Film Music Competition

I'm not sure of the actual size - but the bigger one can go to the F below the bass stave. The smaller one I'd say to the G just above the bass stave. Hope that helps.

When you mean not very strong players are you referring to that the musicains are not very good?

I'm not sure of the actual size - but the bigger one can go to the F below the bass stave. The smaller one I'd say to the G just above the bass stave. Hope that helps.

G above the staff?! I'm sure you mean G3 and not G4!

<-----200th post! YAY!

He must mean the g on the staff.

I use a set of 5 timpani (including piccolo)
and I carefully tuned them and I can only
get the highest notes on the piccolo to be Bb
above the staff. After that, it just sounds like
a high pitch tom drum that isn't a timpani.

I think when you don't have pedal timpani, the notes that are generally used are: C and G(2nd space up, 1st line up), or D and A(up a whole step). tuning in the middle of a piece is not recommended, either, as there are no pedals.

Wait, Thomas said that the timpani can only play two notes. Which two notes?
(sry if I wasn't paying attention)

Timpani, without pedals, are able to be tuned, believe it or not. The pegs around the edge of each drum can be turned to tighten or loosen the skin, the cover of the drum. This changes what pitch the drum is.

And, as I stated in my previous post, C-G or D-A are the usual notes composers used, back in the day before pedal timpani were invented. So, in turn, it is to the composer's discretion exactly what notes the timpani have to be tuned to. Also, I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think tuning of timpani is really feasible or acceptable in the middle of a piece, so whatever notes you pick, you must stick to. The general range of timpani(if one is large and one is medium sized, which is generally the case), is low E(one line below F clef) to probably Bb(second to lowest line on F clef), for the bigger one, and C to G for the smaller one. Or, these will probably end up being the safest, if not the most accurate, notes that non-pedal timpani should be tuned to.

But is it possible for us to use different notes for this purpose?

Yes. ... I think you posted right before I was finished with my last post...

Here's a pretty dumb question. There's only one percussionist. Is this percussionist ALSO the timpanist? I assume so, but that is an important thing to realize.