Mitchell Peters – Fundamental Method for Timpani - Etude 53

Notes from Matthew Cook, Los Angeles Percussion Quartet

Mallet Recommendation This etude features mostly fast, articulate playing that presents opportunities to showcase extreme dynamic moments. A relatively hard mallet that can reach both volume spectrums will be the best choice. There are also a few short rolls in this, but not enough moments to require a legato mallet. To ensure smooth rolls and to avoid hearing roll speeds, make sure that the mallet has at least a “medium” layer of felt.

BT-5 – Bamboo Timpani / Medium Hard

Sticking This etude is mainly a challenge of navigating your drums. Before you begin, go through and mark sticking choice for every note.

• Practicing with the same sticking every time is essential for muscle memory and confident

performance. • When possible, avoid crossing your mallets over each other for best sound quality

Timing/Click Instructions A challenging aspect of this etude, are the time signature changes from ¾ to “Cut Time”. Practice along with the click track I created to ensure that your timing is accurate.

• You can load the track in to free computer programs like “Audacity” that will slow it down

to whatever tempo you are practicing. (Can also be done in Logic, Protools, and others) • The file has four bars of 3/4 “count in” before you start playing. • You technically can also use this click track to make your recording (though not allowed

in live auditions). Recording with the click track will not necessarily lead to a better result, but it is certainly a powerful practice tool. It is a good idea to record yourself playing to the click track to listen back to your tendencies with timing.

Muffling Typically, when playing timpani, we want to muffle between drum changes for the clearest sound possible. This is normally to make our harmony fit with what the band or orchestra is performing. Because of the tempo in this etude, muffling will be minimal.

• Make sure to muffle drums as soon as possible before tuning changes. It's a good idea

to muffle "in time", so you don't lose track of the beat during rests.

Measures 11-14:

Measures 25-28:

• Muffle during sudden dynamic changes. Because of fast tempo, pick the drums that clutter the air the most. This will most often be drums that you don't play in the next measure. For example, in Measure 6 there is a loud F# and B natural. Because the F# isn't in Measure 7, and the speed requires you to pick a drum to muffle, I take out the F#.

Measure 6-7:

Rolls Roll speed will be quick because you’ll need to move to the next drum. I don’t always “Meter” my rolls, but because of drum navigation in this etude, I want to get out of the way and know where I am going in advance.

• Mostly, I would suggest 16th notes (which are really fast in “Cut Time”) • For rolls that crescendo (in this case, two or more beats long), I would suggest triplets.

Measure 6:

Measure 32-35:

Tuning

Make sure your timpani gauges are set and tuned accurately before you begin. This will make quick tuning changes possible. You won’t have enough time to accurately hear the pitch in the few beats of rest. Use the gauges and adjust while you’er playing.

• Practice the Etude on a marimba to memorize pitch relationship. Doing this often will help you internalize what the piece is supposed to sound like, and will help you make “real time” adjustments while you’re playing.

• Be able to sing the pitches (and practice doing so often): o F#, B, D o D going up to E o E going down to D o G going down to F# (even if you sing it several octaves higher than timpani

sound) Note about Measures 44-49 (perhaps the most difficult tuning change)

• Muffle Immediately at the end of Measure 44 • Tune the F# first (because you’ll play it first) and count really loudly in your head • Start tuning the D as soon as you can, but you will likely begin playing Measure 47

before you’re done tuning. This is OKAY! Memorize bars 47-48 so you can continue to watch the high drum as you tune down to the D

Phrasing Try to show the Time Signature with your phrasing. Doing this will help avoid the etude sounding like a flurry of notes. It’s good to give the listener these subtle reference points. I talk more about this concept in the snare drum material.

Measures 40 - 44 (I indicated phrasing here with tenuto marks for weight):