A look back at the development of the steelpan and related instruments

Abstract

One of the most significant acoustic instruments developed in the 20th century was the Caribbean steelpan. The steelpan family originated from the islands of Trinidad and Tobago when the islands were a British colony. Because musical traditions on the island were heavily reliant on percussion, local musicians quickly adopted the new drum type. Other factors contributing to the development of the steelpan family include the oil drilling industry and the use of the islands as naval facilities leading up to the second world war. The steelpan has primarily always been tuned by hand by individual tuners, as attempts to mass-manufacture the instruments have largely failed. The most recent innovations in steelpan construction contributed to the development of the instrument known as the Hang, a hand-played instrument. The popularity and scarcity of the Hang have given rise to a new percussion instrument known as the handpan.