Steel Pan

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Steel Pan Reggae Style
Lesson Objective to identify and discuss the
origins and key characteristics of reggae music
and to learn to play Bob Marleys Three Little
Birds on steel pan.
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Where Reggae Music Was Born
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REGGAE ROOTS MENTO

• Mento is a form of Jamaican folk music
• Mento songs tended to describe and made fun of
  local events and people, much like calypso in
  Trinidad and Tobago.
• Mento songs are accompanied by the banjo, guitar,
  percussion and string bass.
• Banjo plays fast, offbeat chords, while other
  instruments play their own syncopated rhythms.

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REGGAE ROOTS SKA

• Ska was developed from Mento and emerged in the
  1960s.
• Ska music is fast with off-beat rhythms.
• Ska music uses amplified and electric
  instruments. (guitar, keyboards, bass)
• Ska songs were about local issues.

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REGGAE ROOTS ROCK STEADY

• Rock Steady came after Ska in the mid 1960s.
• It is slower than Ska
• Rock Steady makes more use of bass riffs but
  still has the off-beat chords.
• The lyrics of Rock Steady songs are still
  concerned with social issues.

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REGGAE MUSIC

• Rock Steady gave way to the new sound of Reggae
  in the late 1960s.
• Reggae music is often in slow quadruple time with
  accents on the 2nd and 4th beats.
• Riffs played on bass guitar or keyboards.
• Harmonies are often limited to a few simple
  chords.

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Three Little Birds

• A song written and performed by

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Three Little Birds Sing Along
Chorus Dont worry, bout a thing, Cause evry
little things, gonna be alright Singing dont
worry, bout a thing, Cause evry little things,
gonna be alright
Verse Woke up this mornin Smile with the rising
sun, Three little birds, sat by my
window, Singing sweet songs, of melodies pure and
true Singing, this is my message to you
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Characteristics of Reggae Music
Off Beat Chords
Syncopated Rhythms
Riffs (Bass Line especially)
Simple Chord Progression
Verse Chorus Structure
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Three Little BirdsChord Progression
Intro ( Play each chord on the sign
(off-beat) 4 times counting 1 2 3 4 ) A
/ / / A / / / A / / /
A / / / (4 x 4 16 times) 1
2 3 4 Chorus A / / / A / / / D / / /
A / / / A / / / A / / / D / / / A / / /
Verse A / / / E / / / A / / / D / / / A / /
/ E / / / D / / / A / / /
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Three Little BirdsBass Riff

• The riff is a short melodic figure which is
  repeated through out the piece.

Bass instruments will play this one whenever
there is an A major chord.
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Three Little BirdsBass Riff

• When the chord changes the riff is transposed.
  (Same melody but on a new note)

Bass instruments will play this one whenever
there is a D major chord.
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Three Little BirdsBass Riff
Bass instruments will play this one whenever
there is an E major chord.
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Three Little BirdsKeyboard Riff

• This song also has a riff for organ / keyboard.
• It is only heard in the Chorus.
• It begins on Beat 2 ( a weak beat). This is an
  example of Syncopation.

Play this when ever there is an A major chord.
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Three Little BirdsKeyboard Riff
Play this when ever there is a D major chord.
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Performance Time!!!
Try playing the Introduction and Chorus of Three
Little Birds together on the Steel Pans
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PLENARY
What were the styles of music that we learnt
about today?

1. M _ _ _ _
2. S _ _
3. R _ _ _ S_ _ _ _ _
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