Listen Along
Here you will find MP3 audio tracks of the Steel Drums from Trinidad and Tobago. Click on the link to play the track to share with your class now or right click on the link and choose “save as” to save the track to your own computer and share with your class later.
- Tamboo Bamboo from Trinidad “Calypso Tent: Bamboo Tamboo Session” represents the use of bamboo tubes as percussion instruments in Carnival before steel drums were invented (from a CD titled Calypso Lore and Legend – Afternoon with Patrick Jones on Smithsonian Folkways SF C5016, track 6)
- Steel drum music from Trinidad “Top Cat Mambo” is a combination of Calypso and mambo rhythms played by a steel drum band (from a CD titled Sounds of Our Times – The Champion Steelbands of Trinidad on Smithsonian Folkways Cook: C-106, track 8)
- Steel drum music from Trinidad “Love is a Many Splendored Thing” represents an American pop tune from the 1950’s when steel drum music was becoming well known internationally (from a CD titled Sounds of Our Times – Champion Steel Bands of Trinidad on Smithsonian Folkways Cook: C-106, track 4)
- Steel drum music from Trinidad “High Mas” by David Rudder, a contemporary calypso composer (from a CD titled Panic – Inside Out on a self-produced album, track 12)
Play Along
Here you will find MP3 audio tracks of the Steel Drums from Trinidad and Tobago to download and share with your class. Your students can play along, following instructions found in the relevant curriculum chapter. Download TUBS notation paper. Click on the link to listen to the track or right click on the link and choose “save as” to save the track to your own computer.
| Audio Track | Time |
|---|---|
| Tenor – 1-4 | 0:26 |
| Double Tenor – 1-4 | 0:26 |
| Cello – 1-4 | 0:26 |
| Bass – 1-4 | 0:25 |
| Bell #2 – angle iron | 0:27 |
| Bell #1 – cowbell | 0:27 |
| Cymbal (bell) | 0:27 |
| Hi-hat | 0:25 |
| Snare drum | 0;26 |
| Bass drum | 0:25 |
| Engine room ensemble | 0:25 |
| Steel drum ensemble | 0:21 |
Resources
Download a PDF of the Audio Content Notes for Roots of Rhythms lessons 11 through 16.
View more Resources—CDs, DVDs, and websites—for each instrument.