Steel drum reviews

When it comes to learning an instrument, in this case, a steel pan drum, some say that every instrument is good, to begin with. In a way, it’s true, but some instruments are better than the others. So, why to buy any instrument for beginners, when you can get the best one?

Best steel pan drum for beginners 2018

That’s why I want to introduce you to the best steel pan drums for beginners available. I’ll make brief but detailed reviews, comparing the price with the quality of the sound and craftsmanship, including extra features and tools.

So you’ve heard a Caribbean tune played on a steel pan drum and you want to get one as soon as possible, which is awesome. But most of the beginners have no real knowledge of what to choose, at least I didn’t. That’s why I want to show you my choices for best steel pan drums for beginners out there, for both kids and adults and explain what you will get for the money you pay.

Drum	Name	Price
	1. Panyard Jumbie Jam Table Top Steel Pan Drum	$$$	Check price on Amazon
	2. Jumbie Jam Steel Drum Instrument by Panyard	$$$	Check price on Amazon
	3. Steel Pan Drum by Steel Drum Source	$$$	Check price on Amazon
	4. 14“ Steel Drum Instrument from Steel Drum Source	$$$	Check price on Amazon
	5. Tabletop Mini C Steel Pan Instrument	$$	Check price on Amazon

Panyard Jumbie Jam Table Top Steel Pan Drum

This is actually the go-to steel pan drum that I show to everyone that wants to get into playing this instrument. Awarded by the National Association of Music Merchants, this steel drum comes with a neat collapsible tabletop stand and mallets. There’s also a practical beginner’s songbook for quick and easy learning. Every member of the family can enjoy playing it.

The drum is quite lightweight and compact (19.4 x 17.1 x 3.4). It’s great you need to store it for a while or take it somewhere. You’ll get a hip carrying case with it too. The notes marked on it, A, B, C, D, E, F, F#, G, sound clean and well-tuned and provide that mellow island sound.

I always praise it since it’s really the best product in this price range. Basically, a steel pan drum perfect for every beginner, affordable, quality made, practical and atop of it all, designed to both look good and be a joy to play.

Check price on Amazon

Jumbie Jam Steel Drum Instrument by Panyard

Coming in close second is another Panyard steel drum instrument by the name of Jumbie Jam. It also comes with a neat and practical carrying case, mallets and a songbook, making it easy to transport, store and learn. But it also comes with a full-size stand and a play-along CD, you don’t even need to know how to read notes.

Panyard showed another great example of simple design, durability and user experience since everyone can learn to play quickly and easily. Besides a recreational and learning tool at home, it’s often found in music workshops and schools. It reaped two awards from the National Association of Music Merchants, one being “Best in Show” and the other “Best Tools for Schools” in 2010.

The only reason why this steel drum instrument is not the #1 on my list is its price. Don’t get me wrong, the price is still really affordable, but I wanted to go with the best price and quality ratio.

Check price on Amazon

Steel Pan Drum by Steel Drum Source

Skipping to another great handmade Caribbean steel drum pan in a mini version. Kids will have a blast learning it and being compact, makes this drum a great space saver. Mini steel drum (12.5 x 3) comes with a lightweight PVC stand that can be easily assembled.

Similar to the first two pans, every new steel pan enthusiast will get a free play-along DVD and a music booklet. Classic beginner tunes like Jingle Bells, Happy Birthday, London Bridge, This Old Man, Oh When the Saints Go Marching In, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Amazing Grace could be learned in no time with it. With 12 marked notes, this steel pan instrument provides more than enough sounds for a soon to be pannist.

Check price on Amazon

14“ Steel Drum Instrument from Steel Drum Source

Steel Drum Source on the list again with a bit larger steel drum instrument (14×3). With 9 notes in C Major Scale, you will be able to play more than enough beginner’s songs to learn the trade.

The package that comes with it is similar to other drums: 2 standard wooden sticks, lightweight PVC stand and a FREE play-along DVD with music booklet. The metal is carefully shaped to be in tune and produce the notes as accurate and clean as possible.

Booklet and the DVD are really easy to understand and you will learn to play tunes like Jingle Bells, Happy Birthday, London Bridges, This Old Man, Oh When the Saints Go Marching In, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Amazing Grace faster than you think.

Check price on Amazon

Tabletop Mini C Steel Pan Instrument

Finishing the list with the most affordable steel pan instrument – a tabletop 11”x1/2” Mini C black drum.

It’s an amazing introductory pan for kids older than 3 years and even adults. Made in Trinidad and Tobago, the country that is the home of the steel pan music itself. It includes a small red stand, two wooden drumsticks, and an instructional songbook.

This steel pan would be a great birthday present for kids, inspiring them to be more creative at the same time. The 9 C Major notes, more than enough for starters, are marked with different colors, giving it a fun colorful look.

Check price on Amazon

Final toughts

Wonder why I didn’t mention some high-level pans? The thing is, if you are starting to learn a steel pan instrument, you don’t want to overpay the first one unless you are 100% sure that you want the professional pan. Their price can easily go up to 1000$ and over. But not only that, they are a lot more complicated to play and you could be overwhelmed by it, therefore losing the motivation.

These beginner drums are way cheaper and you can still play a variety of songs even with one octave. More importantly, most of them have guides that will teach you how to play steel pan drum in no time. Even if you give up, which I hope you will not, you don’t lose much and at least you can know that you tried.

I really hope this will help you narrow the choice down. Once again, I would strongly recommend you the first drum if you want to get the best for your price. However, whichever steel pan drum you choose from this list you will not regret it.

I started looking for a small steel drum because my little nephew heard me playing steel drum once and he liked it so much that he wanted to try it himself. Since he is a complete beginner and still a kid, I naturally started looking for an instrument that is affordable and easy to learn. After some research, this handmade steel drum caught my eye on Amazon. I’ve decided to go for it, but also to test it out beforehand.

This small steel drum is every beginner’s dream come true

Small steel drum, as its name implies, was really compact and didn’t take a lot of my living space, which was appreciated.

I was honestly surprised how good it sounded, and I had a lot of fun even by just banging on it randomly when it arrived.

All ten playing surfaces are marked with the matching notes, for easier and smoother learning and memorizing.

This makes it a joy to play equally for more musical and less musical individuals.

Also, if you have a kid or a nephew/niece, this is a great way to introduce them to the world of music.

The mini-drum is 12.5 by 3 inches with the compressed wood base and a steel pan. I also got a lightweight PVC stand, which can be easily disassembled and put back together.

It’s quite handy if you want to take it with you and play somewhere else. The main tools for creating music – drumsticks, are made of wood with latex wrapped tips.

These cute small steel drums are made by Steel Drum Source, a renowned manufacturer, and seller of beginner instruments and mini steel drums. The communication was good and my small steel drum arrived within the expected period.

What did I get with mini steel drums?

Beside steel pan drum and stand, it also includes a play-along DVD with music booklet.

Here you can find some essential learning songs, which almost every musician had to learn at some point.

My nephew learned them in a matter of weeks, although he has never been a great musical talent prior to that.

The songs that the music booklet and play along DVD include are: Jingle Bells, Happy Birthday, London Bridge, This Old Man, Oh When the Saints Go Marching In, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star & Amazing Grace.

The things I liked the most about this steel drum were…

It really met most of the requirements I was looking for. The drum was affordable (way more affordable than the more professional ones) and the most importantly, it was designed with beginners and hobbyists in mind.

As soon as I started playing the first song, I knew I made a right decision since it made a really bright and full sound enjoyable to the ear.

The booklet makes it extremely easy to catch up with the tunes. The first song from the booklet that I played on this beginner steel drum was London Bridge and it sounded amazing.

I loved it that it’s handmade and not some mass produced item, it’s also really compact, but not too small to still be enjoyable.

But it could improve a bit…

What bothered me with it is the quality of the stand, it’s a bit shaky and it was a bit hard to position it. But I guess that’s what it makes it easy to handle and move.

The other mild inconvenience I had with the small steel drum is that it’s a bit smaller than I expected. But for this price, you can hardly get a bigger one with the good sound and it was still easy to play despite that.

All things considered, I don’t regret a second buying it. It’s not a state-of-the-art instrument, but it’s fantastic for everyone that wants to learn to play it quickly and easily. Considering all the fun we had with it, I can easily say that this small steel drum was money well spent.

The Jumbie Jam Steel Drum is a fantastic percussion instrument that is amazing in quality and sound production.

What makes this drum so unique is the melodic sound that is produced due to the steel pan material.

Adjustable, easy-to-learn, and fun to practice, this drum can be a great option for individuals of any age and any skill.

Before purchasing, I had little experience playing with percussion instruments and found this drum appealing for a variety of reason related to that.

Not only can you learn it quickly with little music reading experience, but the drum is designed in a way that makes it feasible to easily understand how to play each and every note that this steel drum has the capacity to play.

I can’t think of a better-made beginner steel drum that is easy to learn, but also with such a great, pleasurable sound.

The drum is also manufactured in a way that allows it to be collapsed, so traveling with the drum is possible.

Jumbie jam technical details

The Jumbie Jam Steel Drum is manufactured by the Panyard Incorporated company, in the USA, as an easy-to-learn beginner styled instrument for enthusiastic drummers and percussionists.

The drum’s dimensions are 16 x 16 x 42 inches, leading to its light weight of about 7 pounds.

The drum, although coming in its classical metallic finished color, can also be purchased in blue and green, and can be ordered with a foot-shaped base that matches the color of the pan.

What’s included

The purchase of the drum kit comes with the musical pan itself, wooden drumming mallets, a stand that can be adjusted or collapsed in order to arrive at a comfortable height for each and every player, as well as a beginner’s guidebook, songbook, and play along CD, which I thought were extremely impressive additions.

With Jumbie jam you get all you need to start learning how to play steel drum.

Pros

The pros of the Jumbie Jam are limitless. The biggest pro, in my opinion, is the simplicity of the instrument.

For anyone that hopes to transition into serious steel drum player, this is a perfect way to learn the basics all while making great music and having fun learning a variety of songs.

Another pro is the portability. It’s relatively small, light and easy to reassemble. I can carry it with me everywhere and thus practice in diverse settings and environments. This also means that is easy to disassemble and put it under bad or in a closet.

The cost of the Jumbie Jam Steel Drum is another huge pro. It is a truly inexpensive option, considering the cost of other options that are similar.

Cons

One con is the music selection that comes with the purchase. I would like to have a book that has more song options!

This tabletop Steel Drum has been a perfect addition to my drum collection. I noticed it first as a best-selling item in drum sets but purchased it only after becoming fascinated with the idea of a smoother-sounding drum/percussion instrument.

The steel construction along with its sizable characteristics and affordability make it the best option for any beginner drummer or percussion enthusiast.

It is also a great option for those beginner musicians that are not formally trained on reading sheet music.

With this steel drum option, reading music is not necessary until the player becomes more advanced.

With only 8 notes to learn with the steel drum, any interested, beginner musician can achieve success with the pan drum in little time.

Panyard Jamie jam tabletop steel drum technical details

A “made in the USA” product, this tabletop instrument was created from high-quality steel, setting it apart from many others of its kind.

The Panyard Jamie jam tabletop steel drum itself has measurements of 19.4 x 16.9 x 3.3 inches and weighs approximately 4.9 pounds, making this instrument great for adults and children alike.

It was produced by the Panyard Incorporated instrument company and has been labeled as one of the true pride and joy creations of the company due to its fun style and uniqueness.

The instrument can be purchased in the untouched basic steel color, in a nice bright blue, or in a brilliant purple/pink hue, which is a great touch for adding to the personalization of the drum.

What’s Included

With my purchase of the Jumbie Jam Table Top Steel Drum, I received a carrying case that allows me to carry the drum with me and transport it to different meet-ups and musical gatherings with friends. The kit I purchased also came with mallets and a conveniently-sized, user-friendly tabletop stand.

Pros

One of the most obvious pros about this instrument is its affordability. Costing less than $200 by a long shot, I was able to save lots of money by choosing this option when compared to the amount that I would have spent on different types of drums or drum sets.

Another pro is the convenient size of the drum. I can take it with me anywhere, which keeps me engaged with the instrument and motivated to practice with it.

Another positive is the ease of which I have been able to learn it as well as the unique sound it produces. Everybody around me loves it!

Cons

The only Con I can think of (only after fishing for it) is that the music you can play with this Jumbie Jam is limited because of the particular sound and a limited number of musical notes.

If you are interested in hearing how Panyard Jambie jam sounds, you can watch the video below.

I came across this 14-inch Steel Drum that was made by Steel Drum Source. It caught my eye because it’s homemade, which is not that often with small and affordable drums. It looked like a solid learning steel drum, so I decided to do this short review.

What I liked a lot is that it came complete with sticks, stand, music booklet, and even a free instructional DVD. Basically, it has everything you get started.

This handmade steel drum is a piece of art or…?

The steel drum is handmade and carefully shaped. Which I can appreciate because it gives the pan that authenticity you want. It is a little bit rough on the edges, but I actually like that.

The drum was well tuned and sounded good. It’s not professional grade, but good enough for learning and playing for fun. It’s a great starter drum.

Drum only has 10 notes, but I like that all notes are marked, so you’ll know where is each note. This will make learning much easier for beginners.

It shouldn’t take you long to become good at it especially with the learning kit.

It’s that all I get or…

Of course not. Besides a decent handmade steel drum, you also get a steel drum stand, mallets, and everything you need to start learning how to play it.

If you are a total beginner or you just want to learn how to play a few new songs, that you gonna love booklet. Some of the songs in the booklet include Jingle Bells, Happy birthday, London Bridge, This Old Man, Twinkle Twinkle little star and few more.

Beside booklet, you also get instructional DVD that will help you get started if you never played it before.

What I liked about this 14-inch steel drum is…

The great thing about this steel drum is that it’s handmade. Most of this low-end steel drums are not handmade and don’t have that authentic look. If you don’t like the handmade look and are looking for something similar, then check out this Jambie jam review I did some time ago.

The price is great. Not the cheapest one I saw for this type and size, but is well worth the price you pay. It’s also lightweight which is great for carrying around. The entire set weighs about 9 pounds which is pretty decent.

As I mention before, you get everything you need to start learning to play this wonderful instrument. You can start learning in just a few minutes.

This is not a professional steel drum by any standards but does sound ok. It’s good enough for you to learn how to play on steel drum, but not to play professionally.

But I hated…

What I didn’t really like is that the stand was made from PVC tubing. It makes stand a little bit unstable. But on the other hand, that makes it lighter to carry around.

Mallets were a bit small and not that well made. But given the price, I guess I can’t really complain. But if you don’t like it, you can always buy a different set and it will cost you just a few extra bucks.

Overall this is a solid piece of musical instrument and I would rate it 4/5. If you are looking for a steel drum to learn how to play it or play it in your free time than this is a great one to buy. I think you get a lot for what you pay.