O/T: timpani question

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Hector Pascal
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Post by Hector Pascal » Sun Jul 02, 2017 5:58 am

How many seconds are required for a high school timpanist (29in with pedal) to change from a Gb (bottom line) to A (bottom space)? Is 2 seconds enough (1 bar of dotted crotchet = 68)

If you need more specifics: They play Gb on beat 1 of bar 9, it rings on for the remainder of that bar, then bar 10 is empty, and he/she plays A at beginning of bar 11.

Thoughts?
HP


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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Sun Jul 02, 2017 6:17 am

I suppose that the two pitches (Gb and A) are played on the same timpano, right?

But then the timpanist can not use the pedal until the Gb has stopped “ringing” (= until the empty measure 10), right?

Which means that the timpanist has less than 1 second, right?

I could be wrong here, but I think that 2 seconds would be enough time.
At least the timpanists I have been playing with, can do it in 2 seconds.

Some timpanists can also do it in 1 second.

If I were you, I would ask the timpanist.
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Hector Pascal
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Post by Hector Pascal » Sun Jul 02, 2017 6:31 am

Hi Peter,

Yes, on the one timpani.

The whole bar 10 is OK to be damped to accommodate the pedal change (full 2 secs in bar 10), then play new note at bar 11.

True, what you say, i should ask the timpanist, but it's sometime in the future.... not sure who it will be.


Cheers and thanks,
HP.

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MikeHalloran
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Post by MikeHalloran » Mon Jul 03, 2017 3:04 am

It depends on the tympanum.

Plenty of time with pedal tympani. One sets the pitches needed before the performance — little tabs slide to mark the exact position (at least on the ones I used to play). Play the drum, damp with hand while moving to next pitch.

There are some older style tympani out there that use large screws to change pitch. I don't think 2 seconds is enough time.
Mike Halloran

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Hector Pascal
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Post by Hector Pascal » Mon Jul 03, 2017 4:29 am

Another question:

I notated my timpani rolls with a trill line. This played back perfectly. Then I read in two books that it is better to use three slash marks on the note stems for rolls. Does anyone know how to get the latter to playback? It's not playing back for me....

Cheers,
HP.

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motet
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Post by motet » Mon Jul 03, 2017 5:06 am

How did you make the slashes?

Hector Pascal
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Post by Hector Pascal » Tue Jul 04, 2017 12:03 am

Hi motet,

In answer to your question:

I used the articulation tool to add articulation number 40.

Here is a picture displaying the slashes that I've placed, along with the dialog box showing number 40. When number 40 didn't work, I tried number 41, but that doesn't work either.

Cheers,
Hector.
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N Grossingink
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Post by N Grossingink » Tue Jul 04, 2017 12:24 am

I'd suggest #39. The others are far too wide.

N.
N. Grossingink
Educational Band, Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble a specialty
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motet
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Post by motet » Tue Jul 04, 2017 1:53 am

Yes, I've never seen those before--did you create them? HP is hardwired to recognize certain articulations, so try 39. In the default Finale document for 2014.5 it's numbered 34, though.
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Hector Pascal
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Post by Hector Pascal » Tue Jul 04, 2017 4:12 am

Bingo!

Number 39 plays back perfectly. Thank you N. and motet!

PS: I don't recall ever making those longer versions of the slashes.

Cheers and thanks again,
HP.

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N Grossingink
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Post by N Grossingink » Tue Jul 04, 2017 6:36 pm

#40 and 41 look like tremolo slashes to fake the display of a tremolo between 2 notes. Now that we have Easy Tremolos and the full TG Tools, they're pretty much obsolete.

N.
N. Grossingink
Educational Band, Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble a specialty
Sample: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pFF5OeJDeLFGHMRyXrubFqZWXBubErw4/view?usp=share_link


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