Ask an Expert: Archive

How do you select the right timpani mallet for a hall you've never been in if you don't have someone to listen for you?

CONSIDER THE MUSIC YOU ARE PLAYING AND STAY WITHIN THE QUALITY SOUND YOU WANT TO USE FOR THE MUSIC. USUALLY THIS CONSIDERATION WORKS REGARDLESS OF THE HALL. IN EXTREME CASES YOU CAN USE THIS CONCEPT: A LIVE HALL NEEDS A HARDER MALLET TO ARTICULATE THE SOUND ( A CHURCH )– A DEAD HALL NEEDS A SOFTER MALLET TO FILL OUT THE SOUND ( OUTSIDE ). IN BOTH CASES THESE CHANGES SOUND NOT BE EXTREME. USE YOUR BEST JUDGEMENT AND REMEMBER ALL THE OTHER INSTRUMENTS WILL BE HAVING THE SAME CONSIDERATIONS TO MAKE.
JOHN H. BECK
PROFESSOR OF PERCUSSION
EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Changing timpani sticks to fit a series of new performing venues can be both time consuming, disturbing musically, and, in most cases, unnecessary. Performers spend considerable time deciding which sticks to use to articulate particular passages of music. Once those musical decisions have been made it can be risky to continually be more concerned with acoustics than the music. I very rarely changed the sticks I had chosen at my home concert hall while touring. Stick choice allows you to have a personal attachment to your music making. It is wise to maintain a personal attachment to your performance that is an “up close” relationship rather than one that is too much about “out there.” Usually the conductor will be your guide about the music “out there.” The time for experimentation is at home. There you have an opportunity to send someone out into the hall or have someone perform while you go out and listen. Judgments can be made more easily and efficiently in that setting. The only time I made, or was forced to make, stick changes was during recording sessions. The microphone is a different animal than the concert hall. Performing with sticks that seemed inappropriate musically often made interpreting the music difficult. However, it is always advisable to follow the dictates of the conductor and the recording engineer in instances where their ears are searching for something that is contrary to the dictates of your own hands and heart.
Stanley Leonard

Half of your work will be done in your own hall. The drums and sticks you use with your orchestra is a reflection of your own personality. The right timpani stick is almost always a result of what you want the music to say. Don't overwhelm yourself with too many mallets. Strive more for creating the perfect sound with your sense of touch. You can get a very athletic sound with a soft stick by simply digging in through the head in an artistic manner. Conversely you can get a liquid sound with a harder mallet by slowing the stroke down and altering your beating spot. Simply put, 85% percent of what sound you create is achieved through your touch.
That being said, you can make some assumptions immediately when you first play in a foreign hall. If the hall seems much drier than what you are accustomed, like The Academy of Music in Philadelphia, then you might need to consider a weightier mallet with a more germanic stroke to get the drums to cut through. If the sound of the hall is resonant, like Severance Hall in Cleveland, and your instrument speaks very quickly, maybe a lighter stick and touch will be appropriate. You can also have members of the percussion section listen from where they are sitting. If you are going into a hall without any kind of sound check, your before concert warm-up will have to do. Don't be too obsessed with the mallets when you are actually playing in the concert. Be extra sensitive to what your ears are telling you and to what the conductor is conveying. Knowing the score thoroughly and using your musical instincts are what make great timpanists. Best advise you can take from this is, "just play." If your sticks or instruments are not quite sounding the way you expect, stay positive and focus on the music. That will ultimately get the best result. Good luck and have fun!
Tim Genis