ...
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