Gourd Thumb Piano

This thumb piano features seven metal keys, or tines, mounted on an exquisitely hand-carved wooden board, which is then fixed to a coconut half-shell serving as a resonating chamber. When a tine is struck with the thumb, its vibration triggers neighboring tines to resonate, producing a rich and intricate blend of tones. Players can adjust the tuning by loosening the screws and altering the length of the metal tines. While traditional African musicians often favored their own distinctive scales, the flexibility of this instrument allows users to tune it to a standard Western scale or craft a custom one. As a natural product, each thumb piano varies slightly in size and shape, lending every piece its own unique and delightful sound.