Tonal design and tuning of Caribbean steel drums

Abstract

Steel drums were invented in Trinidad in the 1940s, but they soon became popular throughout the Caribbean islands. The drums in a steel band are usually fabricated from 55‐gal oil drums, and they are known by various names, such as soprano, ping pong, alto, double tenor, guitar, cello, and bass. Each drum may have from 4–32 different notes. A skilled steel drum maker tunes at least one overtone of each note to a harmonic of the fundamental. Whenever possible, a second harmonic is tuned as well.