I started looking for a small steel drum because my little nephew heard me playing the 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 small boy, I naturally started looking for an instrument that has good quality, it 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.
There are two versions available, one steel drum has 11 notes and the other one has 13 notes. You don’t have to worry about the size, both are compact and for the price, they are high quality.
All the 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 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 the 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.
Janet Laster says
Can I purchase the book and dvd separately?