A couple of days ago I got my first steel drum, and as of 2:00 today, i could play about 27 songs on it. until now. a few minuets ago i hit my e, and it instantly went REALLY flat, and every time i hit it, it went flater. as you can tell, i am a total noob, and don't know what the issue is. i wasn't hitting it with the wrong mallets or too hard. please help!!!
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Paddy, it's not as simple as you have mentioned. Tuning has no real theory ,it's like an abstract science. He may do what you say and worsen the notes around the E like A and B. it may not require any tap from underneath but from on top only and even outside around the note and not the note itself.ONE CANNOT REALLY SAY UNLESS IT IS SEEN AND RESEARCHED then approach it with a technique. My friend from abroad returned for carnival with his Low C tenor after "working" on his low F found that he did a good job and started to play only to discover his workmanship messed up the C and Bb and then he decided to travel with it.I can tell you of many "repair" stories as people take hammers and do what they saw I did and ended up with more problems.
I would imagine that there would be tuners around USA who can do the repair but I can't trace their location.
that was the problem: the outside of the note was pushed up, so i pushed it back down.
ok, I fixed it. the back part of the note was up to much, and i pushed it down with my finger. it plays fine now. thanks for the advice!!!
Hi, again, Alex -
Sure wish we could tune our band's pans with a finger!
Guess I have too much time on my hands but your problem intrigued me.
I googled When Steel Talks' list of Michigan steel bands to see if they listed their tuners. A few of them did.
Alan Coyle is based in Florida.
Clifford Alexis is at Northern Illinois University.
Shelly Irvine is in Ohio.
The only indication you gave of your skill level was the prodigious number of tunes you learned in 2 days... but if you have never had a tenor pan as part of your home scene, or packed and traveled with them, there are some basics you need to observe in their handling. Forgive me if I'm preaching to the choir!!! But in the 15 years I've worked with a very active youth steel band (that had at first some very old pans), I've seen it all.
Never set it down on its belly. If you set it down properly on the rim, never put it anywhere that anyone would step on it or anything might drop on it. If you don't keep it out all the time, invest in a case if you don't have one already.
Another hint (again apologies if you're way ahead of me): is it chromed? Our band is all chrome except for the six basses. Our favorite cleaner/polisher/rust restorer is Turtle Wax Chrome Polish, available at your local auto parts store. Use a piece of old towel or a terry-lined old athletic sock. Rub on well, let dry (overnight if you have rust), then buff with a fast light touch. Gives a nice bluish shine and easy to wipe off fingerprints/raindrops etc. on the skirt with just a rag.
One more thought about rust (we're in the Virgin Islands so the humidity is always high) - the place rust often starts first is on the under side where the skirt meets the top. Once a year or so I flip all the pans over and give that seam a little squirt of WD-40, tilting it so it runs into the whole seam. Don't turn over till dry. WD-40 is NOT good for chrome.
no, i do not think it is chromed. thanks for the advice, i didn't know most of those things. thanks, you were a real help!!! :)
take it to a tuner. Where do you live??? If you cant get a tuner then YOU would have to do it yourself. Procedure TAP it gently from underneath with the FLAT part of a hammer (not the ball) easy does it. As the pitch changes TIGHTEN it from on the top side (around the edges) repeat until you arrive at the right pitch (E) Hope this helps. Just DONT hit the note hard. paddy corea
ok, thanks. i live in hartland, Michigan.
i feel really dumb, but google isnt letting me find him. do you have an email or phone number?
thanks you guys. do any of you know of people that tune them in south east michigan?
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