As a former two-year timpanist for my high school marching band, orchestra, concert band and percussion ensembles, I am a strong advocate for the timpanist to stand and remaining standing during their performances.

Granted, I am only 5'7" and do not have the same problems of playing as some of my taller colleagues, but I feel as though the timpanist must demonstrate a presence in the percussion section and that can only be accomplished by standing.

The three-pedal tunings and the mid-piece movements have been and should continue be done standing--as long as the player puts the effort into it, it can be done!

I've seen too many high school marching bands (sadly including my former one) turn to this sitting-down position non-sense for people that are shorter than I am. And of course, they always have the excuse of "oh, it's the tunings" and "it's the new modern technique".

Well to make it very clear, when was the last time anyone ever heard of a sitting timpanist being a timpani legend on a name-by name basis in the concert, orchestra and marching band fields?

NONE!

End of that, ladies and gentlemen.

I played timpani last year and i stood up but this year our timpani player is going to be seated.

I prefer standing, I have a feel of more power. I can control more of the feel, and I can get more involved in the music.

I've only played timpani for 1 song during concert band, I didn't even know sitting was an option. Is the player's chair on a raised platform or something when they're seated? I know when I sat down when I wasn't playing, the things were about chest level, way to high to play comfortably.

Usually a stool, steal one from the orchestra when they're not looking.

Certainly sitting, there's no doubt about it. You may need a very tall stool, mine is a target swivel bar stool that ran me about 60 bucks, before that I used a pork pie throne jacked all the way up and I decided based on my technique that I needed a higher stool. But often times you need to be ready to use both of your feet, there are often passages that involve tuning more than one drum very quickly. Remember, sitting is part of your overall technique.

Umm, have you ever played Bartok Concerto for Orchestra or any of his Piano Concerti or his second violin concerto, or Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste? Or Barber's Medea's Dance of Vengeance? Parts like those are NOT possible standing. Every timpanist who claims to be a "standing timpanist" (ie. Tim Genis of the Boston Symphony) sits while playing those parts.



Cloyd Duff (former Cleveland Orchestra). Paul Yancich (Cleveland Orchestra). Mark Yancich (Atlanta Symphony). Don Liuzzi (Philadelphia Orchestra). Oh, and all the other timpanists who stand normally but sit for the tuning passages (all the students of the Saul Goodman lineage).

pwned.


I feel more comfortable standing, but that's because my junior school band director made me stand... It's whatever makes you more comfortable. The more comfortable you are, the better you are likely to play.

I think it´s important to be able to do both, it all depends on what kind of music you´re playing and what kind of expression you want to achieve. If you choose to stand you need to make sure that you´re standing up with good posture and that you´re still able to play with a good sound where your sticks strike the drums in a correct angle. Personally I prefer to sit, I´m too tall to stand up and feel comfortable with what I´m doing. Also I feel like I have more contact with the instruments when I sit, since I can keep my feet on the pedals at all times and really be a part of the instrument. This improves my intonation and how I "feel" the nuances of the instrument through my body. If I play baroque music I might prefer to stand, since no tuning is necessary throughout the pieces. Posture isn´t really a big problem in this case, since I´ll lean forward a little bit naturally when the music calls for it. As long as I´m aware that I´m doing it it´s ok. Some times when I play runs or passages that requires a lot of movement I´ll stand, and also if I´m playing solo literature that requires a lot of stage presence. However I´ll sit for orchestral playing when 32nd note runs are not one of my main concerns. To clear up a little bit: Take ALL things into consideration, and figure out what works best withing the situation.

This debate could go on forever, it's the timpani version of "matched or traditional".

My personal preference is to stand. For whatever reason, I feel like my level of performance isn't as professional when I sit, regardless of what the piece dictates. Standing just has a better stage presence to me.

For instance, Carter's "March" (the audition staple for my private students), which I've played more than I'd like to admit; I couldn't imagine sitting while trying to perform it.