One thing that I find fascinating about steelpans is the arrangement of notes on the various types of instrument. Since most steelpan instruments consist of multiple drums, it's very convenient that the tuning system used by most of the world has twelve notes. You can take the factors of twelve and relate them directly to the pans and their tonalities.
2 x 6 = 12 ; Double second divides twelve notes into two whole-tone scales of six notes each.
3 x 4 = 12 ; Cello/guitar pan divides twelve notes into three diminished seven chords of four notes each.
4 x 3 = 12 ; Tenor bass and quadraphonic pans divide twelve notes into four augmented triads of three notes each.
6 x 2 = 12 ; Six-bass pan divides twelve notes into six pairs of fourths and fifths.
If there were thirteen notes in an octave, all this would be a complete mess.
The only pan that uses a single drum is the lead or tenor, which is arranged in a circle of fifths. The interesting result of this is that any melodic contour can be easily remapped into a different key by shifting the physical pattern of notes around the circle.
The Mannette Steel Drums website has pictures of the drums and their layouts here.
4 comments:
No pictures there of the tenor and six basses, since Mannette doesn't make those in their professional series. I feel left out!
That said (whined), I never thought about the subject of the post before. Rather handy that it works out that way, huh?
Should've just linked here.
If we counted in base 12 we wouldn't have that annoying 3.333333.... thing, either.
Or 6.666666... That'd be a pity!
hi,
i liked "summer". i like the steelpan pieces more than the electronica.
keep it up!
jo
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