The timpani, also called kettledrums, have been regular members of the orchestra since about 1700. Their history can be traced back to ancient times in the Middle East, but they first appeared in Europe in the 1400s—they were originally imported from Turkey for use in cavalry bands. Timpani are tuned drums—they play notes, not just booms. Up until the early 1800s , they were generally used in pairs, in the orchestra, one note to each drum, and their role was usually just to team up with trumpets