Timpani Techniques by Al Payson
Clean, precise, silent muffling is an absolute necessity for polished performance.
Timpani students spend a great deal of time and thought in getting the sound of the drums properly started (tone production), but it seems that few students pay much attention to getting the sound stopped (muffling). While muffling is not one of the more difficult timpani techniques (perhaps this is why it is slighted by so many students) it is an important one. Clean, precise, silent muffling is an absolute necessity for polished performance.
One of two methods is used for muffling, depending on the dynamic level. In the pianissimo to mezze-forte (soft to medium loud range), the fingertips placed on the head at the same place where it is struck is sufficient to stop the sound. For the forte to fortissimo (loud to very loud level), however, the fingers alone are not enough to stop the sound quickly and completely. Therefore, the heel of the hand must be used in addition to the fingers. This method requires considerable more effort and practice to execute correctly. The position of the mallet in the hand must be quickly shifted to get it out of the way.
Illustration (1) below shows the bottom view of the normal playing position of the mallet in the hand when playing (using German or snare drum stick matched grip). Illustration (2) shows the bottom view of the mallet position when muffling with the heel of the hand and fingers. The darkened areas show where the hand and fingers are in contact with the head.
Note in illustration (2) that the shaft of the mallet is at a right angle to the hand. Also notice that the side of the thumb is touching the head with the other four fingers in order to maximize the hand contact. One should invest enough practice time to execute this muffling technique smoothly, quickly and silently with either right or left hand. A common fault is to muffle no more firmly after a fortissimo stroke than after a mezzo-forte stroke. One should keep in mind when practicing muffling that enough pressure must be applied to stop the sound immediately and completely.
TIMING
The precise timing of muffling is important in order to produce the exact note that the composer notated. This is accomplished by muffling "in rhythm." For example, in illustration (3) below, in order to give the quarter notes their full value, one would muffle exactly on the count of "2" and "4". In illustration "4" the heads would be muffled exactly on the "and after 1" and the "and after 3". In illustration (5) the drums must be muffled exactly on the 16th rest and "1" and on the 16th rest after "3".
Note in the above illustration that both drums are always muffled, even though only one is struck. This is to prevent the drum which is not struck from ringing "sympathetically," or in reaction to the sound vibrations from the other timpani. When using more than two drums, a general rule to follow is to muffle the last two drums struck, then go immediately to the other drums, as in illustration (6) below.
Producing the exact note value notated is not, of course, an inviolable rule. There are occasions when, for musical reasons, one will let a note ring longer than notated. Also, in some passages there simply is not sufficient time to muffle. However when a note value is altered it should be based on conscious musical decision. One should not allow the timing of muffling to become haphazard.
STRIKING AND MUFFLING SIMULTANEOUSLY
There are occasions when it's necessary or desirable to strike one drum while at the same instant muffling the other drum. The purpose of this technique is to prevent the sound of one drum from "bleeding" into the sound of the other. One place where this technique is sometimes used is at a major cadence point, particularly one in which the pitch of the next-to-last drum stick does not blend with the final chord (illustration 7 below).
Another musical situation in which this type of muffling is often used is when the drums are tuned to close intervals of a major second or minor second. If this technique is not used, the clash of pitches in certain passages where one drum is struck immediately after the other can be almost painful to hear. To dramatize this point, play the following: illustration 8 at the forte dynamic level without muffling at all. Then play it again, muffling as indicated.
Muffling one drum while simultaneously striking another presents a small coordination problem. It should be practiced slowly at first, striving for accuracy and smoothness with both hands. Gradually increased the speed until it can be done very quickly, even at loud dynamic levels.
NOTATED MUFFLING
Elliott Carter explores the tonal possibilities of timpani quite extensively in his Eight Pieces Solo Timpani. One of the interesting tonal effects he used is notated muffling. That is to say, after a rapid passage which leaves two or more drums ringing, he sometimes notates at which precise point each drum is to be muffled. Following are two examples:
'TAPERED' MUFFLING
Sometimes it is musically more appropriate to stop the sound of the drumhead gradually rather than suddenly. This so-called 'tapered' muffling can be done by placing the fingers onto the head one at a time instead of simultaneously. It is ordinarily accomplished by simply rolling the hand from the wrist so that in succession the fourth finger, third, second, first, and then the thumb come in contact with the head.
Thus, rather than the sound being cut off to end abruptly, like this,
the sound is 'tapered' to end gradually, like this:
One must use their own musical judgment to determine where this type of muffling is appropriate.
From the foregoing it can be seen that there is more to muffling than many students realize. A considerable amount of time and thought must be devoted to this important aspect of the art of timpani performance.
Mr. Payson is a percussionist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as well as being an inventor and author of many recognized products and instruction materials.
Having always been interested and active in the field of music education, Al Payson is considered one of the most knowledgeable percussionists in the country today. He is a member of the faculty of Depaul University.
Al Payson is a most sought after Ludwig Clinician, participating in many Percussion Symposiums. He has written many educational articles on percussion for the Percussive Arts Society, International Musician, and the Ludwig Drummer.
