Timbales () or pailas are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing. They are shallower than single-headed
tom-toms
A tom drum is a cylindrical drum with no snares, named from the Anglo-Indian and Sinhala language. It was added to the drum kit in the early part of the 20th century. Most toms range in size between in diameter, though floor toms can go as l ...
and usually tuned much higher, especially for their size.Orovio, Helio 1981. ''Diccionario de la música cubana: biográfico y técnico''. Entries for ''Paila criolla''; ''Timbal criollo''. They were developed as an alternative to classical
timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally ...
in
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
in the early 20th century and later spread across
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
Timbales are struck with wooden sticks on the heads and shells, although bare hands are sometimes used. The player (called a ''timbalero'') uses a variety of stick strokes, rim shots, and rolls to produce a wide range of percussive expression during solos and at transitional sections of music, and usually plays the shells (or auxiliary percussion such as a
cowbell
A cowbell (or cow bell) is a bell worn around the neck of free-roaming livestock so herders can keep track of an animal via the sound of the bell when the animal is grazing out of view in hilly landscapes or vast plains. Although they are t ...
or cymbal) to keep time in other parts of the song. The shells and the typical pattern played on them are referred to as ''cáscara''. Common stroke patterns include abanico, baqueteo (from
danzón
Danzón is the official musical genre and dance of Cuba.Urfé, Odilio 1965. ''El danzón''. La Habana. It is also an active musical form in Mexico and Puerto Rico.
Written in time, the danzón is a slow, formal partner dance, requiring se ...
),
mambo
Mambo most often refers to:
* Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form
*Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music
Mambo may also refer to:
Music
* Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particul ...
, and chachachá.
Timbales have average diameters of (''macho'' drum) and (''hembra'' drum). Originally made of calfskin, the heads are most commonly made of plastic for increased volume and durability and mounted on a steel rim. The shells are usually made of metal, although wooden shells are also available. In general, the drums are mounted on a stand and played while standing. Smaller timbales called timbalitos are often incorporated into larger drum kits.
Etymology
In
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
and in classical music contexts across the Hispanophone world, the word ''timbales'' (sing. ''timbal'') refers to
timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally ...
(kettledrums). The Spanish word ''tímpano'' is less commonly used. ''Timbal'', ''tímpano'' and ''timpani'' all derive from the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''tympănum'', from the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
''týmpanon'', meaning drum. (The Spanish word for drum, ''tambor'', although similar, actually derives from Arabic ''tabl'').
In Cuba and Latin America, ''timbales'' (timpani) were adapted into ''pailas'', which is the name given to various Spanish metallic bowls and pans used as cookware (see
paila
A paila () is a type of cookware that in several Spanish-speaking South American countries refers to a large shallow metal pan or earthenware bowl which oftentimes is also used as a serving plate for the foods prepared in it. Dishes served in clay ...
). ''Paila'' derives from
Old French
Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intellig ...
''paele'', from Latin ''patĕlla''. However, the term ''timbales'' continued to be used to refer to ''pailas'', which is a less common term restricted to Cuba. Because of the historical overlap in the use of timpani and pailas (both called timbales) by
danzón
Danzón is the official musical genre and dance of Cuba.Urfé, Odilio 1965. ''El danzón''. La Habana. It is also an active musical form in Mexico and Puerto Rico.
Written in time, the danzón is a slow, formal partner dance, requiring se ...
orchestras between 1900 and 1930, usage of the term in that period is ambiguous.
Similar ambiguities exist in other languages. For example, in French, ''timbales'' () is also the word for timpani, thus the French refer to Cuban timbales as ''timbales latines''. In Brazil, the term ''timbal'' refers to an unrelated drum,
timbau
The timbau or Brazilian timbal is a membranophone instrument derived from the caxambu drum, usually played with both hands. Slightly conical and of varying sizes, it is usually light in weight and made of lacquered wood or metal (usually alumin ...
.
History
Origins and popularization
Timpani were imported into Cuba in the 19th century and used by wind orchestras known as orquestas típicas. These were the same general type of drum used in
military bands
A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the tit ...
and in symphonic orchestras. They were, and are, played with mallets (sticks with large, soft, round heads). Timpani were replaced by pailas, which were made from the body of a commonly used metal pan (later, cans of lard were used to make ''timbalitos''). These new ''timbales'' were originally designed to be used by street bands. Unlike classical timpani, these are always hit with straight batons (thicker than standard drumsticks, and not shaped: they are of uniform thickness along the length) that have no additional head.
Timbales became an integral part of a smaller type of orchestra that superseded the ''orquestas típicas'' in the early 20th century, the charanga.
Ulpiano Díaz
Ulpiano Díaz (1900–1990) was a Cuban timbalero. He is considered an innovator of the timbales, being the first to add a small cowbell to the setup, and popularizing the abanico. He started his career playing güiro in Félix González's orquest ...
, timbalero in some of the most popular charangas in Cuba, those directed by Tata Alfonso,
Antonio Arcaño
Antonio Arcaño Betancourt (Atarés, Havana 29 December 1911 – 1994) was a Cuban flautist, bandleader and founder of Arcaño y sus Maravillas, one of Cuba's most successful charangas. He retired from playing in 1945, but continued as director ...
and later José Fajardo, was the first to add a cowbell and to popularize the ''abanico'' technique in the 1930s. In the 1950s, timbalero Silvano "Chori" Shueg became a sensation in the nightclubs of Havana due to his skillful improvisations on timbales and other homemade percussion instruments, while Walfredo de los Reyes and
Guillermo Barreto
Guillermo Barreto (August 11, 1929 – December 14, 1991) was a Cuban drummer and '' timbalero''. He was a major figure in the Cuban music scene for more than fifty years and one of the first drummers in Cuba to play Afro-Cuban jazz.
Nickname ...
explored new idioms with the instrument in jam sessions known as
descarga
A descarga (literally ''discharge'' in Spanish) is an improvised jam session consisting of variations on Cuban music themes, primarily son montuno, but also guajira, bolero, guaracha and rumba. The genre is strongly influenced by jazz and it wa ...
s; they were influenced by American jazz drummers such as
Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He work ...
and often doubled on the
drum kit
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
. Walfredo was an important influence on his student
Amadito Valdés
Amadito Valdés (born February 14, 1946) is a Cuban timbalero, best known for his work with Cuarteto Las d'Aida and Buena Vista Social Club.
Career
Valdés was born in Havana in 1946. Early on, he studied music with his father, Amadito Valdés ...
, later a member of
Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club is an ensemble of Cuban musicians established in 1996. The project was organized by World Circuit executive Nick Gold, produced by American guitarist Ry Cooder and directed by Juan de Marcos González. They named the gr ...
Daniel de los Reyes
Daniel de los Reyes (born July 18, 1962) is an American percussionist
who is a former member of Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago. He is currently a member of the Zac Brown Band.
Musical career
De los Reyes was born in New York City and raised ...
. In the 1970s, innovations in timbales playing mostly came from
songo groups
Songo is a genre of popular Cuban music, created by the group Los Van Van in the early 1970s. Songo incorporated rhythmic elements from folkloric rumba into popular dance music, and was a significant departure from the son montuno/mambo-based struc ...
such as Orquesta Revé, directed by timbalero
Elio Revé
Timba is a Cuban genre of music based on Cuban ''son'' with ''salsa'', American
Funk/R&B and the strong influence of Afro-Cuban folkloric music. Timba rhythm sections differ from their salsa counterparts, because timba emphasizes the bass dr ...
, Orquesta Ritmo Oriental, featuring Daniel Díaz on timbales, and
Los Van Van
Los Van Van is one of the leading musical groups of post-revolutionary Cuba. It was founded in 1969 by bassist Juan Formell, who directed the band until his death in 2014. Formell and former band members Changuito and Pupy are some of the most im ...
, whose timbaleros, first Blas Egües and later
Changuito
Changuito (born José Luis Quintana on January 18, 1948) is a Cuban percussionist.
Biography
Quintana was born in 1948 in Casablanca, Cuba. In the 1990s, Changuito filmed a series of instructional videos on timbales, as well as congas and drums, which were released on VHS.
In the United States
Ubaldo Nieto, timbalero in
Machito
Machito (born Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo, December 3, 1909 – April 15, 1984) was a Latin jazz musician who helped refine Afro-Cuban jazz and create both Cubop and salsa music. Ginell, Richard S. ''Biography''. Allmusic, 2011/ref> He w ...
and his Afro-Cubans, was one of the first musicians to popularize the instrument in the United States. However, it was New York-born percussionist and bandleader
Tito Puente
Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz ...
who became the leading figure for the rest of the 20th century, often being referred to as the "king of the timbales". He often acted as a bandleader in his studio recordings, leaving the timbales spot for up-and-coming artists such as
Willie Bobo
William Correa (February 28, 1934 – September 15, 1983), better known by his stage name Willie Bobo,Biography ''AllMusic'' was an American Latin jazz percussionist of Puerto Rican descent. Bobo rejected the stereotypical expectations of Lat ...
and Monchito, son of bandleader Rafael Muñoz. Several other Puerto Rican timbaleros also rose to prominence during the 1950s, like Willie Rodríguez, Humberto Morales and
Rafael Cortijo
Rafael Antonio Cortijo (December 11, 1928 – October 3, 1982) was a Puerto Rican musician, orchestra leader, composer and percussion instrument craftsman.
Early Career
As a child, Cortijo became interested in Caribbean music and enjoyed th ...
. The former two often played in mambo and
Latin jazz
Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Latin American rhythms. The two main categories are Afro-Cuban jazz, rhythmically based on Cuban popular dance music, with a rhythm section employing ostinato patterns or a clave, and Afro-Brazilian jazz, which ...
bands, while Cortijo established one of Puerto Rico's most popular groups, Cortijo y su Combo. In the 1960s, the incipient New York
salsa
Salsa most often refers to:
* Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments
* Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music
* Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music
Salsa or SALSA may also refer to:
...
Manny Oquendo
Manny Oquendo (January 1, 1931 – March 25, 2009) was an American percussionist of Puerto Rican ancestry. His main instruments were the timbales and the bongos.
He was a long-time member of Eddie Palmieri's Conjunto La Perfecta, which he le ...
Orestes Vilató
Orestes Vilató (born 12 May 1944 in Camagüey, Cuba) is a Cuban percussionist who has worked as a sideman with Ray Barretto, Johnny Pacheco, Cachao, and the Fania All-Stars. Vilató also worked with Carlos Santana, for whom he played timbale ...
Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers
Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers was a Latin jazz, soul jazz and R&B group formed in 1959 by timbales player Henry "Pucho" Brown. Of the many musicians that worked in his group, Chick Corea is among them, Corea leaving prior to Pucho's recording ...
, whose leader was timbalero Henry "Pucho" Brown. In the 1970s, timbales began to be used in other genres such as
Latin rock
Latin rock is a term to describe a subgenre blending traditional sounds and elements of Latin American and Hispanic Caribbean folk with rock music. However, it is widely used in the English-language media to refer any kind of rock music featurin ...
and
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
. Mexican-American percussionist
Pete Escovedo
Peter Michael Escovedo (born July 13, 1935 in Pittsburg, California) is an American percussionist. "Pete Escovedo Biography & Awards"/ref>
With his two brothers, Pete formed Escovedo Bros Latin Jazz Sextet, before Carlos Santana hired Pete and ...
Sheila
Sheila (alternatively spelled Shelagh and Sheelagh) is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name ''Síle'', which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name Caelia, the feminine form of the Roman clan name Caelius, mean ...
all became accomplished timbaleros in rock, jazz and funk. Later on, timbales were introduced in hip hop by percussionists such as Eric Bobo, the son of Willie Bobo.
Technique
Baqueteo
The basic timbales part for danzón is called the baqueteo. In the example below, 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''.
Bell patterns
During the
mambo
Mambo most often refers to:
* Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form
*Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music
Mambo may also refer to:
Music
* Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particul ...
era of the 1940s, timbaleros began to mount cowbells on their drums. The cowbells, or wood blocks, may be mounted slightly above and between the two timbales a little further from the player. The following four timbale
bell pattern
A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an intern ...
s are based on the folkloric
rumba
The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba. ...
cáscara part. They are written in 3-2 clave sequence.
In the 1970s José Luis Quintana "
Changuito
Changuito (born José Luis Quintana on January 18, 1948) is a Cuban percussionist.
Biography
Quintana was born in 1948 in Casablanca, Cuba.songo band
Los Van Van
Los Van Van is one of the leading musical groups of post-revolutionary Cuba. It was founded in 1969 by bassist Juan Formell, who directed the band until his death in 2014. Formell and former band members Changuito and Pupy are some of the most im ...
. The example below shows the combined bell patterns (written in a 2-3 clave sequence).
Tito Puente was frequently seen in concerts, and on 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 or snare drum. By the late 1970s this became the norm in the genre known as songo. Changuito and others brought rumba and funk influences into timbales playing. In contemporary
timba
Timba is a Cuban genre of music based on Cuban ''son'' with ''salsa'', American
Funk/R&B and the strong influence of Afro-Cuban folkloric music. Timba rhythm sections differ from their salsa counterparts, because timba emphasizes the bass dru ...
bands, drummers, such as Calixto Oviedo, often use a timbales/drum kit hybrid.
Solos
Típico style
The original style of soloing on timbales is known as típico ('typical').
Manny Oquendo
Manny Oquendo (January 1, 1931 – March 25, 2009) was an American percussionist of Puerto Rican ancestry. His main instruments were the timbales and the bongos.
He was a long-time member of Eddie Palmieri's Conjunto La Perfecta, which he le ...
(1931-2009) played timbales solos famous for their tastefully sparse, straight forward típico phrasing. The following five measure excerpt is from a timbales solo by Oquendo on "Mambo." The clave pattern is written above for reference. Notice how the passage begins and ends by coinciding with the strokes of clave.
Rumba quinto rhythmic vocabulary
By the late 1940s and early 1950s, some timbaleros ('timbales players'), particularly
Tito Puente
Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz ...
, began incorporating the rhythmic vocabulary of
rumba quinto
The quinto (literally ''fifth'' in Spanish) is the smallest and highest pitched type of conga drum. It is used as the lead drum in Cuban rumba styles such as guaguancó, yambú, columbia and guarapachangueo, and it is also present in congas d ...
into their solos.
Derivative instruments
Timbalitos
Timbalitos or pailitas are small timbales with diameters of , or . The timbalitos are used to play the part of the
bongos
Bongos ( es, bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. They are struck with both hands, most commonly in an eight-stroke pattern called ''martillo'' (hammer). The ...
with sticks, but are not used to play the traditional timbales part. Manteca, Papaíto, Félix Escobar "El Gallego" and
Manny Oquendo
Manny Oquendo (January 1, 1931 – March 25, 2009) was an American percussionist of Puerto Rican ancestry. His main instruments were the timbales and the bongos.
He was a long-time member of Eddie Palmieri's Conjunto La Perfecta, which he le ...
were masters at playing the bongó part on timbalitos. Timbalitos are sometimes incorporated into expanded timbales set-ups, or incorporated into drum kits.
Mini timbales
Mini timbales small timbales, similar to timbalitos, often used by rock drummers as part of their drum kits. For examples, drummer
John Dolmayan
John Dolmayan (; born July 15, 1972) is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American musician, best known as the drummer of System of a Down. He is also the drummer for the band Indicator and former drummer for Scars on Broadway. Dolmayan ranked number 33 ...
of
System of a Down
System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards); Daron Malakian (guitar, voc ...
is known for using two (6" and 8") mini timbales in his kit and
Dave Mackintosh
Dave Mackintosh is a Scottish drummer, best known as the former drummer for the power metal band DragonForce. Mackintosh also appeared on '' The Power Cosmic'' and '' Atlantis Ascendant'' albums, by the symphonic black metal band, Bal-Sagoth.
...
uses a pair of 8" diameter attack timbales 9" and 11" deep made by
Meinl Percussion
Meinl Percussion is a manufacturer of percussion instruments based in Gutenstetten, Germany. The company’s cymbal production is one of the "big four" manufacturers of cymbals, along with Zildjian, Sabian, and Paiste.
In addition to cymbal ...
to produce a similar sound to a pair of
octobans
Octobans, also known as tube toms, are deep, small diameter, single-head tom-toms. Octobans were originally grouped in melodically-tuned sets of eight, hence the name, in reference to octave and from octo meaning "eight".
Part sets of two or f ...
. Meinl also produce a set of mini timbales of traditional depth but 8" and 10" diameter, also suitable for
drum kit
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
usage. retrieved 29 February 2012
Marching Timbales
The
Ohio University Marching 110
Ohio University Marching 110 is the official marching band of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, founded in 1923. The nickname ''Marching 110'' is a reference to the band's original number of members. The 2017 band consists of 240 members. It repre ...
is the only collegiate marching band in the United States to march timbales in their percussion section. Timbales were added to the band in 1971, accompanying five snare drums, two bass drums, two tenor bass drums, and two sets of cymbals. The band does not use a normal set of multi tenor drums that most marching bands do, and instead use a combination of timbales and duo-tenor drums to fulfill the mid-ranges of the percussion section's sound. Together, the section is known as the "Middle Voices" or "Middles".