The Timpani Essay

301 Words2 Pages
The Timpani My name is Nathaniel Wilson and I am in third period concert band. My topic for this paper is the timpani. The timpani is a beautiful orchestra instrument. It actually has a long history. Also the timpani has a very beautiful look and description. Yamaha actually makes a wonderful sounding timpani called the 6200 symphonic series timpani. The timpani head is also a very key piece to the timpani. All in all the timpani is a beautiful instrument with many key features. The timpani's history actually starts a long time ago as late as the 17th century. It actually originated from many different forms of the kettledrum. It actually originated from medieval Europe. The timpani started as a kettledrum on a stand often made of wood. This was changed over the centuries until the drum and stand were merged into one object. The machine timpani was developed in the 19th century. It was made to reduce the amount of time needed for tuning. This was accomplished by turn handles which ensured equal tension at all points on the drum head. Eventually foot petals were developed to make tuning easier which is widely used today. Timpani are made in various sizes. They include a single head which is placed over a bowl-shaped shell. Timpani are usually tunable and played in pairs. The shell is made of metal, usually copper. The head is made of animal skin or plastic. There are two hoops for each head. The bottom hoop is around the edge of the head. It is attached to the shell with tension screws attached to the top hoop placed over the head. This top hoop pushes against the bottom hoop to hold the skin tight. Yamaha makes a beautiful sounding timpani called 6200m symphonic series
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