How Stick Placement Influences Articulation

Semantics aside, the terms legato and staccato are generally used to describe the opposite ends of the articulation spectrum for timpani sound. Every young timpanist is taught the concept of the legato and staccato stroke, and the difference between a legato and staccato stick. They are also taught that placing pitches in the different ranges of the drums will help with articulation/sustain due to the higher/lower tension of the head. The mature player can generate multiple articulations no matter the stick choice, or the amount of tension placed on the head.

legato: in a smooth, flowing manner, without breaks between notes.

staccato: with each sound or note sharply detached or separated from the others.

What do these terms mean to the timpanist? How do they interpret them? Can the timpanist go beyond stick choice, stroke, and head tension to accomplish this sound?

For quick hand-to hand playing on the same drum, the timpanist has multiple methods under her/his control for generating a difference in sound between a fast articulate rhythm, and a smooth sustained roll. The usual approach is via a combination of head tension, stick choice, and manipulation of one’s grip and stroke. An additional option is based on stick separation. The mature player uses all of the above to achieve the desired effects. Many players, however, are unaware how stick placement affects the sound output.

The finer points of mastering articulation via head tension, grip, stroke, roll speed, the amount of time the stick is in contact with the head etc. (i.e. technique) will be left for another discussion (and to the opinion of the timpanist reader 🙂 Only stick placement on the head, and the physics of how that affects the sound will be addressed here.

When a timpano head is well-tempered, the player can strike the drum at multiple spots around the circumference of the head without generating any discernible pitch discrepancy. This provides the player with a wider palette of tonal colors, as well as more articulation options.

When the head is well-tempered, more of the higher preferred “harmonic” modes will be present in the spectrum. When aligned properly, these preferred “harmonic” modes are what give the timpano its sense of pitch.  The preferred “harmonic” modes of an air loaded vibrating membrane (i.e. a timpani head) vibrate in “pie like” sections. Halves, quarters, sixths, eights, tenths, twelfths etc. The video below demonstrates this phenomenon. Beginning with the principal tone mode 1,1 (what we hear as the pitch of the drum) successive preferred modes are added to the spectrum up to mode 6,1.

All preferred “harmonic” modes in motion.

Preferred “Harmonic Modes 1,1 Through 6,1

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