kettledrummers
Orchestral bass percussionists
Kettledrummers are musicians who play kettledrums, the large bowl-shaped drums also called timpani.
In orchestras and concert bands, the kettledrummer typically handles multiple drums tuned to different pitches, adjusting them throughout a performance.
Historically, kettledrummers held prestigious positions in military and ceremonial contexts, often mounted on horseback alongside trumpeters.
The kettledrummers signaled the procession's approach.
Headed striking tools
- tuningAdjusting pitch accuracy
- pedalsFoot-operated levers
- dampeningReducing or wetting slightly
- strikingNoticeably impressive
rolls · glissando · muffling · sticking · articulation · dynamics · tremolo · notation
Tunable orchestral percussion
- copper bowlsVessels of reddish metal
- headsTop of bodies
- shellHard outer covering
- lugsHandles or projections
tension rods · calfskin · resonance · pitch range · snare · tom-toms
Kettledrum performer
- percussion sectionStruck instrument players
- symphonyExtended composition for orchestra
- philharmonicLarge orchestra organization
- ensembleUnified group or outfit
conductor · pit orchestra · classical · opera · concerto · score · maestro · chamber orchestra
mallets
Headed striking tools
striking · rolls · glissando · muffling · sticking · articulation · dynamics · tremolo · notation · cues
timpani
Tunable orchestral percussion
- copper bowlsVessels of reddish metal
- headsTop of bodies
- shellHard outer covering
lugs · tension rods · calfskin · resonance · pitch range · snare · tom-toms
timpanist
Kettledrum performer
- percussion sectionStruck instrument players
- symphonyExtended composition for orchestra
- philharmonicLarge orchestra organization
ensemble · conductor · pit orchestra · classical · opera · concerto · score · maestro · chamber orchestra · brass section
beat
Rhythmic pulse or strike
meter · accent · thunder · rumble · dramatic effect · ostinato · punctuation · cadence · timing