THUMB PIANO
Gather odd objects at home to make a musical lamellaphone. BY RP COLLIER

The thumb piano, known as a kalimba, mbira, and by many other names, is a lamellaphone that uses prongs called tongues, keys, or tines that you pluck to generate acoustic vibrations. The length of the tine determines the pitch.

Generally, the thumb piano uses some kind of mechanism as an anchor that puts a great deal of pressure over the tines and across 2 bridges, leaving the free lengths of the tines room to vibrate. The tines are usually of the same material and gauge (thickness) to ensure that the pressure is distributed equally, holding everything in place and in tune.

The method shown here is simplified and wonderfully versatile. It allows the use of more fragile, delicate, and unusual materials for the body of the instrument, and it provides a way to use oddly shaped tines of different materials while at the same time permitting the tines to be swapped out and tuned with ease.

I’ve included 2 materials lists: a generic list and one that is specific to the salad bowl kalimba shown here. Experiment, explore, and find configurations that work for you.

MATERIALS » Grounding bar from the electrical section of a hardware store

» Tines from a material firm enough to vibrate when plucked, up to ¼" wide: hairpins, wire, bicycle spokes, umbrella ribs, teriyaki skewers, knitting needles, street sweeper bristles, etc.

» #8 wood screws,
1¼" long ( 3)

» Piano body Examples here include a salad bowl, cigar box lid, wooden box, and aluminum block. You can use almost anything that’s easy to hold and strong enough to withstand the fastening of a grounding bar and possibly a shim. Hollow or thin materials are good sound resonators; if your chosen body material doesn’t resonate well, attach a resonator.

FOR A SALAD BOWL
THUMB PIANO:
» Grounding bar, 4¾" long
from the electrical section
of a hardware store
TOOLS

» Hacksaw to trim tines and, if desired, the shim. A hammer can be used instead of a saw to trim spring steel tines — clamp the tine in a vise and strike to bend it until it breaks. Wear eye protection!

» Hand drill
» Wooden salad bowl
» Drill bit up to ¼"
» 2" hardwood square
dowel
» Shim (if needed) can be
a chunk of wood, metal, or
plastic, 2" thick or thicker
» Fasteners such as hex
screws, machine screws,
wood screws, or nails

» Spring steel, .032" thick × 1" wide, 60" long from your local industrial steel distributor, trimmed to various lengths from 2" minimum to 6" maximum

» Screwdrivers flat blade or Robertson bit for the grounding bar, and whatever type is needed for your chosen fasteners (including hex key)

Photography by RP Collier