Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • April 2013
11
As you prepare your bands for
UIL Concert and Sight Reading
contests, getting your Percussion
membranes ready for the stage is
an essential and often overlooked
detail. Balance, projection, and
blend within the ensemble all
require a variety of techniques and
experimentation. Starting with the
basics—Timpani, Snare Drum,
Bass Drum, and Toms—we can
learn to practice some simple and
teachable techniques for success.
First, when drum heads get
old they lose the ability to be
articulate and resonant. When well
maintained, it is possible for them
to retain their idiomatic qualities
for longer. Keep in mind that a
tear or too many dents in any head
will render it useless. Storing small
drums in cases and covering large
drums will keep heads functional
for longer, and just requires routine
follow ups with the section. It is
important to remember that time
must be allowed at the end of
rehearsal to let the percussionists
do this. Follow up until your
students are in a routine of
consistency. It will save you money
and prolong the shelf life of your
drumheads. Caring for your
membranes is just as important
as proper reed maintenance is to
a woodwind player, but eventually
they all wear out.
I change my Timpani heads
around once a year for the High
School and every two to three years
for the Middle School. Concert
Bass Drum heads last longer but
can go dead with heavy use such
as Marching Band.
Dead heads will
lack resonance
and depth. I have
found that snare
and tom heads
need to be changed
more frequently
than Timpani. The
Snare Drum is
the workhorse of
the band as it is
often used for solo
playing as well
as on the concert
stage. Because of
this heavy usage, I
aways keep spares
on hand, and I
change these as
needed. Pay very
close attention to
the bottom head on the snare as it
is very thin and will puncture easily.
If the bottom head is punctured,
the drum will lack projection and
warmth of tone. If you are in doubt,
tap the head softly at the edge
and listen for a good fundamental
with a broad range of overtones.
Spares for Timpani and Bass Drum
may not be financially feasible for
all programs, so save your old
undamaged heads for spares until
new ones can be purchased.
For Timpani, I use either the
Evans Strata or Orchestral models.
The Strata are very
versatile and blend
with percussion
ensemble and
band. It’s a warm
sounding head
that is also very
durable. For band,
orchestra and solo
playing, I prefer
the Orchestral
model. This head
retains pitch ex-
tremely well
through all dy-
namic levels and
is very durable as
well. Ultimately,
the choice is
personal, and after
years of experi-
menting, I still
change my mind occasionally.
Keeping the heads true, (in tune
with themselves) is daunting at
times and takes consistent effort in
tuning. Tap the head lightly at each
lug/tension rod and make sure they
match in pitch. Also it is extremely
important to make sure the lowest
fundamental is tuned to the right
“Tune Up!” Getting Your Membranes
Ready for the Stage
Ray Ul ibarri
When wel l
maintained, i t is
possible for (drum
heads) to retain
their idiomat ic
qual i t ies for longer.
Storing smal l
drums in cases
and covering large
drums wi l l keep
heads funct ional for
longer. . . remember
that t ime must be
al lowed at the end
of rehearsal to let
the percussionists
do this.