Towards the back of any steelband is a section that’s often relegated to the status of drums and percussion, or a rhythm section, to the uninitiated. However, that section has a more critical purpose and a more appropriate name than you might know: the engine room. The engine room is a vital element of the band that deserves immense attention and appreciation.
It is comprised of an assortment of percussive instruments that serve the crucial purpose to both maintain tempo but also drive the band forward through challenging pieces, like Panorama arrangements. Similar to the engine of a car, it is integral to the performance of the entire steelband. Often, those who want to be a part of the steelband and are able to keep a beat are welcomed into the engine room. For example, Billy Ocean, an R&B artist with hits such as Loverboy, Suddenly and Caribbean Queen, plays iron in the engine room of the Ebony Steel Orchestra, based out of London. There are many instruments that are essential to the engine room, all playing unique roles.
Drum Set
The drum set, also known as the drum kit, typically consists of a snare drum, a bass drum, and three toms. It may include several cymbals such as the ride cymbal, the crash cymbal, and the hi-hat. The drum set helps keep the beat, highlights the punches on the snare drum, toms, and cymbals, and drives into the next section of music using drum fills.
Brake Drum / Iron
The brake drum, also called the iron, is a hollow cast-iron circular instrument. As one can conclude from its name, the brake drum is a component taken from the brake mechanisms in an automobile. It drives the tempo of the entire band and is arguably the most important instrument in the steelband. There are multiple different patterns that the iron can play. One of these patterns involves a sixteenth note pattern with accents on every other note. The left hand often stays on the bell, where the pitch is the highest. The patterns can range depending on the style of the arranger/composer and how many iron players are in the band.
Scratcher / Shaker
The scratcher and shaker are both instruments within the steelband. The scratcher, a descendent of the guiro, is a metal instrument that is played with a comb-like stick. It is circular and made of many holes punched into an aluminum sheet. The shaker is comprised of a container with loose objects on the inside or outside. It can range in size and style. These objects strike against the container and each other to create sound. The scratcher and shaker play syncopated rhythms within the engine room of a steelband.
Conga
The conga is a barrel-shaped single-headed drum. In a steelband, the conga is either played by hand or with cloth or rubber-tipped mallets. Usually, multiple congas are played, tuned to different pitches. The congas play similar patterns to the rest of the engine room and are played just loud enough to be heard.
Cow Bell / Jam Block
The cowbell is a handheld percussion instrument used in many different types of music. It is either made of metal or synthetic material and is generally struck with a wooden drumstick. A single cowbell can only play one note, however, different cowbells can be tuned to different notes. A jam block is a plastic version of a woodblock. The jam block also can come in different sizes and pitches. If a steelband is large, it may use both a cowbell and a jam block. Both instruments can serve many different purposes, such as making certain melody notes stand out and helping the band keep time. While the cowbell sometimes is played on the downbeat, the jam block is often played on upbeats to offer a higher pitch to counter the cowbell.
Additional Engine Room Instruments
Steelbands integrate other notable instruments as well, depending on the style of the arranger or composer. The bottle and spoon is an instrument that dates back to tamboo bamboo bands, musical groups in Trinidad and Tobago that existed before steelpan was invented. Gin bottles were most often used, producing various pitches by adjusting the water level inside the bottle. Different pitched bottles would play different rhythms that fit together to create a polyrhythmic texture. Many steelbands also include a variety of African Drums such as the Djembe.
Read our other articles from the Basics of Steelpan Series below:
