Timpani
Timpani in five languages — timpani, Pauken, timbales
Related
Five languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 定音鼓 |
| English | timpani |
| Italian | timpani |
| German | Pauken |
| French | timbales |
Timpani are pitched kettledrums: a skin head over a bowl, tuned by pedals or handles that change its tension, usually played in pairs or sets of two to four in the orchestra. Italian timpani is plural, with timpano as the singular; German Pauken and French timbales name the same group.
Watch out: timpani are not snare drums — they have definite pitch and are tuned through the bowl and pedal, while the snare gets its crisp noise from wires under the head. French timbales also names a different pair of drums in Latin dance music.
Read deeper → Timpani
Sources
- 各语种乐器名与定音鼓的定音方式，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Timpani"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.