The Well-Tempered Timpani
In Search of the Missing Fundamental

by Richard K. Jones
Second Edition 2011

Welcome to The Well-Tempered Timpani.

This WEBook grew out of a long-standing curiosity about the physics of the timpani and a desire to share my research, observations, and insights with the broader percussion community, both from the perspective of a performer and an educator. While there are many resources on technique, repertoire, method, history, and literature, few delve deeply into the physics behind fine-tuning the instrument. By this, I refer specifically to the process of adjusting, or tempering, the head so that the pitch remains uniform and stable across the entire range of the drum.

In this context, well-tempered refers to tuning each note within the normal range of the timpani so that the principal tone and upper partials blend harmoniously, both within the drum itself and with other pitched instruments in an ensemble.

My formal exploration of this subject began over forty-five years ago, during graduate studies in the physics of music. Although I had played timpani for years, I realized I did not truly understand the acoustic principles underlying its sound. That realization sparked a journey, fueled by both excitement and inquiry, to uncover what makes this instrument unique among pitched percussion.

This journey has led me through an expanding array of disciplines: acoustics, psychoacoustics, pitch discrimination theory, the historical evolution of timpani, music philology, the legacy of master timpanists, and even laws of thermodynamics and quantum mechanics. The central question has always remained: How and why do timpani sound the way they do, and how can we make them sound better?

Like all meaningful quests, this one is ongoing. I invite you to join me in this exploration.

I hope you find this WEBook both enjoyable and insightful.

Richard K. Jones

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