Traditionally,
calypsos
have been the most popular style of music played on the steel pan (steel drum) but the instrument is versatile.
What types of music are steel drums used in?
A very small steel band of two to four musicians is sometimes known as a steel ensemble. A large steel band is called a steel percussion orchestra. Steel bands are best known for playing
Caribbean music called calypso
but can play any type of music including pop, jazz, gospel, reggae and classical.
What sound do steel drums make?
The shape of the steel pan sound is somewhat like that of a
banjo
, but with more body, decay and fullness. Good steel pan tone has what can be described as a broader sound than most other instruments -full yet shimmering with an edginess that excites and a sustain that soothes.
Is the steel drum tuned?
The steel drum is
a tuned idiophone
traditionally made from an oil drum, but today is made of high-quality steel. To make a steel drum, or a pan, the bottom of an oil drum is first pounded into a bowl, then shaped and tuned with hammers to form distinct resonating surfaces.
Is steel drum a musical instrument?
Steelpan (also known as steel pan, steel drum or pan, and sometimes, collectively with other musicians, as a steelband or orchestra) is
a musical instrument originating from Trinidad and Tobago
.
Why do steel drums sound so good?
Scientists are discovering that steel drums, the funky Caribbean folk instruments made out of oil drums and struck by twin mallets, produce a surprisingly
rich array of harmonic overtones and couplings between notes
that fuse to form haunting sounds fast catching on around the world.
How does a steel pan produce sound?
On the face of it, a steelpan doesn't look that complicated: It's an instrument made out of a single drum that produces
sound by hitting different sections of it with drum sticks.
Who created the steel drum?
People such as
Ellie Mannette, Winston “Spree” Simon, and Tony Williams
are credited as pioneers of the steel drum, creating the 12 notes of the chromatic scale on a single pan. When Carnival celebrations resumed in Trinidad after World War II, the steel pan became an important part of the street festival.
What country are the famous talking drums from?
Discover Nigeria's talking-drums, used to mimic speech and highlighting the importance of phrases and songs.
Is the steel drum tuned or untuned?
Steel pan, chimes, gongs & bells are also
tuned percussion instruments
. Conga, bongo, drum sets, cowbell, clave, djembe, ashikos, doumbeks, timbales & certain chimes, gongs & bells are common examples of non-tuned percussion.
How expensive is a steel drum?
You can get a steel drum kit for
as little as for 160$
. If you really want to find a cheap steel drum, then you should take a look at Amazon.
What is steel pan music?
Steel band, also spelled steelband,
Trinidadian music ensemble
, particularly associated with Carnival, that is primarily composed of steel idiophones—called pans or steel pans—made from the bottoms of 55-gallon oil barrels. The barrel bottoms are hammered inward, different areas being shaped to yield distinct pitches.
Who created the first steel pan?
Betancourt
, 82, grew up in Laventille, a poor suburb just outside Port of Spain, said by many to be the birthplace of the steel pan.
What makes a steel drum unique?
The Steel Drum, or “Pan”, is a unique instrument, and one of the most recently invented! It is
a skillfully hammered 55-gallon oil barrel which has been carefully tuned by hand to produce perfect musical tones
. … After the hand drums were outlawed, the Trini musicians began forming bands called Tamboo Bamboo.
