By Joshua Reed


School competitions are coming up and this year you want to participate in a music festival. You found out that almost all kinds of known instruments have been taken. And you wonder what kind of unique instrument you will play to impress the school.

Music is a culture identity people associate with to become closer with their race. And one of these identity is using steel pan music but sometimes called as steel drum. These were made from many parts mainly pots used for paint, dust bins, and other tins and containers.

This instrument appeared during a time when French planters move to Trinidad during the 1789 French revolution, and with them came the slaves to work in their fields. Since the slaves could not participate in the local carnival festival they made their own version called canboulay. But by 1880 these were band due to the riots that emerge from these.

Today these are made through molding it into a shape similar to a bowl with the aid of air pressure or hammers. Then on the surface note patterns are marked after which it is tempered and initial tuning happens. In this step the tuning of the drum is improved, and often uses a strobe tuner.

Not only does it signify the cultural identity of developed by the former slaves of Trinidad. Today it is now part of the local music scene and has evolved from the Tamboo bamboos which is made from bamboo wood fashioned into a stick that can produce sounds and play tunes. Playing this required it to be hit on the ground, and produced sound when hit by other sticks.

There are other notable people who have helped improve this line. But without the musicians who made it possible to play these things then it would not have been made. Instruments like these were usually played around the neck, which means a long strap that held this drum were placed near the neck to prevent it from falling.

Playing these were either done standing with the help of a strap or seated in one area of the stage. However standing up the musician must be at least 4 to 5 inches away from body and pan with hands inserted in the drum. Keeping it close to the surface is essential for accuracy and speed.

A good way to become an efficient player is to practice proper positioning. This means that the best sounds produced stem from good posture and correct body movements. The hands are essential in this so it must be place nearest to the surface of the drum.

Remember to keep the elbows at waist level and never raise nor bend it than 45 degrees. Notes resonate when the rubber tip of the stick glides over the drum and helps musicians play the instrument more precisely and faster. There are two types of hand movements for producing sound such as the flick and down up stroke. The flick starts at the top then is pulled down and is waved on the note.




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