1. What is a good package for a beginner?
   
   
2. What is a good starter package for a school or ensemble?
   
   
3. How do I learn to play the steelpan?
   
   
4. Where can I find musical arrangements for the steelband?
   
   
5. Can special note layouts and specs be produced?
   
   
6. What is the difference between a chromed and painted finish?
   
   
7. What is the difference between wood, bamboo and aluminium sticks?
   
   
8. Are there special products for the physically challenged?
   
   
9. Who tunes your steelpans?
   
   
10. How often does a steelpan need tuning?
    
    
11. Name some of the steelbands in Trinidad and Tobago that use TTIL steelpans, accessories and services
    
    
12. Name some schools that carry TTIL steelpans
    
    
13. Who are TTIL's distributors?
    
    
14. What accessories apply to the various steelpans?
    
    
15. What is the best way to transport and store steelband instruments?
    
    
16. How can I identify a TTIL product?
    

1. What is a good package for a beginner?    [BACK TO TOP]

Players of all ages and musical capabilities use our steelpans.  The age and objective of the player determines the starter package:

• The Mini Pan Package is a popular starter for children and adults because it provides an excellent introduction to music theory and the steel pan.  The package includes the pan on a stand, sticks and literature.  A method book and CD entitled “Melodies for the Mini C Pan”, that makes learning on the Mini C pan easier, was recently developed. The book has music for 20 simple melodies and the CD can be used as a guide to enhance playing.
• The Midpans are intermediate level instruments that are suitable for the conservative starter, hobbyist or the price sensitive player.  The Mid Pan – D can also substitute for the High Tenor Pan in many applications.
• The Tenor (Lead) Pan is the ideal choice for the serious enthusiast. The Tenor Pan is a soprano instrument, and can be used either as a solo instrument or to accompany other instruments. Our instructional video, Play the Steelpan: "Tenor Pan for Beginners” and instructional books facilitate easy acquisition of the skills required to play the steel pan.

2. What is a good starter package for a school or ensemble?    [BACK TO TOP]

A good starter package or a Basic Steelband consists of four different instruments representing four voices as follows:

However, for a more balanced and versatile sound the Ten Piece Steelband is recommended.  This package allows for more variety in music arrangements and genres.  The packages can be incrementally increased to build a steelband of any size.

3. How do I learn to play the steelpan?    [BACK TO TOP]

TTIL has available a number of aids to assist all players from beginner to professional as well as steelbands.

Minipan: Package includes a booklet which introduces the player to the history, set up of instrument, playing
instructions and some simple melodies. The CD/Book LIGM16 "Melodies for the Mini C pan" allows for a more comprehensive introduction. Top panist Dane Gulston performs 20 songs on the MICP02 - Minipan C without accompaniment on the CD and the varying degrees of difficulty allows the beginner to play along and gradually increase a repertoire.

Merle Albino-de Coteau scores all songs in the booklet in such a way that melodies can be played even without knowledge of music theory.

Midpan: Package includes booklet introducing the player to history, set-up, playing techniques and songs.
Since the chromatic Midpan - D is a smaller version of the High Tenor pan, the tutorial books LITS16 and
LITP16 can be used.

To develop a quick repertoire, the CD/book LIGM16 can also be used

High Tenor Pan: Tutorials applicable are:
LITS16 - Teach Yourself to Play - Tenor Pan - Sherman Fyfe
LITP16 - How to Play Soprano Pan - Jimi Phillip
LISP16 - Steelpan Playing with Theory - Salah Wilson
LIGM16 - Melodies for the Mini C Pan
LITV17 - Video - Play the Steelpan - Tenor Pan For Beginners

Low Tenor Pan: Tutorials applicable are:
LITS16
LITP26 - How to Play- Low Tenor Pan - Jimi Phillip
LISP16
LIGM16
LITV17

Double Tenor Pan: tutorials applicable are:
LIDT26 - Teach Yourself Play - Double Tenor - Sherman Fyfe
LISP16

Double Second Pan: Tutorials applicable;
LIDS36 - Teach Yourself to Play - Double Seconds - Sherman Fyfe
LISP16

Guitar pans,Cello pans, Tenor Bass, Six Bass, Ensembles, steelbands: Tutorials applicable
LIAS46 - Teach Your self to Play - Advanced pan - Sherman Fyfe
LISP16

4. Where can I find musical arrangements for the steelband?    [BACK TO TOP]

Full band arrangements can generally be adapted for the steelband and repertoire is limited only by the ability of players and the range and variety of the instruments in your steelband. Hillbridge Music is one of the best sources of arrangements for the steelband.

5. Can special note layouts and specs be produced?    [BACK TO TOP]

Due to the way in which the steelpan evolved, there are many variations of note layout, skirt lengths, suspension points , pan racks etc. in use TTIL can produce any practical steelpan to meet the specs of of our customers. We will also provide advice as necessary to alert customers of any disadvantages.

6. What is the difference between a chromed and painted finish?    [BACK TO TOP]

Most steelpan experts say that the different coverage produces different tones. It is usually accepted that the chrome finish yields "brighter" tones than the painted finish particularly for the notes of a higher register. As a result, the front line steelpans that carry the soprano and alto voices in the steel band –(the tenors, double tenors, double seconds) - are preferred in the chromed finish.  The mid range and bass steelpans that carry the tenor and bass voices are not usually finished in chrome since the tonal quality for the lower voices are not significantly affected.  For these steelpans, the aesthetic value is the main consideration.

Another consideration is the cost.  Chromed steelpans generally cost significantly more than painted steelpans. Therefore many steelpan players choose the painted finish because it also has a very high tonal quality.

Finally, the personal taste of the player is important, since many panists do not like the brighter tones associated with the chromed steelpans. It is also felt by many professionals that the painted steelpans have less overtones resulting in a better sound for studio recordings.

However, it should be noted that there are greater variables that determine tonality besides the “finish” of the pan.  They include the type of steel, the quality of tuning and burning, the type of music being played, and the skill of the player.

7. What is the difference between wood, bamboo and aluminium sticks?    [BACK TO TOP]

The type of stick one chooses really depends on one's personal preference and sense of aesthetic.  Wooden sticks are the traditional, standard type of sticks that are in most frequent usage. The Aluminium sticks are newer but present the advantage of being sturdier and slightly lighter than wooden sticks.  The Bamboo sticks can be as much as 30% lighter than the aluminium and wooden sticks and facilitate increased dexterity and speed that ultimately produce improved note response.

8. Are there special products for the physically challenged?    [BACK TO TOP]

TTIL has produced a special stand for the physically challenged known as the Easi Stand.  The stand is made of steel and can be adjusted to different heights and angles to accommodate the comfort level of the player.  It allows the player to sit comfortably and use hands only.  This basic stand can be fully adapted for use with any instrument in the steel orchestra and can be used with a wheel chair or can be specially adapted for use in a reclined or lying position.  The Meditation Pan works well with the easi stand and has been used in music therapy, meditation and ambient sound creation.

9.    Who tunes your steelpans?    [BACK TO TOP]

TTIL has developed a tuning system that ensures the highest quality steelpans.  From the inception, TTIL utilised the skills and expertise of the best tuners in Trinidad and Tobago.  In our formative years steelpans were tuned by Bertie Marshall, Lincoln Noel and Butch Kelman to name a few.  Since then TTIL has developed a structure to systematically transfer knowledge to our younger tuners and this has worked very well.  We have also introduced a quality control system that applies stringent standards to ensure our customers receive the best quality instruments on a consistent basis. All our tuners are trained to meet this standard.  Master tuner - Lincoln Noel, currently provides technical expertise and training.

10. How often does a steelpan need tuning?    [BACK TO TOP]

It depends on the usage and treatment of the steelpan. Panland steelpans played and stored in the recommended manner require minimal tuning. Care and handling instructions are included with each steelpan. Steelpans should be tuned based on need and not by any schedule and should not be tuned unless necessary. Only persons known to have the ability and are known in the pan fraternity should tune steelpans. TTIL can recommend tuners on request.

For example, PANTAR – a professional ensemble and a TTIL endorsee is one of the most active users of our steelpans. They have recorded and toured frequently since their inception in 1994 and their steelpans have only been tuned once since that time – in 1996.

11. Name some of the steelbands in Trinidad and Tobago that use TTIL steelpans, accessories and services.    [BACK TO TOP]

In addition, many individual players in local steelbands use their personal TTIL pans and accessories.

12. Name some schools that carry TTIL steelpans.    [BACK TO TOP]

TTIL steelpans have been introduced in the school systems of North America, Europe and the Caribbean directly and through our distributors.  The following are some of these more popular schools:

In addition schools have been supplied through our distributors and dealers in the United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Korea, the US and Canada.

13.  Who are TTIL's distributors?    [BACK TO TOP]

TTIL has distributors all over the world.  They include:

Additionally, TTIL supplies dealers and retail customers throughout the Caribbean and Central America, in South America and in the US through its subsidiary TTI Steelpan LLC. No inquiry is left unattended.

14. What accessories apply to the various steelpans?    [BACK TO TOP]

The following chart shows the stand, sticks and cases/covers applicable to the respective steelpans. Catalogue numbers are used. Please refer to Catalogue List for product names.

15. What is the best way to transport and store steelband instruments?   [BACK TO TOP]

Cases and covers are available for all mid and full sized pans for general storage and handling protection.

Basic Covers provide minimal protection from dust, the elements and as a deterrent to undesired touching etc.

Protective Covers offer protection to the playing surfaces from average impact as well as basic protection to the skirt.

Carrying Cases offer some protection to playing surfaces from impact and can be used for moving around instruments. These are not recommended for unattended transportation when handling is unsupervised. Protective Cases offer full protection to individual drums from average impact and can withstand normal air baggage handling stress. These cases are highly recommended for the best results in moving around and storage of individual pans.

The Steelband Box is the ultimate protection as it can hold multiple pans(six frontline pans at the same time), offers full protection in heavy transportation and handling situations and is ideal for storage and security of pans. It also removes the need for cases.

16. How can I identify a TTIL product?   [BACK TO TOP]

TTIL is proud of its strong reputation for high quality products and services and continues to improve in all areas. All TTIL steelpans have identifiable numbers stamped on the skirt adjacent to the seam at the back of the pan. Six Basses are stamped on the bottom. Minipans are stamped with batch numbers.

Midpans and all full size pans are stamped with ID numbers which allows tracing of any pan from its
production to sale history. Each drum has its own special ID number.

All full sized pans are delivered with a Certificate of Authenticity which carries the Instrument ID numbers.

All midsize and full size instruments as well as all accessories carry the brand name label.