Tympanis, tubas, and tuning

[smurphius]

I think that due to the rate of decay of notes on timpani, that if the player is doing say a roll on a note, the repetition of the attack is much closer than say just one light tap to the drum. I think it is the attack that fools us.

Then again, any instrument which can also be called a kettle drum, in my opinion has no place in an orchestra. Sounds more like something to make a big pot of chili in.

Hmm...

That would be one hell of a large pot of chili. That could surely feed the whole music department a couple times over.

MUAHA.

I always knew there was a conventional use for percussion equipment.

My culinary dreams may come true still yet.

LOL!

[MaryAnn]

But, with an instrument like the Bass drum, if you have your mouth on the the mouthpiece, wating to play, and the bass drum is hit, you can FEEL the displacement of air INTO your horn. Yes this sounds weird, but there it is...
More on this subject later,
CJH
tuba METopera, NY

We deal with this all the time in the horn section. Our bells sometimes point directly back towards the drums....and it can wreak havoc with trying to play at all in front of the bass drum. Unfortunately in amateur groups there tends to be a level of disbelief that this could be something other than imaginary.

MA

[Matt G]

Didn't Phil Farkas have it written in his contract that he not be placed in front of the tympani?

I remember hearing that a long time ago.