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A Caribbean steel pan is traditionally made from a 55 gallon oil drum. The level base of the inverted drum is beaten into a bowl shape and the notes are formed by creating almost flat polygonal areas or facets within this bowl shape.

The pitch of each note depends on the thickness of the steel, the area of the facet and the height of the drum. The taller the drum, the lower the notes will be. Bass pans use full height drums, while the higher pitched tenor pans use a much shallower cross-section cut from the original oil drum.

The wooden beaters used to strike the pans can have either soft or hard heads, producing a variety of different tonal effects.

Caribbean Steel Pan History: Part 3

Bass, ‘cello, guitar, tenor and lead pans

The low resonating bass notes take up more space on the striking surface of the drum. A bass pan player stands in the centre of up to six full-height pans, each of which provide him with three notes.

The ‘cello and guitar sets both comprise of three pans. The higher-pitched guitar pans are shorter than the ‘cello set and have smaller facets, thereby producing more notes. In the steel band, these pans provide a harmonic and rhythmic accompaniment to the tune.

For the tenor set, the notes are spread over two pans. These pans are shallower than the mid-range guitar and ‘cello pans, forming an even higher-pitched instrument that sometimes plays the tune and sometimes adds to the harmony.

There is usually only one top-line lead pan. The lead player carries the melody and performs solos over the background of harmony and rhythm produced by the other drums.

To underpin the beat firmly, most larger steel bands also include a conventional drumkit in the lineup.

Uk Caribbean steel bands

There are many Caribbean steel bands in the UK. To find out more about them, take a look at Hop Till You Drop wedding music agency: list of Caribbean steel bands. Performing a festive mix of calypso, ska, soca, reggae and popular tunes, these bands are in constant demand to perform at weddings, parties and festivals.