Sam's+Timpani+Project

The Timpani ​​ The Timpani is a percussion instrument that is struck by a soft ended mallet. Timpani’s are made from animal skin. Some Timpani’s are made from vellum (calf skin).

These are the parts of a Timpani (Picture to the right)

​ **Parts of** **the The Timpano**


 * Pedal: On the picture above you will see a pedal. This is used to tune the Timpani.
 * CTS: The Central Tuning Screw (CTS) is another way of tuning.
 * Tension Screw: To tighten or losen the skin of the drum.
 * Beaters: Beaters are used to strike the drum.
 * Striking Point: The spot you strike the drum. You can strike the drum in different spots for a different sound.
 * Resonator: With out this there would be no sound.

Ancient Times
The earliest mention of timpani is in the Bible, which refers to a kettledrum called "throph" used in the times of the ancient Hebrew kings David and Solomon. Also, the Moon of Pejeng, located in modern-day Indonesia, is known as the largest single-cast bronze kettle drum in the world and might have been made as far back as 2,000 years ago.

Proliferation
Although there is evidence that timpani might have existed in Europe before the 13th century, it was when the Crusaders returned from their expeditions in the Middle East that European use of the instruments proliferated, primarily for military purposes. Small enough to use while mounted on horseback, timpani became highly sought and treasured items by European kings, most notably Ladislaus V (1440-1457), the king of Bohemia and Hungary who sent larger-sized kettledrums with a legation to King Charles VII of France (1403-1461). Within two centuries, timpani were manufactured with screws, securing the skin over the drum and defining pitch; and was established alongside trumpets as primary instruments of the cavalry.

Orchestral Use
People began to use timpani, however, for other applications. Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) is the first known composer to use them for a music piece (1675's "Thesee"). Others followed suit, particularly Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) for a cantana he first performed in 1733.

19th Century
It was Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) who made timpani major instruments in his compositions, particularly "Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61" (1806) and his Ninth Symphony (1824). Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) used several timpanists at once in his "Symphonic Fantastique" piece (1830). By this time, several technical improvements were made to timpani, which included more rapid tuning, particularly with pedals; more variety in the metal used for drum manufacture; and different makes of mallets for hitting the drums, which was an innovation of Berlioz.

Today
Timpani today comes in all shapes and sizes: from big, grounded ones to small drums of fiberglass used in orchestras, marching bands, and even some rock and jazz concerts and recordings.

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How the sound is produced
The sound is produced when you strike the head with mallets causing the head to vibrate. The tension of the head determines the exact pitch. A looser tension creates a lower pitch and a tighter tension creates a higher pitch.

What is the timpano made of
Also know as the kettledrums, timpani are made of copper (or fiberglass) shells, each fitted with a head of plastic or calfskin which is held in place by a metal ring. A soft or hard padded mallet is used to play them a pedal is attached to each timpani which changes the tightness or Looseness of the head, therefore adjusting the pitch. Some timpano have a indicator of what key the timpano is in. When you move the pedal the arrow pointing to the letter of which the key is in will move up and down, so you can choose what key you want it in.