Steelpan (Steel Drum)

Sound and Character

The sound of the steelpan is bright, tropical, ringing, oily, and festive, associated with the sun, sea, and Caribbean holidays. Incredibly, full polyphonic harmonies can be played on a single drum.

Design and Features

The bottom of a metal oil drum is hand-hammered into a convex bowl shape, on which sectors (notes) of various sizes are embossed. Each note is precisely tuned to a specific frequency. The musician plays with two mallets with soft tips.

Genres Used In

• Caribbean calypso and soca music
• Steel bands
• Exotic pop crossover