Members of the Silver Sounds Steel Band practice on their VistaPan steel pans in the Middle Eastern country of Oman. Their director, Teiron Jones, has brought the sound of steel drums to countries in Africa, Asia and around the globe. We have Instructional Books available now, in addition to many accessories! … [Read more...]
VistaPan in Port of Spain, Trinidad
June 14, 2015 by
In Port of Spain, Trinidad, the "One Planet, One People, Pan Band" performs at the National Academy for the Performing Arts on their recently acquired set of VistaPan steel pans. The band plays music from around the world, on the national instrument of Trinidad, in hopes of using music to unite people from different cultures. We have Instructional Books available now, in addition to many accessories! … [Read more...]
VistaPan in Guyana, South America
June 8, 2015 by
The outstanding Buxton Pride Steel Orchestra in Guyana, South America is directed by Fitzroy E. Younge (Rollo). They are shown here performing in concert on their VistaPan steel pans. They are the reigning School Mash Champions. We have Instructional Books available now, in addition to many accessories! … [Read more...]
VistaPan in Pago Pago, American Somoa
June 8, 2015 by
A young girl at a Baha'i Center in Pago Pago, American Somoa (Pacific island) plays a VistaPan for the first time. A set of steel pans was purchased by Bill Hyman to start the first ever steel band there. We have Instructional Books available now, in addition to many accessories! … [Read more...]
VistaPan in China
May 25, 2015 by
Steel Band in Beijing, China at the Western Academy playing VistaPan Steel Pans. VistaPan is the price leader for full size, high quality steel pan (steel drum) instruments. We also have available package pricing for schools and Universities. … [Read more...]
VistaPan in Spain
May 7, 2015 by
Las Monjas performs with their VistaPan steel pans at the Carnival celebration in Badajoz, Spain. VistaPan provides steel pans (steel drums), steel band drums and steel pan accessories to schools and universities, community steel drum bands and steel pan musicians across the US and to 37 countries worldwide. All of our steel pan instruments are full size and made by Trinidadian pan builders and tuners to have superb sound quality. … [Read more...]
Stands for Steel Pan
March 11, 2014 by
There are several different types of stands for the steel pan instrument. The most important characteristic of a stand for a steel drum is that the steel pan must hang freely on the hanging loops that are on both sides of each barrel, so that it will have the correct sound. Where the steel pan musician most often performs is sometimes the determining factor in which type of stand he should use. Other characteristics that stands have include whether the stand is collapsible or whether it "nests" and if it is height adjustable, light in weight, durable, and reasonably priced. Professional musicians often choose a type of stand for steel pans that is called a tripod stand. The base or lower part of the stand is like that of a cymbal stand that a drum set player would use. The tripod base has 3 legs. This gives a steel pan greater balance playing on uneven surfaces, like on a beach, on a lawn or hillside and so on. Is much less likely that a steel drum will fall over when using a three … [Read more...]
Mallets for Lead Steel Pans
February 25, 2014 by
Each instrument in the steel pan family utilizes a different playing mallet. Since the different steel drum instruments encompass a wide tonal range, it is necessary to have different materials, thicknesses and weights to bring out the best sound for each of the steel pans. A mallet for playing steel drums has a dowel or shaft which is held in each hand and is made of wood, aluminum or sometimes composite materials. A playing tip is placed at the end of the dowel to make contact with the notes of the steel pan and is made of rubber, latex or similar material. To produce the right feel and balance, the dowel must have the proper weight. For lead steel pans, also known as tenor steel pans, the player has a choice of different mallets. If the player is new to steel drums, the best choice is a wood dowel mallet. Wood gives better control and does not accentuate hitting errors as the player learns touch on the steel pan instrument. This often means the steel pan will remain in tune … [Read more...]
Finishes for Steel Pans
February 17, 2014 by
There are five finishes to know about for steel pans. Many materials have been tried but these five are most commonly in production today. The least expensive finish for a steel drum is paint. With a steel pan, paint almost always means spray paint. Spray paint is not a very permanent finish. For upper steel pans, which includes lead (tenor), double second and double tenor steel pans, this kind of paint has an unfortunate sound characteristic. This is because spray paint does not bond very strongly with metal. It more or less sits on the surface of the steel drum and restricts the free vibration of the notes. This produces a thunky tone on the lower notes of an upper steel pan instrument. This also allows for much less sustain or length of the steel pan notes being struck. The next finish for a steel pan is called powder coat. These have a much better look than a painted pan with a better more glossy appearance. However, they suffer the same unfortunate sound characteristics of a … [Read more...]
Describing the Steel Pan Sound
November 20, 2013 by
Describing the sound of the steel pan musical instrument is both difficult and seemingly fraught with contradictions. Much easier to articulate is the dramatic effect steel drum sound has on so many listeners. Even though they are comparatively new, it seems surprising that steel pans could have the wide appeal they enjoy worldwide and so easily induce such a high level of listening pleasure. Some hear it as soothing and cheerful, while others characterize steel drums as exciting and brash. Since there are so many styles of music performed on steel pans and so many styles of playing steel drums, maybe this is to be expected. Not lost in this discussion is the "vacation effect" that steel drums have for North American tourists and others. After spending time in the Caribbean and hearing the beckoning music of steel pans every day, that sound seeps into their subconscious and becomes associated with the free and easy vacation time spent on their island excursions. Time … [Read more...]
