Contrabass Digest

2000-06-02

Date: Thu, 01 Jun 2000 20:05:34 -0400
From: "farfl's house" <farfl @ idirect.ca>
Subject: [CB] Roto-Toms and an Old Percussion Plug

> From: "Aaron J. Rabushka" <arabushk @ cowtown.net>
> Date: Thu,  1 Jun 100 12:11:26 -0500
> Subject: [CB] roto-toms

> A question for any of our percussion players:

That's me! That's me!!

> can roto-toms be surrepetitiously retuned during performance the way timpani can?

I believe one could probably devise a system of markings to allow the performer to rotate the roto-toms back to a pre-determined pitch, but the performer's memory would have to be incredibly good (...now was that TWO turns to the left of the blue marker, or was it a half-clockwise rotation??)
At one point roto-toms were offered with a pedal configuration, I seem to remember, and that setup would probably allow a more tympani-like application. Roto-toms were also offered as part of a Pearl Vari-Pitch drum hybrid, but that's another story!

Regards,
Lederman

P.S. - if anyone ever comes across a huge xylophone or marimba in storage somewhere, say about 5 octaves, please let me know.   Interested in old Deagan and Leedy instruments.

---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 02 Jun 2000 17:09:53 -0500
From: John Howell <John.Howell @ vt.edu>
Subject: Re: [CB] [Contra digest]

>From: "Aaron J. Rabushka" <arabushk @ cowtown.net>
>Date: Thu,  1 Jun 100 12:11:26 -0500
>Subject: [CB] roto-toms

>A question for any of our percussion players:  can roto-toms be
>surrepetitiously retuned during performance the way timpani can?

Hi, Aaron!  Yes, absolutely.  In effect they ARE small timps, tuned by
stretching the heads, but without the sound- and pitch-focusing advantage
of the kettles.  You would need to know the useable ranges of the drums
available, or trust to luck that what you write is playable.

John

John & Susie Howell
Virginia Tech Department of Music
Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240
Vox (540) 231-8411   Fax (540) 231-5034
(mailto:John.Howell @ vt.edu)
http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html
 

---------------------------------------------------------

From: "Eric Faith" <oghma @ visi.com>
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2000 01:02:54 -0600
Subject: Re: [CB] roto-toms
 

----- Original Message -----
From: Aaron J. Rabushka <arabushk @ cowtown.net>
To: <contrabass@contrabass.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2000 1:28 PM

> A question for any of our percussion players:  can roto-toms be surrepetitiously retuned during performance the way timpani can?
>
***End of Contrabass Digest***

 
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