DIY Steel Drums
Steel drums, also called steel pans or simply pans, originated on the Caribbean island of Trinidad in the early twentieth century. In 1886, the British colonial government outlawed hand drums in an effort to curb gang violence. Neighborhood bands turned first to bamboo sticks, then to a variety of cans and tins. The first steel pan players, or panmen, created their instruments from discarded biscuit tins and used sticks for mallets. By the 1930s panmen were tapping away danceable rhythms on meticulously-tuned 55-gallon oil drums.
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Things You'll Need
- 1/2-inch wooden dowel or stick, 6 to 8 inches long
- Rubber bands or rubber bouncing ball
- Drill
- Epoxy
- Large coffee or olive oil tin, or steel barrel
- Pen
- Hammer
Instructions
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1
Wrap rubber bands around one end of the wooden dowel to make a mallet for smaller cans and tins. Use rubber bands purchased from the store, or save and reuse bands from grocery store produce or other commercial products. Children can also search a wooded area for a straight, smooth stick of about the same length. Larger steel barrels require a more substantial mallet, made by drilling a 1/2-inch hole in the bouncy ball and securing the mallet in the hole with epoxy glue.
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2
Place the can or barrel upside down on a flat surface outdoors. Use a pen to make a straight line dividing the bottom of the can into two almost equal portions. Make one side larger than the other. The larger half produces a lower tone and the smaller half sounds with a higher tone.
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3
Strike the can gently along each side of the line with the hammer. Hammer patiently to avoid punching through the bottom. Strike the depressions that form periodically with the mallet to listen for tuning and resonance. Do not try to tune the dudup steel drum perfectly, as this skill requires an experienced ear to work in tandem with precise metal-working skills.
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4
Work the barrel or tin until the two halves sound approximately a perfect one-fifth apart, or the interval heard in the first four notes of "twinkle, twinkle, little star." Hammer from the bottom to raise a depression.
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Tips & Warnings
Select a hammer that matches the size or your tin or barrel. Ball peen hammers provide a rounded edge convenient for smaller drums.
Supervise children during the hammering process to prevent accidental injuries to small fingers.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
