Basic principles of the thumb piano
If you don't know much about the Kalimba, here's where to start! Let Solo Music guide you step by step through the basics of the thumb piano, including how to adjust it? Solve common problems? More and more playing techniques and lessons.
The construction of the thumb piano
For many guitar and piano players around the world, information about music and instruments is widely available. However, there is very little information and instruction on a lesser known instrument such as the thumb piano... I just wanted to bring this lovely instrument to you! Easy to carry, simple and with a beautiful, ethereal sound, don't miss the thumb piano! Let's learn more about the construction of the thumb piano.
The history of the thumb piano
When we talk about the thumb piano, we have to mention the inventor of the improved thumb piano - Hugh Tracey, an English music lover who travelled to the African countryside in the 20th century. During his travels, he came across many traditional African music styles. He was fascinated by the uniqueness and beauty of traditional African music. During his five years in Africa, he became particularly fond of an instrument that came to be known as the 'thumb piano', a precursor to the current thumb piano, which has many different shapes, tonalities, playing styles and names, and is called by different names and playing styles from region to region. After learning about this instrument, Tracey decided to make it himself and decided to use the name 'Kalimba' - a name he thought would be widely known in the West. In the late 1950s he founded a company called AMI, which began selling and importing thumbpieces to the western United States. Over time, the thumb piano slowly spread from the West to the East of the United States in New Jersey in the early 1960s.
