Timpani Notes
A Band Director's Reference for Kettle Drums
Making Sticking Choices
All timpani strokes should alternate left and right wherever possible. However, where this causes the player to have to cross one hand over the other, or where tempo demands do not allow, the musician may have to utilize other techniques. This could be as simple as choosing to begin a line with the other hand, or one of the following techniques:
Repeated Hand When Muffling
When the part calls for repeated notes, muffled in between, the player may choose to play the notes with the same hand while muffling with the other.
Double Strokes
The number of notes that precede a change to another drum determine which hand to start on. Begin on the outside hand for an odd number of notes and the inside hand for an even number of notes. In situations where alternating strokes makes it impossible to avoid crossing one hand over the other it is more desirable to play two strokes in a row. When employing a double stroke use two common strokes; avoid utilizing a bounce stroke as timpani mallets are too soft to get adequate rebound and striking the same location on the drum twice can actually inhibit the vibration of the head.
Cross Sticking
Cross sticking is the crossing of one hand over the top of the other to reach a drum. This should be avoided if at all possible, but if the part calls for crossing sticks or crossing is unavoidable, make sure that the lower hand stays low to avoid collisions, and try to minimize rotation of the hand crossing over to maintain the integrity of the grip. Cross sticking, though not a preferred technique, is still a good skill to practice.