Timpani are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl commonly made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a special drum stick called a timpani stick. Unlike most drums, they produce a definite pitch when struck. Timpani evolved from military drums to become a staple of the classical orchestra in the 17th century. Today, they are used in many types of musical ensembles including concert, marching, and even rock bands. The basic timpano consists of a drumhead stretched across the opening of a bowl typically made of copper or, in less expensive models, fiberglass. The drumhead is connected to a hoop, which is then attached to the bowl via a number of tuning screws called tension rods placed regularly along the circumference. The head's tension can be adjusted by loosening or tightening the rods. Most timpani have six to eight tension rods.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1598: King Henry IV of France issued the Edict of Nantes, allowing freedom of religion to the Huguenots. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edict_of_Nantes)

1883: Alferd Packer was convicted of cannibalism. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alferd_Packer)

1919: British and Gurkha troops opened fire on a peaceful political gathering in Amritsar, Punjab in India, killing hundreds of Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amritsar_Massacre)

1943: World War II: The discovery of a mass grave of Polish prisoners-of-war executed by Soviet forces in the Katy? Forest Massacre was announced in Germany, driving a wedge between the Allies, the Polish government-in-exile in London, and the Soviet Union. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyn_Massacre)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add "within the limits of the law" because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual." -- Thomas Jefferson (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson)