Adjusting The Pitch; Head Tuning - Yamaha TP3323 Owner's Manual

Adjusting the Pitch

When using the timpani for the first time, be sure to set it up according to the
instructions of "Initial Preparation" on pages 6 and 7.
n Head Tuning
1
Tuning is adjusted on the lowest note of the tim-
pani. For this reason, the heel of the pedal must
stay fully lowered during the tuning procedure.
The pitch of the lowest note (and the tonal
range) depends on the size of your timpani. For
example, as shown in the chart below, the low-
est sound of a 26" timpani should be tuned to A.
When tuned properly, your Yamaha timpani will
play throughout its full tonal range with balanced
tension in the paddle.
n Standard Tonal Ranges for Yamaha Timpani
32" (81cm)
Keep the heel of the pedal fully lowered dur-
ing the tuning procedure (steps
below) if not specified otherwise.
2
Strike the head and check the sound.
The standard striking point is shown below.
Striking point
Pedal
• Sound is lower than the tuning note
→ Go to step
• Sound is higher than the tuning note
→ Loosen the tuning bolts by an equal
amount in the order shown in the figure
of step
8
29" (74cm) 26" (66cm) 23" (58cm)
2 through
The standard striking
point lies at distance B
from the kettle edge,
which corresponds
approximately to 1/4 to
1/3 of the distance
between the kettle
edge and the center of
the head.
3
.
5
on page 7.
When loosening the tuning bolts, al-
ways loosen them by double the desired
amount, and then return (re-tighten)
them by half. When the sound lies within
1 halftone below the desired pitch after
loosening the tuning bolts (repeatedly, if
necessary), proceed with step
3
Lightly strike the head with the mallet about 2
inches (5 cm) from the kettle edge at each tun-
ing bolt. Check which tuning bolt has the highest
sound.
• Pitch of the highest sound is higher than
the tuning note (*2)
→ Loosen the corresponding tuning bolt by
about 1/16 to 1/18 of a turn. First loosen
the bolt by double the desired amount,
and then return (re-tighten) it by half. Af-
ter loosening the tuning bolt, repeat from
7
the beginning of step
• Pitch of the highest sound is lower than
the tuning note
→ Go to step
4
Tighten the other bolts little by little (by about
1/16 to 1/8 of a turn) until the sounds at the cor-
responding striking points match the pitch of the
highest sound. Please note that tightening one
bolt also raises the pitch at neighboring and op-
posite tuning bolts. Thus, after tightening the tun-
ing bolt with the lowest sound, again check the
pitch at the other tuning bolts before tightening
the tuning bolt with the next lowest pitch. While
alternately tightening the other bolts, do not touch
the tuning bolt with the highest pitch (reference
pitch).
3
.
3
.
4
.