ENGR 3000 Technology of the Steel Pan Lecture 1 Lecturer: Sean Sutherland
Course Evaluation Research paper 20% Practicals 20% Examination 60%
Topics for Today s Lecture History of the Steel Pan Description of the Steel Pan Types of Steel Pans Families of Musical Instruments BREAK Basic Introduction to Music
History of the steel pan 1883 Use of drums in street parades outlawed 1900-1934 Use of tuned bamboo sticks 1930s Use of biscuit tins 1934 Taboos Bamboo bands forbidden 1935-1939 Gradual change to steel instruments in street bands
History of the steel pan (cont d) 1938-1939 Birth years. Winston "Spree" Simon was the first to used tuned tins Alexander s Ragtime Band becoming the first ensemble with exclusively steel instruments 1942 Carnivals forbidden 1939-1945 First melody pans, developments in pan crafting
History of the steel pan (cont d) 1945 Spontaneous carnival at the end of the war saw several bands consisting of only steel pans 1946 Invaders, led by Elliot Manette was the first steel band to participate in organized mas 1947-1949 last years of small melodic steel pan 1948 Oil drum replaced biscuit tin
Parts of the pan
Parts of the pan cont d
Stands
Racks
Sticks
Types of Pans High Tenor Low Tenor Double Tenor Double Second Double Guitar Triple Cello/Guitar Quadrophonic Pan Four Pan/Cello Tenor Bass Six Bass Nine Bass
Ranges of the pans
Measurements for the Tenor Pan
Note Sizes
Families (traditional) of Musical Instruments Strings Brass Woodwinds Percussion
Strings Violin Viola Cello Double bass Harp
Brass Trumpet Trombone French Horn Tuba
Woodwinds Clarinet Oboe Bassoon Saxophone Flute Piccolo English horn
Percussion Drums Tambourine Glockenspiel Marimba Xylophone Piano Organ Steel pan Cymbals Chimes Triangles Bells Guitar
Categorization of musical instruments based on sound production mechanisms
Strings Bowed Strings Violin Viola Violoncello Double bass Bowed psaltery Plucked Strings Guitar Lute Harp Sitar Balalaika Koto Mandolin Kanoon Zither Lyre
Koto Balalaika Mandolin Kanoon
Strings continued Hit Strings Hammered dulcimer Berimbau Other Hurdy-gurdy (crank turns a wheel which rubs against the strings) Aeolian harp (strings set in motion by the wind)
Hammered dulcimer Berimbau Hurdy-gurdy
Trumpet Trombone French Horn Tuba Bugle Digeridu Conch shell Brass
Digeridu
Woodwind Single Reed Clarinet Saxophone Basset horn Double Reed Oboe Bassoon English horn Bagpipes Krummhorn Shawm
Krummhorn Shawm
Woodwind continued Edge blown Flute Recorder Tin whistle Slide whistle Whisky jug
Percussion (membranophones) Definite Pitch Kettledrums (rototoms Some other drums have quasi-definite pitch) Indefinite Pitch Other drums of all kinds Tambourine
Percussion (Ideophones) Definite Pitch Xylophone Marimba Vibraphone Handbells Chimes Gamelan Steel pan Indefinite Pitch Cymbals Gong Rattles of all kinds Bones Spoons Log drum Woodblock Triangle Maracas Rhythm sticks Etc.
Gamelan
Basic Music Theory Staff Treble clef Bass clef Bar or measure
Grand Staff
Staff mapped to Keyboard
Treble Clef LINES: e g b d f SPACES: f a c e
Bass Clef LINES: g b d f a SPACES: a c e g
Scales Scale is a succession of notes arranged in ascending or descending order Most common scales are: 5 note scale (pentatonic) 12 note scale (chromatic) 7 note scale (major/minor diatonic, modes)
Scales continued Western music divides the octave into 12 steps called semitones, which constitute the chromatic scale Then it arranges 7 of these notes in a particular sequence to form major and minor scales, which carry the name of the lowest note in the sequence
Scales continued Other cultures use different scales Pentatonic scales are basic to Chinese, Celtic and Native American Music Indian music is based on a 7-note scale with microtonal intervals (i.e., intervals that are fractions of those found in Western music)
Octave An octave refers to the doubling in frequency of a note, which produces a similar note at a higher frequency Because of its purity, and the fact that the harmonics of many notes contain the octave, it occupies a special place in nearly all musical cultures
Whole and Half Steps W W H W W W H W W H W W W H W W
C Major Scale
Steps for writing major scales 1. Write out the eight notes in ascending order beginning and ending with the given note 2. Check the number of half/whole steps between each pair of notes from the beginning 3. If interval is correct, move to the next pair, if not sharpen or flatten the second note of the pair as necessary
The number of whole tones between notes of minor scales For harmonic minor scales ascending and descending, the intervals are: 1 0.5 1 1 0.5 1.5 0.5 For melodic minor scale ascending, the intervals are: 1 0.5 1 1 1 1 0.5 For melodic minor scales descending, the intervals are: 1 1 0.5 1 1 0.5 1
Intervals
Consonant intervals in descending order of consonance Interval Notes Ideal Freq Ratio # of ½ steps Octave C-C 2:1 12 Fifth C-G 3:2 7 Fourth C-F 4:3 5 Major 6 th C-A 5:3 9 Major 3 rd E-G 5:4 4 Minor 6 th C-A 8:5 8 Minor 3 th E-C 6:5 3
C Major Scale C Major Triad
Triads based on the C major Scale
Circle of Fifths