rhythms of the world

S T U D Y G U I D E - R H Y T H M S O F T H E W O R L D – I N D I A N C L A S S I C A L M U S I C

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The Musical Contexts

Guide to

Rhythms of

the World Calypso and Steel Bands

Designed to support:

OCR GCSE Music – Area of Study 3: Rhythms of the World



Instruments, Timbres

and Sonorities Instruments used in Calypso include the acoustic and

bass guitar with trumpets, saxophones, electric

guitars, drum kit, vocals and LATIN PERCUSSION – this includes many types of drums

including:

CONGAS

BONGOS

CLAVES

MARACAS

CABASA

RECO-RECO (or GUIRO)

AGOGO BELLS

Steel Bands began in Trinidad when a great many oil drums were left

lying around after World War II. It was soon found that they could be

turned into musical instruments. Steel Pans are made by cutting oil

drums into different sizes and then beating the tops into concave

bowls. Each individual note is then beaten into a small area of the

bowl. Small rubber-headed sticks are used to strike each note.

These days, Steel Bands consist of a number of different-sized Steel

Pans, and a rhythm section of Latin-American percussion

instruments. Each pan or pair of pans has its own name according to

its pitch-range. Some of the pans have more than one name although they mean the same thing. Names of the Steel Pans (in descending pitch order) The part they play in the band

Soprano, Ping Pong, or First Tenor Usually play the melody

Double Alto, Double Second or Second Tenor Play a second melody underneath the Soprano part

Single Alto Play two-note Chords

Cello, or Guitar Play Chords, Melody or Bass

Bass Plays the Bass Part



The picture to the left shows the note positions on a steel pan. Because a wide

range of pitches is available on Steel Pans, the Steel Band is a very versatile

ensemble. Many different styles of music can be performed, including traditional

Caribbean, pop and classical music. However, the Steel Band is most often found in

outdoor carnivals playing traditional Caribbean music.

A Calypso band can also include:

ACOUSTIC, ELECTRIC and BASS GUITARS

BRASS INSTRUMENTS such as TRUMPETS and

TROMBONES

WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS such as CLARINETS and SAXOPHONES

A modern DRUM KIT

MALE (The Mighty Sparrow pictured) and FEMALE (Calypso Rose pictured) SINGERS/VOCALISTS



Identify the following percussion instruments used in CALYPSO AND STEEL BANDS

Name 4 types of Steel Pans.

Name a Woodwind instrument often

found in a Calypso Band.

Which Steel Pan normally plays the

Melody in Calypso?

Name a Brass instrument often

found in a Calypso Band.

Which 2 Steel Pans normally play the

Chords in Calypso?

Name 2 types of Drums often found in a Calypso Band.



Rhythm and Metre, Repetition and Ostinato

CALYPSO is originally the national dance of Trinidad and Tobago and is particularly associated with social

gatherings such as CARNIVAL. Calypso is normally in 4/4 METRE and uses SYNCOPATION combining story

telling with memorable melodies.

Calypso often uses three-beat rhythms with two long beats followed by a short beat. An example of a

Calypso rhythm is as follows:

SYNCOPATION is also used in Steel Pan music, both in the melody line and in the chords which are often

performed OFFBEAT.

Structure and Phrasing

CALYPSO uses CALL AND RESPONSE phrases with a leader or soloist playing the “call” and another

instrument or the ensemble “responding” with another musical phrase. Call and response phrases are

often an equal regular length (e.g. 4 or 8 bars) and are often IMPROVISED.

Songs are normally in POPULAR SONG FORM with a verse and repeating chorus structure with topical,

witty lyrics – often satirical – on subjects such as island life and were used as a means of speading news

and gossip.

Steel Pan music is often made up of a series of short phrases which are REPEATED and often have a

“returning ‘A’ section.

Pitch and Melody and Ornamentation

The melody of Calypso music often features IMPROVISATION by the instrumentalists often on an

“established”, pre-existing (folk) melody or one that has

been composed who add ornaments and decorate a

melody line during a performance.

Harmony and Tonality

The HARMONIC RHYTHM of Steel Pan music is normally

SLOW with a single chord often lasting an entire bar.

Harmonies are simple using mainly PRIMARY TRIADS and

phrases often end with PERFECT CADENCES. Much Steel

Pan music is TONAL and often in MAJOR KEYS.

The harmony of Calypso music is often enriched by using

ADDED NOTE CHORDS e.g. Added 6th, 7th & 9th and

Diminished 7th Chords.

Most of the time, the Alto and Cello/Guitar pan parts are based on CHORDS. In its simplest form, a

complete chord, or TRIAD consists of three notes. The lowest note of the triad, from which the chord

takes its name, is called the ROOT. The middle note is called the THIRD and the upper note is called the



FIFTH. When arranging the notes of the triad for Alto and Cello

pans, it is usual to give the Alto the root and the third, and the

Cello the third and the fifth. The stave to the left shows the triad

of C major with C being the root, E being the third and G being the

fifth and shows how these notes would typically be distributed

among the Alto and Cello Pans.

In Steel Band music, chords are rarely played as semibreves, as shown above. The following bass and

chord rhythm combination is typical of how the notes are distributed:

Texture

The texture of Steel Pan music is mainly HOMOPHONIC MELODY AND ACCOMPANIMENT with additional

textural layers added by chord riffs and percussion instruments which thicken the overall musical texture.

Dynamics, Expression and Articulation

Since Calypso and Steel Pan music is designed to be performed at carnivals and outdoors accompanying

dancers or in front of large audiences, the dynamics are generally very loud.

Steel pans are played with sticks/beaters with rubber tips and notes of LONG DURATION are playing by

ROLLING, giving a TREMOLO effect which produces a ‘shimmering’ sound as is a unique

TIMBRE/SONORITY to Steel Pans.



The Caribbean islands lie in a chain from

the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad

and Tobago in the south. Central in the

chain are the largest islands of Cuba,

Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica

and Puerto Rico. Most of the Caribbean

population are descendants of West

African slaves and settlers from Europe,

India and China. CALYPSO is the

national dance of Trinidad and Tobago.

STEEL BANDS also originated from these

islands.

The music of the Caribbean differs from island to island, but each

kind has its origins in a mixture of African and European

influences.

African musical influences include:

• SYNCOPATIONS (offbeat accents) and CROSS-RHYTHMS

• Use of PERCUSSION instruments

• CALL AND RESPONSE

• SINGING STYLES

What effect or technique is often

used to create long notes on Steel Pans?

What are the main Chords used in Calypso music?

Describe a typical Calypso Rhythm.

What family of instruments are used mostly in Calypso music?

What Time Signature or Metre

is Calypso music normally in?

Describe the Texture of most Calypso music.



European musical influences include:

• TONAL (based in a key) harmonies and melodies

• Instruments e.g. guitar While Calypso started as a type of folk music, it developed into a CALL AND RESPONSE form from originally a political and social commentary, to dance and party music. During British colonial rule of Trinidad in the 1800’s, hand drums were used as a form of communication by neighbouring gangs. However, due to a steady increase in violent, the government outlawed the use of these drums. As a result, Trinidadians turned to a variety of materials to take the place of the banned drums and searched for objects to create music, including rubbish can lids, old car parts and empty oil barrels. Eventually, these metallic found instruments became the basis of musical gatherings called “Iron Bands.” In the late 1930s, someone discovered that hitting a dented section of an oil barrel produced a particular tone, and people began to experiment with different shapes, resulting in the original steel drums, now referred to as “pans,” which were convex like a dome rather than concave like a dish. Ellie Manette, a steel drum maker still active in the United States, was the first to hammer out a pan, giving the drum its familiar concave form. Over many years, steel drum makers have perfected the quality, tone, and appearance of the instrument, which has led to its finding acceptance in the present-day percussion family. The first major “stars of Calypso” started crossing over to new audiences worldwide in the late 1930’s as a form of protest against the authoritarian “colonial culture” which existed at the time. Calypso (often “toned-down” to a more “commercial” form) became popular with the release of “Banana Boat Song”, or “Day-O”, a traditional Jamaican folk song, whose best-known rendition was done by Harry Belafonte on his album Calypso (1956) which was the first full-length record to sell more than a million copies. Calypso also became popular in Broadway musical theatre with the musical Jamaica (1957) and Calypso began to be heard as music in films such as Island in the Sun, Calypso Joe, Calypso Heat Wave and Bop Girl Goes Calypso. In the 1970’s, women entered the previously male-dominated Calypso arena and Calypso continues to be popular in films of today such as “Under the Sea”, a Calypso theme from Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

Calypso and Steel Bands – Further Listening

https://www.youtube.com/embed/4mypahds8y4?list=PL3q984EWyJe4SMQSeDIuh-kh3w6JqyzoM

https://www.youtube.com/embed/p4nL3fwtvqg?list=PL3q984EWyJe4SMQSeDIuh-kh3w6JqyzoM

https://www.youtube.com/embed/qdrY-qhP0Oo?list=PL3q984EWyJe4SMQSeDIuh-kh3w6JqyzoM

S T U D Y G U I D E - R H Y T H M S O F T H E W O R L D – C A L Y P S O A N D S T E E L B A N D S


The names of some famous performers and groups of Calypso and Steel Bands include:

HARRY BELAFONTE

(An American singer, songwriter, actor, and social activist. One of the most successful African-American pop stars in history, he was dubbed the "King

of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s)

DAVID RUDDER (A calypsonian from Trinidad, one of the most successful calypsonians of all time. He began singing with a calypso band at a young age, and in his teens sang backup vocals in a calypso tent run by Lord Kitchener)

MIGHTY SPARROW

(Slinger Francisco, better known as Mighty Sparrow, is a calypso singer, songwriter, and guitarist of Trinidadian citizenship. Known as the "Calypso

King of the World", he is one of the best-known and most successful calypsonians)

ANDY NARRELL (An American jazz musician and composer specialising in steelpans. He has a

brother Jeff Narrell who is also a steelpan player)

Where does Calypso come from?

Where would Calypso often be

heard and performed?

Describe 2 influences of

African Music on Calypso.

S T U D Y G U I D E - R H Y T H M S O F T H E W O R L D – C A L Y P S O A N D S T E E L B A N D S


Calypso and Steel Band Calypso is the national dance of Trinidad and Tobago. Steel Bands also originated from these islands. Caribbean music combines elements of AFRICAN MUSICAL INFLUENCES – SYNCOPATION, CROSS-RHYTHMS, PERCUSSION, CALL AND RESPONSE and EUROPEAN MUSICAL INFLUENCES – TONAL HARMONIES AND MELODIES and instruments.

Characteristic Rhythms and Metres, Traditional Rhythm Patterns &

Repetition and Ostinato Harmony and Tonality

Dynamics, Expression and

Articulation

CALYPSO is originally the national dance of Trinidad and Tobago and is

particularly associated with social gatherings such as CARNIVAL.

Calypso is normally in 4/4 METRE and uses SYNCOPATION combining

story telling with memorable melodies. Calypso often uses three-beat

rhythms with two long beats followed by a short beat. An example of a

Calypso rhythm is as follows:

SYNCOPATION is also used in Steel Pan music, both in the melody line

and in the chords which are often performed OFFBEAT.

Harmony of Calypso often enriched used ADDED NOTE CHORDS e.g. added 6ths,

7ths and 9ths and Diminished 7th chords. The HARMONIC RHYTHM of Steel Pan

music is SLOW – with a single chord often lasting an entire bar. Harmonies are

mainly simple and use PRIMARY TRIADS in MAJOR TONALITY and phrases often

end with PERFECT CADENCES. The BASS PAN plays the ROOT of the chord, the

CELLO/GUITAR PAN plays the

THIRD AND FIFTH of the chord and

the ALTO PAN plays the ROOT

AND THIRD of the chord. A typical

CHORD RHYTHM could be:

Since Calypso and Steel Pan music is

designed to be performed at carnivals and

outdoors accompanying dancers or in front

of large audiences, the dynamics are

generally VERY LOUD – FORTISSIMO (ff).

Steel pans are played with sticks/beaters

with rubber tips and notes of LONG

DURATION are playing by ROLLING, giving a

TREMOLO effect which produces a

‘shimmering’ sound as is a unique

TIMBRE/SONORITY to Steel Pans.

Pitch & Melody and Ornamentation Texture Form & Structure and Phrasing

The melody of Calypso music often features IMPROVISATION by the

instrumentalists often on an “established”, pre-existing (folk) melody or

one that has been composed who add ornaments and decorate a

melody line during a performance.

Steel Pan music – mainly HOMOPHONIC

(MELODY AND ACCOMPANIMENT) –

additional textural layers added by CHORD

RIFFS and percussion instruments which

thicken the musical texture.

Calypso often uses CALL AND RESPONSE regular (e.g. 4 or 8-bar) phrases

which are IMPROVISED. Songs are normally in POPULAR SONG FORM.

Steel Pan music often has a recurring ‘A’ section and made up of short

REPEATED PHRASES.

Origins and Cultural Context of the

Traditional Music Musical Characteristics of Folk Music

Impact of Modern Technology on

Traditional Music

Artists, Bands & Performers of Calypso and

Steel Pan Music Calypso is the national dance of Trinidad and

Tobago and is based on a traditional syncopated

rhythm. Steel Bands also originated from these

islands.

Steel Drums were discovered in the late 1930’s

by hitting a dented section of an oil barrel which

produced a particular tone.

Calypso and Steel Band music has African musical

influences including: Syncopations and Cross-

Rhythms, use of percussion instruments, call and

response and singing styles as well as European

musical influences including tonal harmonies and

melodies and instruments such as the guitar.

With advances in recording technology, Harry

Belafonte recorded a “Calypso Album” in 1956

selling more than a million copies bringing

Calypso to a wider audience worldwide. Calypso

has also been used in modern-day films e.g.

“Under the Sea” from ‘The Little Mermaid’.

Harry Belafonte David Rudder

Mighty Sparrow Andry Narrell

Instrumentation – Typical Instruments, Timbres and Sonorities

Instruments used in Calypso include the Acoustic and Bass Guitars with Trumpets, Saxophones, Electric

Guitars, Drum Kit, Vocals and

LATIN PERCUSSION which includes

many types of drums and hand-

held percussion instruments

including: Steel Bands began in Trinidad when a great many oil drums were left lying around after World War II. It was soon found that they could be turned into musical instruments. Steel

Pans are made by cutting oil drums into different sizes and then beating the tops into concave bowls. Each individual note is then beaten into a small area of the bowl. Small rubber-headed sticks are used to

strike each note. These days, Steel Bands consist of a number of different-sized Steel Pans, and a rhythm section of Latin-American percussion instruments. Each pan or pair of pans has its own name

according to its pitch-range. Some of the pans have more than one name although they mean the same thing.

rhythms of the world

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