Steel Pans

Steel Pans

button_music_minpans Carribean music includes some of the most exciting and lively music on Earth, and presents a range of forms that are both inclusive and challenging to adults and children alike. It affords a level of accesibility that will have KS1-3 making music enthusiastically and confidently right from the first session. Whether playing drums, steel pans, mini-pans or any other Carribbean instrument, pupils can learn much about both the genre itself and the musical elements in general.

What's the Difference?

Steel Pans

Steel pans are the larger group of instruments, and come in several sizes. They each have a range of at least an octave, and some require playing in pairs to cover all notes of the scale. Significant space is required to store stell pans, but the sound payoff is well worth the effort as they produce a sharp and lively sound and can achieve a rich harmony with little practice that is very empowering to young players.

Mini-Pans

Mini-pans are significantly smaller, at approximately 12" across, and are far easier to store adn move around. They produce an excellent sound when played in numbers, and can produce interesting harmonies. The benefit of the same layout means that players can help each other learn to play and locate notes, as well as play diofferent parts easily. A pair of larger pans are often a useful addition, to provide a fuller range of pitch.

Why Steel Pans / Mini-Pans?

Samba courses are ideal for groups wishing to focus on understanding how music is organised, texture, as well as melody and harmony. It is possible to tailor a scheme for anything from a half term to a year, that addresses all the NC key elements of music, whilst scaffolding the learning process and fostering a love of music and music making. It is also a very 'boy friendly' solution to ensure enthusiasm and engagement, thanks to its ease of access and large dramatic sound.

Learning Pans

Typically, a steel-pans course will begin with a number of sessions given to a mixture of rhythm games, playing technique and rhythm tasks, and learning simple melodies and harmonies. Quickly pupils will be introduced to the idea of structure and texture, and learn ostinato and canon. Pupils learn through a mix of aural recollection, graphic and word based patterns, and if appropriate later, traditional notation.

Gradually, the group are introduced to more challenging melodies and rhythms, including 'rolling', and an increasing number of parts in combination, ensuring that they need to work hard in actively listening to the sound produced, for clues to their own role. The class are encouraged to reflect critically on the work produced, having played each part within the group, and are scaffolded with the vocabullary shared and modelled by the leader.

As time goes on, pupils are encouraged to take the role both of soloist and leader, actively improvising the music, and controlling the texture by combining the instrument groups, rhythms and break patterns.

Development

Steel Pan playing offers an unlimited range of rhythmic and melodic developments, ensuring that a class can always be challenged and pushed forward in their skills and understanding, whils supporting the least confident or least able members. Over time, the steel pans are used in collaboration with other instruments, such as rums and small percussion, to develop a more realistic texture.