Scribd
Upload
174 views1 page

Timpani Playing Spot Techniques

This document discusses timpani tone production and finding the optimal playing spot on timpani drums. It explains that the playing spot, located closer to the counterhoop than the center, produces the best tone with good pitch definition, resonance, and balance of overtones. The document recommends playing in the playing spot for most strokes and rolls, as it provides continuity of sound. However, it acknowledges that playing outside the playing spot can achieve different tonal effects, such as increased articulation for measured rolls played closer to the center. It also describes one timpanist's approach of dividing the head into zones for different articulation levels when playing outside the standard playing spot.

Uploaded by

FJRA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
174 views1 page

Timpani Playing Spot Techniques

This document discusses timpani tone production and finding the optimal playing spot on timpani drums. It explains that the playing spot, located closer to the counterhoop than the center, produces the best tone with good pitch definition, resonance, and balance of overtones. The document recommends playing in the playing spot for most strokes and rolls, as it provides continuity of sound. However, it acknowledges that playing outside the playing spot can achieve different tonal effects, such as increased articulation for measured rolls played closer to the center. It also describes one timpanist's approach of dividing the head into zones for different articulation levels when playing outside the standard playing spot.

Uploaded by

FJRA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

closer to the counterhoop than on larger drums.

The playing spot, like a


sweet spot on a tennis racket, is the point at which the head produces the
most resonance, has good pitch denition, produces a long ring, and has
the best balance of partials. To nd the playing spot on any drum, start to
play successive, single strokes beginning at the center of a timpano and
moving to the counterhoop. As you do so, you will notice that the tone at
the center of the timpano is very percussive, lled with lower partials, and
without a dened pitch, resonance, and ring. As you move toward the coun-
terhoop, you will notice that the head begins to sing more, the pitch be-
comes more discernable, and the head resonates and rings more. When you
reach the playing spot, you will notice that the stroke produces a note with
good pitch denition, much resonance, a nice ring, and a good balance of
partials. As you move closer to the counterhoop, the lower partials are
lostas is the resonance and ring. The sound becomes very thin. By exper-
imenting with each drum, the timpanist will locate the optimal playing spot
on each drum. This spot will give the timpanist the best tone production,
and this is the area in which over 90 percent of the strokes will be made.
Rolls are most always executed in the playing spot; but there are ex-
ceptions. The playing spot provides a continuity of sound that is not found
toward the center or edge of the drum. At either extreme, the sound be-
comes more percussive and defeats the purpose of a roll: to produce sus-
tained sound with a denite pitch. The playing spot also produces a nice
balance of partials that gives color to the roll. It also provides full-bodied
resonance and pitch denition that is essential in a good roll. However,
there are times in which a timpanist may want to roll outside the playing
spot. Measured rolls are typically a series of semiquavers played at a quick
tempo. To sound more articulate, they may be played between the playing
spot and the center; however, so doing reduces the resonant quality of the
drum. Where a roll must come from nowhere, some timpanists will begin
to play very near the counterhoop and move slowly toward the playing
spot as they crescendo. Like a measured roll played toward the center of
the drum, rolling between the counterhoop and playing spot sacrices
tone quality. This author has found that timpanists can come from
nowhere at the playing spot if adequate attention is given to beginning in-
audibly. Of course, there may be times when playing near the counter-
hoop is either called for by the composer or for some special, tonal effect.
Some timpanists recommend playing outside the playing spot as a
matter of practice or to achieve a particular effect. Erwin C. Mueller has
written about the performance practices of Edward Metzenger, one-time
timpanist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Mueller reports that
Metzenger divides the timpano head into four concentric circles. The in-
nermost circle is around the center of the drum. Moving from the center
of the drum, there are three successive playing rings: the staccato, the
semistaccato, and the legato rings. The staccato ring is the playing spot
closest to the center ring and it provides the timpanist with the greatest
amount of articulation, but with less resonance. The semistaccato ring
produces less articulation but more resonance. The legato ring, perhaps

Theory and Practice of Timpani Tone Production 27

You might also like