GEARED chats to KRISTI KIEF from local community steelpan outfit THE RIVERCITY STEEL BAND.

Steelpans (steel drums) and panning as a musical form, evolved out of Trinidad and Tobago in the 20th Century. African slaves of the British colonialists used drumming as a form of communication. These drums were initially tuneable bamboo sticks known as Tamboo-Bamboos, which were hit on the ground on concert to play different rhythms and melodies. Scavenged items, such as the (gin) bottle and spoon, and pieces of metal, such as the car brake hubs and biscuit drums, became common in the 1930s. In 1947, or thereabouts, the first steelpans were made from 55-gallon oil drums. The Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra were the first band to exclusively utilise oil drums when they formed to attend the Festival Of Britain in 1951. The steelpan has since evolved beyond the humble oil container, with shells made to specification to achieve the most desirable timbre. Steelpans are tuned chromatically, with different sized ovals representing different notes. Larger ovals are lower notes, with bass pans featuring only a few notes, while tenor or soprano pans can accommodate entire octaves.

GEARED: How popular is steelpan, outside of Trinidad and Tobago?

KRISTI KIEF: It has pockets of popularity around the world, with great bands anywhere from England, Sweden, Taiwan, and especially America. I learned in Tallahassee, Florida and Chicago, Illinois, where there are great pan scenes. Some of our students learned in England.

G: What is the size and composition of the Rivercity Steel Band?

KK: Going down in the range of instruments, we currently have: three tenor players, two double seconds players, one cello pan player, one bass pan player, and a rockin’ drummer. And we are looking to add people, so come check it out!

G: What range of steelpans do you utilise? Do you have instruments that people can borrow for the classes?

KK: We have the full range (as listed above) of instruments. Generally we can come up with plenty of instruments for people to use, and some people own personal instruments already.

G: What range/type of tunes do the Rivercity Steel Band play?

KK: Pretty diverse so we can show the amazing versatility of the steel drums! We play some calypso/soca from Trinidad, classical pieces, and even Bob Marley, The Beatles, and Van Morrison. One of our new tunes will be a chilled out Brazilian bossa nova.

G: Does the fact that steelpans are tuned to the western chromatic scale, with notes laid out in a circle of fifths, help with learning the instrument?

KK: Yes, and good job on the research. However, only the tenor pan is in the circle of fifths. The others tend to be in thirds or fourths, depending on the layout of the drum. But it’s surprisingly easy to get used to the note locations … much easier than guitar for example.

G: Does traditional and contemporary steelpan music retain the complex polyrhythms of it's African precursors?

KK: It can, but more often the rhythms are uniquely Caribbean. Most people in Trinidad cannot read music, and therefore may not be as comfortable with very complex polyrhythms. I found this true when visiting Trinidad in 2000 with my university band … our 12/8 African xylophone song blew them away! It was a great feeling to go to the birthplace of pan and show a different way to incorporate their amazing instrument with other world instruments and grooves.

G: How does one tune a steelpan? It involves a hammer, right?

KK: After years and years of training, a tuner will take a hammer and bash the pan into tune. It is very painful to watch, and requires a lot of trust in the tuner. It’s also really hard to find tuners here in Australia.

G: What should people listen for when choosing a steelpan? Certain harmonic overtones can make the notes really sparkle....

Sparkles are great, especially in the chrome finish! Mostly just check that the notes are in tune with each other, and take care to be very gentle with the drum. Hitting it too hard, or with improper mallets can immediately damage the drum. Each drum is a handmade work of art … they are never going to be perfect, but get one that sounds resonant, clear, and in tune.

The RIVERCITY STEEL BAND rehearses Tuesday nights 6:30-7:45 at Access Drumming in Cannon Hill. Lessons are as cheap as $5, the first two lessons are free to check out. No previous music experience is required, just a desire to learn and laugh. They're cheap to hire as well, for weddings, parties, anything really. www.steeldrums.org

Comments (1)

Write Comment
Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged.
Name:
Comment:
Code:*