How to Make an Alto Steel Drum

Steel drums, common to Caribbean music, are built from oil drums and can be made to cover a wide range of pitches and sounds. Steel drums are usually played in groups with several players and a number of different-sounding drums. The alto steel drum accompanies the melody or soprano drum by playing notes in harmony with the tune. In this article, you'll learn how to make a steel drum that will play in the alto range.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Oil drum
• Hammer
• Chalk
• Saw or steel-cutting blowtorch
• File
• Drum stand
• Paint (optional)

1. 
   The starting point---an oil drum

   Clean the oil drum completely. Turn the oil drum upside down so that you have access to the flat steel bottom. Draw a line with the chalk dividing the bottom into one section containing about two-thirds of the area and another section containing the remaining one-third.

2. "Sink" the pan of the drum by hitting the playing area with a hammer. You will want to sink the smaller side of the pan at least 1 inch lower than the larger side. The smaller side will be your high note, and the larger side will be the low note. Make the two areas as smooth as possible by beating them with the hammer.

3. 
   Two alto drums

   Use the saw or blowtorch to cut the barrel of the drum to create the "skirt." Cut the barrel so that it is about 10 inches in height. To make the drum sound higher, you would cut it to be shorter in height; to make the sound lower, you would leave on more of the barrel. A 10-inch skirt is common for alto drums.

4. File the edges of the skirt to be smooth and even. Paint the skirt of the drum if you like. When the drum is dry, place it on the drum stand or attach metal legs to its sides. It's ready to play.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear safety glasses and gloves when working with a saw, file or blowtorch.

Resources

• About the steel drum
• A performance by a steel drum band
• Tropical Hammer steel drums and accessories