Timpani Repair
by Jeff Mozingo
Educational Representative, PMC St. Louis
Repairing timpani seems to be very difficult. It's not as difficult as you think in most instances. I often get calls from directors saying that their timpani are just not holding pitch, and the pedal won't stay toe-down. Most of the time the fix is simple. Tune the drum to the fundamental pitch with the heel down. The fundamental pitch varies depending on what kind of drums you have. It's important to know that so you are tuning the drum to the correct pitch (see charts below). When the drum is tuned correctly to the fundamental pitch, the pedal will hold.
Fundamental Pitches for
Standard Collar Drums
Standard Collar Drums
| 32" | D |
| 29" | F |
| 26" | Bb |
| 23" | D |
Fundamental Pitches for
Extended Collar Drums
Extended Collar Drums
| 32" | D |
| 29" | F |
| 26" | A |
| 23" | C |
When measuring for a new head you measure from the center of the counter hoop on one side to the center of the counter hoop on the other. There are so many different drums out there. Older drums can have interesting head sizes such as 23 1/4", which when ordering from Remo, you order a 2304 head. The drum is still considered a 23". When you measure an extended collar drum that is a 23", you order a 2500 head. Never measure from the inside or outside of the counter hoop because you will order the wrong size head and it will not fit the drum.
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