Abstract:

The ping, which has the same playing range as a tenor steelpan, is a new instrument in the steelpan family. Its playing surface is sandwich hardened steel having a uniform thickness of 0.9 mm, and its skirt is of stainless steel 1.25-mm thick. Each note area has a small elliptical dome at the center to provide stability and a durable strike point. We compare the modes of vibration of the ping to those of a tenor steelpan. In both pans, the (0,1) mode of each note is tuned an octave above the fundamental, and the (1,0) mode is tuned a twelfth (three times the frequency) above the fundamental in the lower notes. In the ping, it is possible to tune a twelfth throughout more of the range, and the frequency remains unchanged for a longer time during hard playing. Radiation of sound by the skirt is compared.