Timbales

timbales

Classification	drum
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	membranophone
Developed	c. 1910
Musicians
Category:Timbale players

Timbales ( /tɪmˈbɑːliːz/; also called pailas criollas) are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing, invented in Cuba. They are shallower in shape than single-headed tom-toms, and usually much higher tuned. The player (known as a timbalero) uses a variety of stick strokes, rim shots, and rolls on the skins to produce a wide range of percussive expression during solos and at transitional sections of music, and usually plays the shells of the drum or auxiliary percussion such as a cowbell or cymbal to keep time at other parts of the song.

The shells are referred to as cáscara (the Spanish word for shell) which is also the name of a rhythmic pattern common in salsa music that is played on the shells of the timbales to keep time. The shells are usually made of metal but some manufacturers offer shells made of maple and other woods. The heads are light and tuned fairly high for their size.

Timbales (pronounced: [tɛ̃bal]) is also the French word for timpani, thus the French refer to Cuban timbales as timbales latines.

History of the term in Cuba

Arturo Sandoval on timbales at the Hard Rock Cafe, Times Square.

The term timbal or timbales (pl.) has been used in Cuba for two quite different types of drum. In the first place, it was first used to describe the kettle drums used in the wind orchestras known as orquestas típicas. These were the same general type of drum used in military bands, perhaps slung either side of a horse, and in classical orchestras. These were, and are, played with sticks which have softish round heads. The timpani were replaced by pailas criollas, which were originally designed to be used by street bands. Pailas are always hit with straight batons that have no additional head. Hits are made on the top and on the metal sides. In a modern band the timbalero may also have a trap kit to switch to for certain numbers.

Thus the term timbales is ambiguous when referring to bands playing the danzón in the 1900–1930 period. If one does not have a photograph it is difficult to know which type of drum was used by the band.

Construction and use

Traditional use

The timbales are a pair of "Cubanized" orchestral timpani, originally used in the nineteenth century Cuban music genre known as danzón. The bands which play danzónes are known as charangas or Orquesta típicas, and consist of flute, string instruments, and rhythm section. The basic timbales part for danzón is called the baqueteo.

Basic baqueteo timbales part.

In the example above, the slashed noteheads indicate muted drum strokes, and the regular noteheads indicate open strokes. The danzón was the first written music to be based on the organizing principle of sub-Saharan African rhythm, known in Cuba as clave.

The timpani were gradually shrunken in size for easier portability, until the early twentieth century, when the modern timbale size was standardized. The timbales are mounted on a stand and played while standing. They are played with timbale sticks, which are straight sticks with no shoulder or head. The head diameters usually range from 12″ (30 cm) to 16″ (40 cm) with a pair normally differing in size by one inch (3 cm). As with the bongos, the smaller drum is the macho (male) and the larger the hembra (female), with the macho providing the sharper, attacking sounds. During the mambo era of the 1940s, cowbells were mounted on the drums. The cowbells, or wood block may be mounted slightly above and between the two timbales a little further from the player.

Cowbell mounted on timbales.

Due to the timbalero Tito Puente (among others), it is now acceptable for a player – especially a band leader, to use more than two timbales, and a great timbale solo is quite a spectacle. Puente was frequently be seen on concerts, posters, and album covers with seven or eight timbales in one set. The timbales were occasionally expanded with drum kit pieces, such as a kick bass, or snare. By the late 1970s this became the norm in the genre known as songo. The great José Luis Quintana "Changuito" and others, brought rumba and funk influences into timbales playing. In the contemporary timba bands, many drummers use a timbales/drum kit hybrid. Calixto Oviedo uses this modern timba set-up, and is a master of expressing funk with a timbales sensibility.

Timbalitos or paila are small timbales with diameters of 6″ (15 cm), 8″ (20 cm), or 10″ (25 cm). The timbalitos are actually used to play the part of the bongos with sticks and are not used to play the traditional timbales part. Papaito and Manny Oquendo were masters at playing the bongó part on timbalitos. Timbalitos are sometimes incorporated into expanded timbales set-ups, and incorporated into drum kits.

Non-traditional use

Drummer John Dolmayan of System of a Down is known for using two (6″ and 8″) mini timbales on his kit. Also, Bud Gaugh of Sublime and Long Beach Dub Allstars used a single, high pitched timbale on his drumkit to the left of his snare during his years with those bands. Bud used his timbale usually for accents and transitions, especially in the more reggae-influenced songs, but it is used exclusively in place of the snare on the song “Waiting for My Ruca” from 40 oz. to Freedom and Stand By Your Van. He has not used the timbale in his recent bands Eyes Adrift and Del Mar, possibly due to the lack of reggae influence in those bands. The Ohio University Marching 110's drum line features three sets of timbales in the place of quads or quints. They are one of the very few marching bands in the country to still employ timbales in their drum line. They also employ three sets of dual tom toms to play the lower lines that a quad or quint would cover.

A recent offshoot of the Washington DC funk genre of Go-Go known as the “Bounce Beat” features Timbales as a predominant instrument.

Timbale bell patterns

The following four timbale bell patterns are based on the folkloric rumba cáscara part. They are written in 3-2 clave sequence.

Four different timbale bell patterns.

In the 1970s José Luis Quintana "Changuito" developed the technique of simultaneously playing timbale and bongo bell parts when he held the timbales chair in the songo band Los Van Van. The example below shows the combined bell patterns (written in a 2-3 clave sequence).

Two interlocking cowbells, the "Changuito Special."

Timbales solo performances

• "Timbales Demonstration" (Manny Oquendo)
• "Timbales Solos" (Tito Puente)
• "Timbale Solo" (Changuito)
• "Marvin Diz (timbales) and Anthony Carrillo (bongos)"

Genres

Timbales can be heard in:

• Danzón
• Mambo
• Salsa
• Latin Jazz
• Cumbia
• Merengue (played by the tamborero, or tambora player) not used
• Manele
• Neo-Bossa Nova not Used
• Reggaeton
• Latin rock
• Reggae
• Rock steady not used as a main instrument
• Ska
• Go-Go
• Rock

Other countless Latin genres feature the timbales, as they are constantly being incorporated into new styles of music.

Veteran players

• Jose Areas
• Guillermo Barreto
• Tito Puente
• Amadito Valdés
• Nicky Marrero
• Manny Oquendo
• Pete Escovedo
• Willie Bobo
• Ubaldo Nieto
• Roberto Pla
• Jose Luis Quintana "Changuito"
• Marc Quiñones
• Luisito Quintero
• Louie Ramirez
• Ray Romero
• Willie Rosario
• Jimmy Sabater
• Orestes Vilató
• Calixto Oviedo
• Eguie Castrillo
• Aníbal López
• Ralph Irizarri

References

http://www.drummagazine.com/hand-drum/post/ralph-irizarry-timbale-titan/