It rocks the soul and soothes the mind. It forms an integral part of most cultures around the world. It is one of the few aspects of life on earth that has remained relevant as time has passed while evolving as the times change. Rhythmic tunes such as those produced by steel pan music are simply indispensable to people from all walks of life. Making steel pans, is as you can imagine, quite an intricate process.
A musical instrument that has deep and immediate ties to the Caribbean, the steel pan has traditionally been linked with Calypso ad other West Indian based musical art forms. One nation though, Trinidad and Tobago, is the first that comes to mind when this instrument or the sounds it creates are mentioned. This is because this island nation is actually the literal foundation of the music.
The love of this musical instrument has grown so much that the sounds it produces have found their way into basically every genre of music. Bands of musicians use them to create sounds in reggae, rhythm and blues and almost every other musical genre. Clearly this sound is a rather diverse one, since it can blend seamlessly into the sounds of multiple genres.
The most authentic steel pans are made by hand. When making steel pans, experts first select the type of drum to use. Traditionally, they use drums that once contained oil. Drum selection is a crucial part of the process because the type of drum used determines the type of sound the resulting instrument will produce. The general rule is that the lower the pitch desired then the thicker the drum needs to be.
The drums selected must have one end opened and the bottom must remain sealed. The maker will sink the bottom to create a bowl-like appearance from the inside. During this step, if the drum selected was too thin, or rusted, or dented badly, it may burst due to the pressure being applied. It is clear therefore, why it is crucial to consider drum quality from the initial phase.
After sinking the drums, experts have to identify the areas that will produce the various notes. They do this by drawing on the bottom. The spaces that are left out are then flattened. The flattening is achieved through the use of a special tuning hammer. Experts call this the counter sinking process. Like the previous phase, this one tests the mettle of the drum being used and is a step that has to be cautiously executed.
The pan will have to go through a few other stages before it is ready for use. It must be grooved, set, cut and tuned. It then has to be coated with a layer that not only protects the look but also the adjustments that have been made to its surface. Then it must go through a step known as fine tuning and blending.
It is clear that a lot of effort and skill goes into the creation of steel pans. The makers, therefore play a crucial role in bringing to the world, a sound that wows people of all ethnic and social backgrounds and preferences. This is truly a remarkable instrument.
A musical instrument that has deep and immediate ties to the Caribbean, the steel pan has traditionally been linked with Calypso ad other West Indian based musical art forms. One nation though, Trinidad and Tobago, is the first that comes to mind when this instrument or the sounds it creates are mentioned. This is because this island nation is actually the literal foundation of the music.
The love of this musical instrument has grown so much that the sounds it produces have found their way into basically every genre of music. Bands of musicians use them to create sounds in reggae, rhythm and blues and almost every other musical genre. Clearly this sound is a rather diverse one, since it can blend seamlessly into the sounds of multiple genres.
The most authentic steel pans are made by hand. When making steel pans, experts first select the type of drum to use. Traditionally, they use drums that once contained oil. Drum selection is a crucial part of the process because the type of drum used determines the type of sound the resulting instrument will produce. The general rule is that the lower the pitch desired then the thicker the drum needs to be.
The drums selected must have one end opened and the bottom must remain sealed. The maker will sink the bottom to create a bowl-like appearance from the inside. During this step, if the drum selected was too thin, or rusted, or dented badly, it may burst due to the pressure being applied. It is clear therefore, why it is crucial to consider drum quality from the initial phase.
After sinking the drums, experts have to identify the areas that will produce the various notes. They do this by drawing on the bottom. The spaces that are left out are then flattened. The flattening is achieved through the use of a special tuning hammer. Experts call this the counter sinking process. Like the previous phase, this one tests the mettle of the drum being used and is a step that has to be cautiously executed.
The pan will have to go through a few other stages before it is ready for use. It must be grooved, set, cut and tuned. It then has to be coated with a layer that not only protects the look but also the adjustments that have been made to its surface. Then it must go through a step known as fine tuning and blending.
It is clear that a lot of effort and skill goes into the creation of steel pans. The makers, therefore play a crucial role in bringing to the world, a sound that wows people of all ethnic and social backgrounds and preferences. This is truly a remarkable instrument.
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