Steel Pan Instrument Family
Introduction
There are a range of steel pans that have been developed over the years. Each pan comes with its own unique sound. Below are some informations about pans.
| Lead ('tenor') | single barrel, highest range; traditionally plays the melody in steel band arrangements |
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| Double Tenor | comprised of two barrels, highest range. Can play the melody, or a harmonized version of the melody, or may 'strum' chords beneath the melody. |
| Double Seconds | also comprised of two barrels, slightly lower than the Double Tenors. Often strums chords, but can play melody, harmony or other parts of an arrangement. |
| Guitar | made up of two pans with less notes than the double seconds. Used mainly to strum chords or play the harmony horn section. |
| Cello | usually three (also known as Treble Guitars) or four barrels (also known as Tenor Bass), set in a semicircle, comprise this instrument. These fill a variety of roles in a steel band, ranging from bass lines, to strums, to the melody. |
| Quadrophonics | a sister instrument to the 'cello pan; however, rather than having the drums arranged side-by-side in a semicircle, two of the drums are set flat in front of the player, while the two remaining barrels are set vertically. |
| Bass | the lowest-ranged instrument in the steel band. Due to the size of the notes used on this instrument, there may be as few as three different pitches on each barrel, requiring the use of six, eight, or even more barrels to complete a single instrument. |
| The Engine Room | Steel bands are usually embellished with a rhythm section (known as an 'engine room'), including drum kit, congas, iron (brake drum), cowbell, maracas, tambourine, woodblock and any other percussion instrument which suits the arranger's purpose. |