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Created page with 'The '''timpani''' (informally called the "kettledrums") describes a low-pitched set of large drums, which since the middle of the 17th-century have formed the backbone of the...'
The '''timpani''' (informally called the "kettledrums") describes a low-pitched set of large [[drum]]s, which since the middle of the 17th-century have formed the backbone of the [[orchestra]]'s [[percussion]] section.
Early versions of the timpani appeared in pairs, and since they were cumbersome to tune, the tuning was set before the performance on fixed pitches which matched the [[key (music)|key]] of the work being performed. Most usually this equated to the tonic and dominant degrees of the [[scale]]. Modern timpani on the other hand, can be tuned very easily using a foot pedal, and usually exist in the modern orchestra as a set of five.
[[Category:Musical Instruments]]
Early versions of the timpani appeared in pairs, and since they were cumbersome to tune, the tuning was set before the performance on fixed pitches which matched the [[key (music)|key]] of the work being performed. Most usually this equated to the tonic and dominant degrees of the [[scale]]. Modern timpani on the other hand, can be tuned very easily using a foot pedal, and usually exist in the modern orchestra as a set of five.
[[Category:Musical Instruments]]