sively penetrate the head will give an increasingly darker sound.

By con-
trast, the opening four measures of the third movement would not, in my
estimation, need to be darkened. Here it is important that this passage be
played cleanly with no tonal shading. See the companion Web site for a
marked timpani part.

Changing Tone by Changing the Grip

As described above, the timpanists style has an impact on the sound that
is produced. Parts of that style include standing or sitting, the amount of
motion the arm and upper body put into a stroke, the construction of the
sticks, the choice of timpani, and the kind of grip. Without doubt, the grip
is one of the most important factors in tone production. Where the stick is
held, the extent to which the hand is turned over, the amount of contact
the stick has with the hand, and the balance point of the stick are impor-
tant factors shaping the tonal characteristics of a stroke. First, how the
stick is held is important. The French grip permits timpanists to play more
easily near the top of the head, and this produces a clearer, more transpar-
ent tone without an overabundance of lower partials. The German grip
produces a much darker sound, in part because the stick penetrates the
drumhead to a greater extent. A remarkable range of tone can be made by
starting a roll with a French grip and slowly rotating the thumbs inward
(continuing to grip the stick with the thumb and forenger). Turning in-
ward even one-eighth of a turn produces a noticeable darkening of the
sound. Thus, simply rotating the position of the hands can be effectively
used to darken the sound that is produced.
There are two other factors that inuence tone production. The rst is
the degree of nger contact with the stick. Among those who use the French
grip, some use very little third, fourth, and fth nger contact with the stick.
This produces a lighter soundone that emphasizes the upper partials.
Cloyd Duff and his students believe that allowing the ngers to ride the
stick improves the quality of sound. It effectively adds body or color to an
already lighter sound without losing its clarity or transparency. Second,
where one holds the mallet impacts tone production. Holding the stick
with the butt ush with the end of the hand produces a darker sound than
holding the stick where the end of the stick protrudesperhaps three
inches from the back of the hand. In the latter case, the sound is very thin
and devoid of character. This bodiless sound results from the mallet head
playing very much off the top of the drumhead. In the former case, hold-
ing the stick at the butt permits the stick to ruthlessly penetrate the head,
producing a more articulate, stied, and darker sound. Somewhere in be-
tween these extremes is the place where the best sound is produced for
normal playing. Knowing where to hold the stick is important in getting
the proper sound for the proper passage. For example, beginning at re-
hearsal 12 of Maurice Ravels Bolero, the timpanist can progressively bring
out more timpani tambre by turning over the hand, wrapping the ngers

Theory and Practice of Timpani Tone Production 21