How does the mbira produce sound?
An mbira is an African musical instrument in which the sound is produced by plucking long, thin, fairly stiff strips, usually made of metal. The technical term for this type of instrument is a lamellophone. Lamellophones are classified as plucked idiophones.
What type of music does the mbira make?
Mbira music, like much of the sub-Saharan African music traditions is based on cross-rhythm.
Is mbira a rattle?
The hosho is an internal-seed rattle idiophone common throughout Zimbabwe especially amongst the Shona and the Ndebele peoples.
What is the difference between a kalimba and a mbira?
The kalimba is actually a smaller, modern version of the mbira, which dates back more than 1,000 years in Zimbabwe. The kalimba features the seven-note diatonic scale used in traditional Western music while the non-western scale of the mbira features the same notes but not in the same order.
What is the most distinct feature of mbira?
The mbira is one of several idiophones that are plucked rather than vibrated by percussion, shaken, or scraped. In performance, the player holds the instrument in his hands and plucks the tongues with his thumbs and forefingers.
What is the most distinct features of mbira?
What is a thumb piano called?
The thumb piano, or mbira – a name derived from Shona language of Zimbabwe – is uniquely African percussion instrument. Mbira consists of a row of metal strips, used as key, attached to an open-ended wooden gourd or hollow resonator.
How easy is it to play the kalimba?
There is no secret that kalimba is one of the easiest instruments you can learn. Unlike the regular piano, you won’t have dozens of keys, and complex chords and scales you should learn. This means that beginners that possess even a hint of musicality can learn to play something in a matter of minutes.
What is a person who plays the kalimba called?
I know people who play the kalimba who prefer to call their instrument an mbira. Why? They feel this honors the African roots of the instrument.