Timpano

What it means

The timpano is a percussion instrument with a hemispherical kettle of copper or fibreglass, over which a head is stretched. Unlike most drums it has a clearly determinable pitch, which is set through the head tension — on modern instruments with a foot pedal that changes the tension steplessly, on older ones with tuning screws. Every timpano size covers a limited pitch range, which is why several instruments stand side by side in the orchestra, usually two to four.

In the notation

Timpani are notated in the bass clef with concrete pitches. In older scores they are often notated transposing as C and G, with a tuning indication at the beginning; since the nineteenth century, sounding notation has become established. Retunings are noted in the score, so that the player finds time for them in good time.

Musical use

Since the Baroque the timpani have belonged to the orchestra, at first together with trumpets in festive music, where they supported the root and fifth. With the tunable instruments of the nineteenth century their range of tasks expanded considerably: they carry intensifications, reinforce harmony changes, supply rhythmic impulses, and can appear as a solo voice. Their sound has great range — from the barely audible roll to the powerful stroke — and influences the perception of the bass in the whole orchestra.

Performance practice

Do not strike the middle of the head but about a hand's width from the edge; there the tone sounds fullest and the pitch clearest. Let the mallets spring back, instead of pressing the head down. The choice of mallet head changes the sound more strongly than the volume; keep several degrees of hardness ready. Tune quietly with the ear at the head, use a tuner if needed, and check after every retuning. Damp with the free hand if the sound is not to carry into the next section, and check the pedal mechanism before rehearsal.

Bear in mind that retunings during a movement must be planned precisely: check how much time the score allows, and tune quietly with the ear at the head or with a tuner. Note the pitch sequences of the retunings in the part. Watch the coordination with the basses, because the timpani co-carry the harmony and an impure tuning clouds the whole sound. For quiet rolls it is worthwhile to begin with very small movements close to the head. Check heads and pedal mechanism regularly.