African Gourd Kalimba Mbira Thumb Piano - Tunable!

This Africa Heartwood Project kalimba (kuh-LIM-buh) is the smaller of the two gourd kalimbas available from Ghana, and is better suited for youth-size hands. Also known as a thumb piano, this instrument is derived from the more complex South African mbira, and is played by plucking the keys with the thumbs of each hand whilst holding the gourd body in the palms. The sound created is very melodic and resonant, very "African" sounding. Each key is adjustable so you can tune the instrument according to your preferences by sliding the key in or out. Covered by our satisfaction guarantee, this kalimba features: * Solid wood top mounted on a strong, rounded gourd base * 7-9 adjustable metal keys securely mounted on a metal bridge * One or two holes in the top for amplification and resonance * Durable hand made construction * Imported directly from Ghana * Exact design may vary from photos to include artwork on gourd * Arrives playable but not tuned to a specific scale. You may quickly tune it to your preferred scale and sound with a pair of pliers, sliding the tines to increase or decrease its length from the bridge to the end where the thumb plucks the tine. The greater the length the lower the note. (World Percussion USA is the ONLY authorized seller of Africa Heartwood Project instruments on this marketplace. All other sellers claiming above to also sell this item as described are not honest sellers, so proceed with caution.)

Solid wood top mounted on a strong, rounded gourd base 7-9 adjustable metal keys securely mounted on a metal bridge One or two holes in the top for amplification and resonance Each gourd is hand-made with hand-crafted art work. Variations in art work and design will occur. Pictures are only to give examples of past work. Hand crafted in Africa by village cultural artisans supported by the non-profit Africa Heartwood Project