HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE STEEL BAND
INTRODUCTION
The steel pan is the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the most important acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century. The steel pan owes its genesis to the carnival festivals of that era. It emerged as the product of the energy of the people directed towards cultural self-expression. The steelpan therefore became a cultural vehicle forged from the historical and social conditions prevailing at that time. Its development was moulded by the ethnic influences of our heritage.
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
Carnival celebrations in the late 1800’s were marked by disturbances which prompted the authorities to prohibit the unlicensed playing of all percussion, string and wood-wind instruments by way of legal ordinance. This led to the development of the Tamboo-Bamboo as a musical instrument. The Tamboo-Bamboo was made from bamboo cut to various lengths and its sound was produced by stamping onto the ground. Carnival celebrations in the five decades from 1884 to the late 1930s witnessed the growing rhythms of Tamboo-Bamboo musical ensembles in street processions with accompanying brass and string instrumental bands.
Several problems with the bamboo material, including its tendency to splinter easily, resulted in experimentation with other materials such as metal containers, to produce various sound effects. These experiments resulted in the discovery of the steel drum since it proved to be more durable than other material and capable of greater tonal versatility.
This drum, originally used to store petroleum, evolved into the steel pan by making cross-sections cut into the 55-gallon metal container. Through further experimentation, percussive sounds of various pitches were produced by indenting and tempering the concave metal surface. The steel drum therefore was used in the creation of what is known today as the steel pan, and although there have been several competing claims to its invention, it is generally accepted that the steel pan was first made around 1939 in Trinidad and Tobago.
Carnival of 1940 witnessed the first public appearance of the steel pan and it has since evolved through the ingenious innovations of various contributors. These innovations have resulted in instruments of different tonal ranges which now comprise the musical ensemble of the modern steelband.
The steelpan has risen from the deprived urban tenements of Port-of-Spain where it was forged, to acceptance and promotion by the international community. What has brought this instrument forward onto the world stage was the devotion, talent and industry of its early followers. This is a significant achievement in the face of the financial obstacles and disdain by society for the thuggery and violence once associated with it.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF A STEELBAND
Over the six decades of its existence the steel pan has evolved into a musical instrument of great versatility. Combined into its own orchestra called the steelband, the steel pan can be tuned to play various scales within a diverse arrangements of music. The modern steelband or steel orchestra can successfully reproduce the compositions of pop, jazz, calypso, the work of classical European composers and other musical forms.
Also retained from the tamboo-bamboo bands in the evolution of the modern steelband is the ‘engine room’ or the percussive element which allows the band to keep its timing. The 'bottle and spoon', maracas (shac-shac) and various assortments of iron, make up the elements of the ‘engine room’.
STEELBAND INSTRUMENTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
STEELBAND SECTIONS:
FRONTLINE PANS
The tenor pans or frontline pans consist of the high tenor (soprano), low tenor and double tenor. These instruments usually carry the melody of the band and have the highest pitch. The tenor pan has the shortest skirt length, is lightweight and can, if needed, be strung around the neck.
MIDRANGE PANS
The guitars, quadrophones and cellos are known as the the mid-range pans. The chords from these instruments are used to support the melody played by the frontline pans.The single, double and triple guitar pans are the highest in this section and are used for strumming. The quadrophones are a set of four used for melody and harmony.
BACKGROUND PANS
The background pans are the basses: the tenor bass, the six-bass, 9-bass and the high bass. These are the lowest pitched instruments, and provide the harmonic and melodic chords for the steelband.
A conventional steelband may have up to 120 members and instruments in the following categories as illustrated below:
STEEL PAN or other Instrument
TONAL RANGE
Frontline Pans High Tenor Steel Pan
28 to 30 notes
Tonal range: D4 to D6
Low Tenor Steel Pan
28 to 30 notes
Tonal range: C4 and G6
Double Tenor Steel Pan Tonal range: F#3 – Bb5
Mid-Range Pans Guitar Steel Pan 20 notes:
Tonal range: C3 and G#4
Quadrophones Steel Pan 36 notes:
Tonal range: B2 and Bb5
Cellos Steel Pan Triple Cell Cello: Tonal Range B2 to C#5
Four Cell Cello: Tonal Range G2 to D5
Background Pans 6-Bass Steel Pan Six pans of 3-notes = 18 notes.
Tonal range: A1 and F3
9-Bass Steel Pan nine pans of 3-notes = 18 notes.
Tonal range: G1 - C4
12-Bass Steel Pan Twelve pans of 3-notes = 18 notes
Tenor Bass Tonal range: F2 C4
Engine Room Conga Drums
Trapset
Guiro (scratcher)
Iron (assorted)
Toc-Toc
THE MODERN STEELBAND
The early development of the steelband took place in the decades of the 1930 and 1940s. The steel pan was first played strung around the neck of the performer and is often referred to as a Traditional Steelband or 'Pan-Round-De-Neck.' Carrying the steelpan in this manner restricted the repertoire of the band to the lighter weighted instruments.
The growing need for mobility gave rise to the development of the conventional steelband with its wheeled, and sometimes canopied carriages, which were pushed by ardent supporters. These carriages are still used today by conventional bands which may number up to 120 musicians or panmen. Some bands however, have resorted to having their carraiges propelled by heavy duty vehicles.
The progression of the size of the modern steelband and the methods used to transport them has been attained through the inspiration and combined efforts of its innovators, and those who support and direct the artform, such as the fabricators, musicians (panmen and panwomen), pan tuners, musical arrangers, organizing bodies and sponsors - who make up the pan movement or industry. This combination of effort and devotion defines the present versatility of the steel pan in the ensemble of the modern steelband.
ORGANIZATION OF A STEELBAND
MEMBERS
A typical steelband is normally led by a captain who, in addition to being an experienced player, has well-developed musical insight and ability. A large band may also have section leaders whose job is to support the captain by passing on his knowledge and skill to the other members of the orchestra.
MUSICAL ARRANGEMENT AND CONDUCT
A typical steelband musical orchestra can reproduce melodies from various genres of music. Once a composition or song has been written or selected for use by the steelband, the musical arrangement begins. This musical arrangement involves reproducing the melody of the chosen piece of music by adapting it to the interplay of the various sections of the steel orchestra.
In the case of the steelpan, there are musical arrangers, whose task is to determine the range of sound from the chosen composition. A steel orchestra may also have a musical conductor, whose task it is to harmonize the individual characteristics of each instrument from the musical score.
https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Guide/Steelband
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