Saul Goodman: Modern Method for Timpani: Timpani Book

This is the foundational text for timpani study, updated and refreshed to keep pace with modern engraving and photography standards while preserving the pedagogical clarity that made the original essential. The four-section structure moves logically from fundamental technique on two drums through four-drum mastery and into actual repertoire, so students spend their practice time building skills that immediately connect to real playing situations. With Roland Kohloff's and Gary Werdesheim's careful revision under Anthony Cirone's direction, you're not holding onto a museum piece; you're holding a living method that still sets the standard.

Opening this book feels like gaining access to decades of accumulated wisdom distilled into clear, playable exercises. The progression builds confidence steadily; each section acknowledges what you've mastered and extends it logically, so you move from fundamental mechanics into genuine musicianship without sudden jumps in difficulty.

This method serves serious timpani students from intermediate through advanced levels, percussion teachers building a structured curriculum, and orchestra musicians returning to the instrument. Conductors programming student orchestras will find this book essential for preparing players ready to handle professional-level demands.

• Work through the two-drum fundamentals methodically before jumping ahead to three and four drums. The grounding you build in stick control and mallet technique on limited equipment transfers directly to complex setups.
• Use the repertoire section not as an afterthought but as the reason you practiced the exercises. Reference the technical passage that challenged you during fundamentals, then find where Goodman's repertoire selections demand that exact skill.
• Practice exercises with both mallets and with proper timpani tuning in mind. Goodman's exercises assume you're working on actual drums with accurate pitch relationships, not just conditioning your wrists on a practice pad.

Integrate repertoire selections from this book into your concert programming when you have a timpani player capable of handling independent solo or prominent passages. The method's own repertoire section also serves as a diagnostic tool: if a student struggles with a specific excerpt in this collection, you've identified exactly which earlier section needs reinforcement.

• Two-drum technique (stick control, accuracy, mallet grip)
• Three and four-drum setups and transitions
• Tuning control and pitch awareness across the drum set
• Reading complex rhythmic figures and mixed meters
• Dynamic range and tone control at varying volumes
• Repertoire-specific interpretation and musical phrasing