African Finger Piano/mbira/thumb piano

Specification

History

Various kinds of thumb pianos have existed in Africa for about 3000 years. The keys were originally made of bamboo,but over the years metal keys have become more common.Thumb pianos are known by different names in the regions of Africa.Mbira, Mbila, Mbira Huru, ect.

How to play

To play,rest the thumb piano on the fingers of both hands and hold it between your palms.If your thumb piano has vibrato holes on the back, cover them with your fingers. Then pluck the keys,in a downward motion,with your thumbs and upward with your index fingers.You can change the sound as you play by covering and uncovering the vibrato holes.

Tuning

When you first receive your thumb piano,it will not be tuned. You may follow the recommended tuning as shown here, or tune it to suit your mood.To tune your thumb piano,use the hard handle of a screwdriver to push the key under the tension bar.This takes firm pressure.To raise the pitch,shorten the key. To lower the picth,lengthen it. A few millimeters are enough to change the note.If there are screws or nuts on top of the keys,you may lossen them before you tune,but this should not be necessary.

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