Pitch is relative. You could be hearing the pitch one way while your neighbor might hear it another way. Also the "perceived" fundamental pitch on a timpani is tough to hear. The amount of overtones from a timpani note is greater than other instruments in the orchestra making that fundamental harder to pinpoint. Also just because someone has "perfect pitch" doesn't mean he/she is playing every note in tune.
12:20 awesome pedelling technique :-D I never knew this was possible! (But please don't tell *too* may composers about this ;-) To me, the character of the timp comes from playing a fixed set of pitches - and then another, not jumping around....
Great video! But I just have one question! Why is not good practice to get the note from meldoic instruments? We usually hit the note, sing it, then tune, is this not all swell doings?
A question about the sit vs stand for playing. While sitting is preferable, I am only 5'6" and have found it difficult to comfortably reach the pedals and have good hand posture at the same time. I have been playing for a long time and have adapted but any suggestions would be appreciated. The pedals are not the clutch type, rather common Ludwig type.
Do you incorporate humming the desired pitch (while tuning) "into" (just above) the drum head? This is silent and can be heard by the timpanist in most situations.
All good info… but…. An additional concept to NOT MISS… Ultimately when playing with an orchestra the tympanist should be also focused on either the lowest brass or the lowest strings…. And TUNE TO THEM… your fork, your gauges, your technique don’t matter if your not in tune with the orchestra. I had an exceptional “tympani pitch training boot camp” … I was also a full time piano tuner . So yes… I was ( not talented) but certainly always “training my ear”… I remember THE MILLISECOND… when I realized that I was “ getting it”… I was playing with an orchestra in Washington DC… NOPE … not the National…. ( I don’t even remember if it was a concert or a rehearsal)… but.. During a piece…. The low brass, the low strings and I were all “ SUPPOSED” to be playing a longish pitch in unison…. The brass section was in tune with each other… and the low stings were in tune with each other….. BUT THEY WERE NOT IN TUNE WITH EACH OTHER…. WAAAAAY off…. I remember looking up at the conductor with a “ NOW WHAT !,!??” When you can hear “ inside the sections”… and can get a sense of TUNING TO THEM…you’re on your way. On your time off…. Pick up a guitar or bass and practice tuning it…. Hearing “ tuning” from different perspectives may help some see and hear their own instruments more clearly. PLEASE DO NOT….. DO NOT…try to tune a local church or school piano as ear training practice… There are a ton of variables to understand when tuning pianos… Including NONE of the pitch intervals are actually “ perfectly in tune” and even the octaves are larger spread than “ mathematically “ pure octaves. ( play middle A440 and then play the A two and three octaves higher… if upper octaves sound sharp… you’re not wrong…THEY ARE) also… the piano strings must “ slide across” the various bearing edges ( the bridge, capo and other pressure point areas…) AND the tuning pins themselves twist and bend…. it take a LOT of experience to both tune to the right pitch AND stabilize all of the “ mechanical issues”…. Steinway are one of the hardest to stabilize…. Yamahas are one of the easiest to hear…. Without supervision please do not….. try this on your own… I was almost fired when I tuned a concert piano at a college earlier in the day… and then I got a call back for the terrible tuning…I rushed back to the piano… and I was surprised at how badly it sounded….. I eventually put subtle info together and learned that one of the students had some tuning tools…. Frankly my tunings were not THE best but they were fine… and they WERE more stable…they stayed where Input them.. SOMEBODY was practicing … and I almost got fired….
I learned more about timpani tuning in these 17 minutes than I did my 4 years of playing thank you
That’s a sad news
Tim has taken over the legacy of the late great Vic Firth with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Bravo to you , Tim
I am a professional timpanist as well, your video was so pedagogical Thanks Tim!
Pitch is relative. You could be hearing the pitch one way while your neighbor might hear it another way. Also the "perceived" fundamental pitch on a timpani is tough to hear. The amount of overtones from a timpani note is greater than other instruments in the orchestra making that fundamental harder to pinpoint. Also just because someone has "perfect pitch" doesn't mean he/she is playing every note in tune.
You mean timpani is a transposer instrument?
@@gustavohenrique2979 What
Wonderfully clear and helpful, Tim! I’m going to recommend this video to all my students.
You're awesome, man! Great sense of humor and extremely informative. Subbed!
thank you, Tim Genis! Great information and nice humour!
12:20 awesome pedelling technique :-D I never knew this was possible! (But please don't tell *too* may composers about this ;-) To me, the character of the timp comes from playing a fixed set of pitches - and then another, not jumping around....
This was great- really covered more than I was wondering about getting into it... but glad I know it know... But wish I had a chance to still play
I'm new to playing timpani.... I learned alot in this video. THANKS ! ! !
Tim Genius
Superb tutorial for a drumkit player adding some timpani to a recording session!
Thank you very much for information!!!
Great video
Great video Tim. Could you please talk about how to tune a Timpani to itself?
Ok this was funny but also useful to watch .I am playing timpani for the first time in a wind orchestra I’m playing phantasmagoria 😀👍for a competition
Great video! But I just have one question! Why is not good practice to get the note from meldoic instruments? We usually hit the note, sing it, then tune, is this not all swell doings?
i didint found the link to dowload the songs... can you put it here plis?
A question about the sit vs stand for playing. While sitting is preferable, I am only 5'6" and have found it difficult to comfortably reach the pedals and have good hand posture at the same time. I have been playing for a long time and have adapted but any suggestions would be appreciated. The pedals are not the clutch type, rather common Ludwig type.
You could tilt the drums which will bring the rim lower and make it so you won't risk getting a rim shot.
Do you incorporate humming the desired pitch (while tuning) "into" (just above) the drum head? This is silent and can be heard by the timpanist in most situations.
What's the piece in the intro?? : o
Also thank you!
edit: Love that your list of music with specific intervals include 3 melodies by John Williams.
How i can buy a timpani?
And I'm sitting here using a tuner on my phone
Tim genis? More like Tim-pani geni-u-s
You never hit the center of the head? 😊
Me encanta el video pero lo necesito en español
Lo siento .. no hablo español
@@timgenis7544 I offer as a volunteer for a translation. It will be amazing to have such a valuable material available to Hispanic viewers
All good info… but….
An additional concept to NOT MISS…
Ultimately when playing with an orchestra the tympanist should be also focused on either the lowest brass or the lowest strings…. And TUNE TO THEM… your fork, your gauges, your technique don’t matter if your not in tune with the orchestra.
I had an exceptional “tympani pitch training boot camp” … I was also a full time piano tuner . So yes… I was ( not talented) but certainly always “training my ear”…
I remember THE MILLISECOND… when I realized that I was “ getting it”…
I was playing with an orchestra in Washington DC… NOPE … not the National….
( I don’t even remember if it was a concert or a rehearsal)… but..
During a piece…. The low brass, the low strings and I were all “ SUPPOSED” to be playing a longish pitch in unison…. The brass section was in tune with each other… and the low stings were in tune with each other….. BUT THEY WERE NOT IN TUNE WITH EACH OTHER….
WAAAAAY off…. I remember looking up at the conductor with a “ NOW WHAT !,!??”
When you can hear “ inside the sections”… and can get a sense of TUNING TO THEM…you’re on your way.
On your time off…. Pick up a guitar or bass and practice tuning it…. Hearing “ tuning” from different perspectives may help some see and hear their own instruments more clearly.
PLEASE DO NOT….. DO NOT…try to tune a local church or school piano as ear training practice…
There are a ton of variables to understand when tuning pianos…
Including NONE of the pitch intervals are actually “ perfectly in tune” and even the octaves are larger spread than “ mathematically “ pure octaves. ( play middle A440 and then play the A two and three octaves higher… if upper octaves sound sharp… you’re not wrong…THEY ARE) also… the piano strings must “ slide across” the various bearing edges ( the bridge, capo and other pressure point areas…) AND the tuning pins themselves twist and bend…. it take a LOT of experience to both tune to the right pitch AND stabilize all of the “ mechanical issues”…. Steinway are one of the hardest to stabilize…. Yamahas are one of the easiest to hear…. Without supervision please do not….. try this on your own…
I was almost fired when I tuned a concert piano at a college earlier in the day… and then I got a call back for the terrible tuning…I rushed back to the piano… and I was surprised at how badly it sounded….. I eventually put subtle info together and learned that one of the students had some tuning tools…. Frankly my tunings were not THE best but they were fine… and they WERE more stable…they stayed where Input them.. SOMEBODY was practicing … and I almost got fired….
I didn't know that a Super Mario Odyssey speed runner had to be tuned.