The Working Timpanist’s Survival Guide.

John Tafoya

General Info

Year: 2004
Edition: 1st Edition
Publisher: Carl Fischer, LLC.
Cost: Book Cost - $29.99   |   Supplemental Books - $0.00

Chapters

Chapter I:
Chapter II:
Chapter III:
Chapter IV:
Chapter V:
Chapter VI:

Reviews

Student Reviews

Organization: The table of contents starts off the book, beginning with an introduction and acknowledgements, followed by a timpani mallet chart and descriptions of mallets. A bulk of the book contains popular orchestral excerpts and tips for executing them; this is followed by recommended timpani manufacturers, recommended recordings, and the most popular orchestral excerpts requested at auditions, as well as advice about auditions themselves. A biography about the author is presented at the end of the book.

Content: The timpani mallet selection section shows a list of manufacturers and the type of mallets they sell by their listed name, as well as photos of what the different types look like. For each excerpt, the author specifies which section or movement he is covering as well as what type of mallets he recommends using. A photo of the excerpt itself is provided along with his advice for executing it. The section covering timpani manufacturers also contains photos of the timpani themselves, so the reader can recognize timpani they may find during their auditions elsewhere.

Uses: Based on what concepts the author covers, I would say this book may only be useful for college students and professionals, with some exceptions being made for larger high schools or higher-level high school students interested in auditions for competitions. This would be more of a bookshelf book as the author recommends repeatedly to find the score for the entire piece, if possible other instruments as well, so this book would not be good source for playing examples.

Rating: Although its purpose is fairly specific and there is not much available in terms of playing opportunities, what this book does cover is very useful especially for performing percussionists or those interested in an orchestral position. 5/5. User:Hondogracias

Works for Percussion by this Author

Tafoya, John. The Working Timpanist’s Survival Guide. Carl Fischer, LLC., 2004.