Let's speak about the Fulcrum.
It is, for a timpanist who wants to reach his/her maximal level, one of the most important things to analyse, because the Fulcrum with which we play each dynamic, has to be very developed to reach the maximal sound's quality.
It works by muscular memory, and we have to train it everyday to reach it.
First I give you an explanation of what is it.
The Fulcrum is the exact point with which you use your arm/stick to play each dynamic.
For example. If you want to play a piano dynamic and you use the fulcrum of your wrist, inevitably you will not have the control and the maximal quality of sound, because you are using too much hight for a necessity of lesser sound.
In this case will happen the follow.
1. Your sound will be superficially.
2. You technic will be unstable.
3. You will be never sure of your playing.
But if you use the right Fulcrum for a piano dynamic, your sound will be so beautiful and your technic also will be so in control that you will be Free to make the most beautiful music.
It is important that our technic works for our sound and the beauty that we can create with our timpani, and not that our technic works to show something visual to others.
I will list you here my personal fulcrums, so you have an idea of how it is important to have the clarity of mind in your body and your sticks in each dynamic.
This is a very personal thing that has to do with each one of us, there is no a universal formule, because each one of us has different arm's weight and length, and also different "Klang Vorstellung" (In German), but there is this principle that can help you find your personal formule, your most beautiful sound and your technical control.
My fulcrums are.
1. Più ppp, head of the head of the stick without weight.
2. ppp, head of the stick without weight.
3. Più pp, head of the head of the stick with weight.
4. pp, head of the stick with weight.
5. Più p, middle of the bambu of the stick with weight.
6. p, fingers with weight.
7. Meno mp, knucklebones with weight.
8. Mp, between the knucklebones and the wrist with weight.
9. Mf, wrist with weight.
10. Più Mf, knucklebone of the wrist with weight.
11. F, two centimeters after the knucklebone of the wrist with weight.
12. Più F, two centimeters after the F's fulcrum.
13. FF, half of the forearm with weight.
14. Più FF, 3/4 of the forearm with weight.
15. FFF, elbow with weight.
16. Più FFF, bicep with weight.
If we train everyday each dynamic, hearing carefully at our sound, we will be the timpanists with the most beautiful sound and with a technical dexterity of another level.
I hope this can help you.
I will be writing more often.
Please, if you have questions about this topic, let me know by this email. timpanimastery@gmail.com
Thank you for reading,
Daniel
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