Kalimba*, or the "Thumb Piano"

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Nyonganyonga. Zambesi province, Mozambique, ca. . Wood, shell, metal, beads. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, (09.163.6)

«In conjunction with the exhibition Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C. F. Martin, on view through December 7, the Department of Musical Instruments is presenting a series of monthly concerts on Friday evenings in the Museum's Charles Engelhard Court. The next concert in this series will be held on May 16, featuring the guitarist, composer, and instrument designer Trevor Gordon Hall.»

Trevor Gordon Hall performing an original composition on the kalimbatar,

Hall plays a rather unusual combination of two instruments, one that he calls the "kalimbatar." This hybrid instrument merges an acoustic guitar with a specially designed version of the West African kalimba. Kalimba is one name for a type of instrument known as a lamellaphone, consisting of thin metal or split cane tongues mounted on a resonating board or box. Depressing the free ends of the tongues with the thumb produces a gentle ringing sound, which is sometimes augmented by jingling objects. An example of a similar instrument, possibly by the Barwe people&#;members of the Shona community in the Zambesi province of Mozambique&#;can be found in the Museum's collection.

This example has thirty-one metal keys and disks made of snail shells that are pinned to the body and rattle when played. Tuning is accomplished by sliding the tongues in or out to alter their vibrating length and pitch.

Lamellaphones are found across sub-Saharan Africa and were brought to Latin America by enslaved Africans. They are known by many names that may be shared with xylophones, but, overlooking differences in construction, are generally identified by two regional terms: mbira or sanza. Depending upon the context and regional tradition, lamellaphones may be used to accompany narratives and children's songs, or to summon spirits and induce trance and spirit possession, thus bridging this world with that of watchful ancestors.

The use of thumbs to play the instrument is the reason why the lamellaphone is often known to Westerners as the "thumb piano."

Left: Seated Chief Playing Thumb Piano (Mwanangana). Angola, before . Wood (Uapaca), cloth, fiber, beads. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, (.157)

Related Link
Gallery Concert: Trevor Gordon Hall, Guitar

Today&#;s instrument is a little extra special because it is an instrument that the author designed and built from scratch! Let&#;s get to know CSM&#;s folk instruments &#; meet the Kalimba!

CSM&#;s Kalimba was made during the pandemic lock-down by yours truly &#; it was a super fun learning experience that utilized some non-traditional, cutting-edge tech to create a traditional instrument from Zimbabwe.

What is a Kalimba?

A Kalimba or Mbira (or finger harp, gourd piano, and many other names) is a small, trapezoid-shaped, handheld instrument from the lamellophone family. It is made up of a sound box and metal tines mounted across two wooden bridges. The tines are arranged in chord patterns using the notes of a C Major scale but can be re-tuned to alternate tunings with the use of a small hammer.

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How do you play the Kalimba, and what does it sound like?

One hand playing the kalimba, one hand holding the camera.

Holding the Kalimba in two hands, use the thumbs to quickly press or tap the ends of the kalimba&#;s metal tines. Advanced players use the sound holes on the sound box to produce a vibrato-like sound by covering and uncovering the holes during a note&#;s sustain time. CSM&#;s kalimba is tuned to the key of C Major &#; making a wide variety of simple songs available for playing. Kalimbas sound very similar to a music box, but a little more mellow. It also reminds me of a vibraphone or glockenspiel.

How do you build a Kalimba?

Traditional kalimbas are made of wood and metal, and there are a lot of variations for building your own. CSM&#;s kalimba has a hollow sound box made of walnut, with bridges made from cherry wood. The parts were designed using graphic design software and cut using a laser cutter. Some kalimbas are a single piece of solid wood, blocks of acrylic, or cast resin. The metal tines were a kit ordered off the internet, but many traditional instruments are made from found materials, like scrap wood and scrap metal. Some kalimbas have the addition of resonators and electronic pickups to increase the volume and allow for use in recording sessions.

Here's a screen shot of CSM&#;s Kalimba in the laser cutting software.

 

Alyssa Cowell Voice and Piano Instructor RCM Program Coordinator and Admin The Catoctin School of Music

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