Thursday, January 28, 2016

Bringing Out The Musician In You Through Steel Pan Music

By Joshua Reed


Music speaks to us at a deep level it translates the messages inside our hearts into flowing melody and rhythm. Because this music can take hold of another person or millions of ears and share the same feelings as the musician does. But music does not only play about feelings and emotions. It also represent the culture and race that one belongs to.

For many oppressed races music was a form of escape. It helped people to cope with difficult and stressful situations placed on them by authoritative figures. That is why many cultures developed their musical instruments to accompany them like the Trinidad steel pan music.

The instrument originated from Tobago and Trinidad. Musicians referred to pannist because these were considered as percussion instruments. A pair of sticks with rubber tips are used to play the pan. And these were made out of drum gallons for oils and other substances.

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.

Notes differs depending on the size of the pitch. A lower tones are made through the larger oval while the higher tones with the smaller ones. Most pans are painted or in chrome while others are processed in powder coating, nickel plating, and hardening for the finish.

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.

Every good musician must learn how to play an instrument correctly. Because it helps them play the tunes precisely and produce the best music for the audience to appreciate, but knowing the right position and handling as well as the care of an instrument can improve the usage over time. Starting with position most players stand with feet shoulder wide apart, so that body weight can be distributed evenly.

Always keep the elbows near the waist level and evenly distribute body weight with your feet. Never shuffle your feet, but if you are having trouble reaching for a note then pivoting from the waist, leaning, and bending are also acceptable. Having a good grip on the sticks used to produce the sound means holding the stick similar to a magic wand.

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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