So you want to play the Steel Pan

These instruments posed perhaps the greatest challenge for me to “learn” (followed by guitar). The first thing one must overcome is the note layout. None of the instruments in the family have their pitches arranged in the typical fashion. Furthermore, the layout is not necessarily the same for every instrument because the lineage of the instruments’ development has left it somewhat unstandardized.  There are several different types of steel drums with variations on their construction and usage over the years which greatly effect their playability and pedagogy. The instrument lacks any real natural “sustain”. The lower notes have some, but that little bit quickly disappears when placed in context with other sound.  An additional challenge is that each instrument is still hand built and has its own further unique characteristics. Each note has its ideal “sweet spot” and velocity at which it wants to be stuck for optimal tone. Good instruments are expensive and can be hard to find if not having them built from scratch.