Pocket Tones PT - 15

12 Note C Chromatic – vocal and instrument tuner
Produced by Farley Musical Essentials, Santa Barbara, California

There are some pretty dark arts that go on in the brass band world – mostly it must be said by either soprano or bass trombone players. However, the timpanist in any band is a player who when on form can enhance a performance with his or her brilliance, or when they are off form (or just in a plain bad mood), can just about obliterate it also.

They are also the one player who has no control over their instrument at the crucial time when they take to the stage to play – be it at a lowly local Fourth Section contest or at the British Open. Unlike any brass player, they have little or no say on what type of instrument they will have to play on, and more importantly, whether or not they are in tune to play with the accustomed pitch of their band.

Just think what a noise 25 brass players would make if they haven't been tuned up by the MD prior to taking the stage? (Although sometimes we have heard many a performance that has been a bit like that) The timpanist though has to get to the stage, set himself up, check what instrument and mechanics are used on the timpani provided, and then get it all in tune with their band in the three or four minutes they have before the MD brings down the baton. 

Added to this is the sometimes rather nasty practice of players from the band before you ‘accidentally' knocking out all the tuning markers on the timps as they leave the stage, therefore leaving the incoming player with a Scrabble board of letters pushed to the end of the tuning marker on the side of the timp. It does happen on a more regular basis than you may think.

At some contests that is overcome by the likes of the excellent Ray Payne being on hand to lend his experience to re-tune the timps, but not every contest is lucky to have someone as good as him at the side of the stage.  At the highest level, the best players also like to tune the timps themselves, so you get that rather strange visual aspect of seeing a percussionist with his ear close to the milky white covers of the timpani or blankly looking into the skins as if awaiting some sort of message from the musical Delphi Oracle.

Little tip and taps, delicate movements of the right or left foot on the pedal and a surreptitious movement of the tuning pegs – all in those anxious few seconds before the band launch into their performance, and the timp player is ready - hopefully. 

With this in mind, Farley Musical Essentials, a small company based in Santa Barbara in California, USA has come up with the handy little ‘Pocket Tones' – a 12 note Chromatic note reference tuning aid, that they hope will be the essential little tool that timpani players will need to assist them in making quick and accurate tuning of their instruments on stage or in the band room.  

4BR were sent one to have a look at a few weeks ago, and we sent it off to our resident timpani expert to use.

A tuner is only as good as the person using it however, and having a timpani player who may be a bit tone deaf means that even this clever little palm sized bit of equipment is only of use if the player themselves knows how to use it properly.  We think ours did.

First the dimensions:  Not being 100% accurate about it, but it is the length of a credit card (75m), the width of a ten pence piece (32mm) and the thickness of a pencil (14mm).

It is shaped like an oversized jelly baby, with the head containing the sounding device and the body containing all the gubbings (battery included) and the 12 note chromatic keys, which for this model, for vocals and instruments is based in Chromatic C.

You can therefore tune your instrument up very quickly by pressing the appropriate key and listening to the electronic note produced, which lasts for 15 seconds if you press the key once, or can be stopped at any time if you press the same key a second time.

The sound produced reminds you of the old Rolf Harris ‘Stylophone' from the 1970's – a bit of a disembodied buzz, but the pitch is true and enables the player to lock into it without having to push the volume control up to a level where the whole hall can hear it – especially as they are able to clasp it close to the old earhole. 

It comes in a very fetching plastic, in steely grey colour and has a durable and sturdy feel to the buttons and controls and even has a convenient key ring hook for the exceptionally sad and lonely amongst the timpani playing fraternity who would feel the need to carry it about their person like some sort of personal alarm. (Just imagine any potential mugger being scared off by a quick blast of a Bb diapson)

All in all, it is a clever little bit of work: well thought out, neatly packaged and priced and a bit of a boon to the poor under utilised and poorly regarded person who has to bang on the old cow skins at the back of the band.

Pocket tones PT – 15
Chromatic C Electronic Tuner

Available from: Farleys Musical Essentials, Santa Barbara, California, USA

Contact: info@farleyessentials.com
or: www.farleyessentials.com

Price: $14.95

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