Learn from the Cavies' pit!
Scott Wilkinson
instruments over the past few years has consistently been bigger,
richer, and more beautiful than anyone else. I'm assuming (from what I
can see) that this is because they use softer mallets throughout the
show, and often double (or triple?) the same marimba and/or vibe parts
for more volume (which better enables the use of soft mallets
throughout). And, of course, the arranging is excellent!
I'm not bashing other pits--all were excellent, and great players were
everywhere...but other pits definitely have a more "plinkety-plink"
sound in comparison to the Cavies (e.g. harder mallets, more use of
bells and xylophone, etc.).
Finally--and I'm on record as saying this before--DCI timpanists are
still sub-par. My apologies to those of you who think you're awesome.
You're good (sometimes very good), but far from the quality of most of
the top orchestral timpanists today. Go study with a great timpanist
like Roland Kohloff or Vic Firth or Randy Max. And get your butts off
those stools! You'd be amazed at how freedom of movement can improve a
timpanist! (And don't tell me you can't do tuning changes while
standing--what's wrong? Got weak knees?)
Scott
Forme2no101
can really improve the difficulty of parts. I think that it is nearly
impossible to play a walking bass line standing up. I think it would distract
from the rest of the pit while the timpanist is hopping up and down from left
to right foot tuning a G blues bass line! If the timpanist has a stool he/she
will have improved balence and more accurate tunings. It is very possible while
standing and playing to fall foreward making a note that is so far off it
cannot be hidden (it's happened to me!!). These are just the opinions of a 17
year old but i think they are valid since i think other Timpanists agree.
Jpmunroe33
drum corps show? The tuning demands are much greater than most orchestral
parts, and the performer is often required to tune all four drums within the
matter of seconds. I have done this, and it is nearly impossible w/out using a
stool, tuning two drums at once, then the other 2 or 3.
Give them a break, most of them are playing some serious parts.
RKNREB
Cam Griffith
Timpani Roch Crusaders
1997-present
Scott Wilkinson
I appreciate your points about sitting making tuning changes easier.
Yes, I've been a professional timpanist for years, and I've played
parts easily as difficult as any drum corps timpani book while
standing. I have no trouble pedaling up a scale with one foot while
standing.
Sure, tuning while standing is harder. But playing timpani isn't all
about tuning, and shouldn't be all about making the parts as difficult
as possible by requiring constant tuning changes.
A *big* part of playing timpani is showmanship. You're playing the
largest, most powerful drums in the world, and you should look like
you are--not working at a desk in a laboratory. There is nothing more
boring to watch that someone sitting bolt upright on a stool, barely
moving while they play. Conversely, there is nothing more exciting
than seeing someone move their entire body over the drums as they
play, moving with the music and using more than their wrists to
produce a big sound.
On this latter point of sound, it is entirely possible to get a bigger
sound from the timpani than what I hear most corps players
getting--without overplaying or losing tone quality. But it's
difficult to do from a sitting position. You need to be able to play
*into* the heads, down to the bottom of drum, and not just *off* the
heads.
Believe me--I know timpani very well. I studied for years with Saul
Goodman and Roland Kohloff at Juilliard, and have played in
professional orchestras both here and abroad. I'm not tootin' my own
horn, just suggesting that there is much more to timpani than what is
routinely demonstrated by most DCI timpanists. I'd be happy to give
anybody advice who wants it. <smile>
Scott
Scotty
can equal the flexibility and projection of the great 27th Lancers and
Phantom Regiment marching tympani lines ca. 1978 - 1980. I understand
that marching tympani would be difficult for anyone to pull off, since
this has become a lost art (although the demand scores would certainly
be high if someone could). Also, I doubt if anyone manufactures
hand-crank fiberglass tymps any more. An alternative would be to have
two or three dedicated tympanists in the pit, maybe even 4, and just
give one drum per player. That would really allow for some fascinating
writing, and would really add to the show.
Michael Cahill
Scott Wilkinson wrote:
> You need to be able to play *into* the heads, down to the bottom
> of drum, and not just *off* the heads.
Mr. Duff would disagree.
Cheers,
Michael Cahill
JSUdrum78
they project so much more than any other front ensemble out there. You are
right on about the mallets they use giving them a warmer sound. It is really
amazing how much volume they produce without losing any sound quality or over
playing the instruments. I have noticed this for several years now, but it was
much more apparent this year. That may have been because the music was
arranged so well. At the JSU show I was sitting just a few rows up from the
front sideline and I was able to really compare the pits and it was no-contest
that Cavies produced the most and best quality sound. Just my few cents
worth...
Brian Collis
Jacksonville St. University
Spirit '99
Quadman
I have to agree with you, Scotty. Listen to the 1981 27th Lancers'
tympani in the opener ("Crown Imperial"); simply amazing playing and
intonation. This could NEVER be performed by a solo tympanist.
Phantom's tymp line in 1979 was equally impressive, especially in the
opener (Saint-Saens' "Symphony No. 3") and the drum solo (Grieg's
"March of the Dwarfs"). When Phantom brought back the Saint-Saens
piece in 1990, they cut out an entire section that they had performed
in 1979, probably because they had no tympani section to play the
important part.
Santa Clara also marched a couple of good tympani lines, especially in
1979. They marched with no legs in the tymps (i.e. they carried the
instruments for the entire 13.5 minutes of the show). Of course, the
Vanguard's 1979 drum line, with its unparalled 12-man snare line and
perfectly tuned Slingerland Cut-a-Way tri-toms, set a standard of
musical excellence that still stands up today.
Perhaps some adventurous corps (maybe Phantom or SCV) might use
marching tympani for its opener. What a blast it would be to see a
"vintage" tympani line charging toward the front sideline, perfectly
executing split parts and quick tuning, even if for only a few minutes
of the show!
Skywnch320970
>tympani in the opener ("Crown Imperial"); simply amazing playing and
>intonation. This could NEVER be performed by a solo tympanist.
>Phantom's tymp line in 1979 was equally impressive, especially in
>the
>opener (Saint-Saens' "Symphony No. 3") and the drum solo (Grieg's
>"March of the Dwarfs"). When Phantom brought back the Saint-Saens
>piece in 1990, they cut out an entire section that they had performed
>in 1979, probably because they had
>no tympani section to play the
>important part.
my friend mark was in that tympani line. part of the reason i marched phantom.
if he could do it, i could do it. and i DID! my dad was proud of both of
us....
Ü
jan
The High Weeble
forme...@aol.com (Forme2no101) wrote in message news:<20010813145228...@mb-ma.aol.com>...
Scott Wilkinson
who is opposed to this on the grounds that they are "ancient history"
is a moron.
Look at bass lines today--I've got news for you--a good marching
timpani line could do anything a bass line could do...and with melody
and harmony!
Yes--Phantom Regiment 1979's timp line was awesome--just awesome. They
totally did things no single timp player could ever do--and played
with far more projection!
Further, marching timpani were one of those cool things that made drum
corps unique--you rarely (or never) saw them in high school bands.
Scott
James C. Nevermann
>
> I agree--marching timpani should DEFINITELY be brought back. Anyone
> who is opposed to this on the grounds that they are "ancient history"
> is a moron.
Wrong. "Ancient history" has nothing to do with it. Practicality does.
Period.
Marching tymps disappeared because they were unwieldy to march with,
heavy to march with, and --in the vast majority of corps drumlines--
seldom usefully heard unless they marched near the sidelines... and
then only in the less field drum-intensive portions of shows. During
the few years of their existence and with vanishingly few exceptions,
marching tymps were essentially little more than expensive,
truck-space gobbling, "us too" indoor percussion instruments lugged
out and around on football fields... primarily of greatest benefit to
their manufacturers.
But that's changed today. We know better now. The Millenium has
arrived. We are enlightened.
Never mind that pedal tymps are certainly more truck-space gobbling
than marching tymps, significantly heavier than marching tymps, more
unwieldy than marching tymps, and much, Much, MUCH more expensive to
purchase, maintain and golf-cart around than marching tymps... but, by
golly... you CAN at least hear them more than marching tymps!
> Look at bass lines today--I've got news for you--a good marching
> timpani line could do anything a bass line could do...and with melody
> and harmony!
You have no news for me. As a whole, marching tymps didn't project nor
direct their sound nearly as much as bass drums did/do. See, that was
a distinct problem when marching tymps came out: most instructors
equated one with the other and clearly didn't understand the role of
tympany.
> Yes--Phantom Regiment 1979's timp line was awesome--just awesome. They
> totally did things no single timp player could ever do--and played
> with far more projection!
The 1979 PR had no marching tymp line. Instead, there were two sets of
concert tympany with two players. So, yes, "they totally did things no
single timp player could ever do".
> Further, marching timpani were one of those cool things that made drum
> corps unique--you rarely (or never) saw them in high school bands.
"Cool" only if you weren't the one carrying them around, finding a
place to store them, and --most importantly-- scrambling to find the
cash to pay for them.
Tympany are very fine, very expensive, **indoor** concert instruments.
--
Jim Nevermann
[usual disclaimers]
PR drum instructor '72-75
Wrigleyfied
>concert tympany with two players. So, yes, "they totally did things no
>single timp player could ever do".
>
Looks like I'm the first.
You're thinking of Phantom 1982, the Spartacus 2.0 show, starring Gregg Gilboe
and Marcus Anthony. in 1979 they still had a 4-man marching timp line.
IMO, both years were awesome, for different reasons.
What made me want to play timpani in corps was the opportunity to solo on an
instrument. I didn't want to be one player in a four- or eight-man line, but I
got lucky with a great keyboard section. (Knights 83, listen to the records if
you don't remember.) Marching tymps are impossible for one guy to play a modern
book to because of the simple practicality of having to crank them. And those
four and five man timp lines (Troopers! 27! Phantom! IN EXCELSIS DEO!) coming
at you had no bass to them, ie nothing lower than maybe a Bb. That pretty much
eliminates the low concert drum right there.
So as cool as those timp lines were, they're less than practical.
Tom Shea
Knights 83-88
Timpani 83-87
YOU try hauling them someday, mello-boy
