[Harp-L] tunable harp - thumb piano

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

The thumb piano or kalimba uses a series of tine that are plucked to create the sound. The small hand-held device (often played by thumbs) is tuned by adjusting the length of individual tines.


The device has been around for a long time and is believed to have suffered several revivals in Africa dating aback 3,000 year or 1,500 years or till 1900 and most recently to around 1960 when it was mass produced to the West by Hugh Tracey tuned diatonically in the key of G..


It has various configurations.


But the significance is that the Kalimba is tunable. The tines can be brought into tune for the designated tuning of the instrument as well as changed into alternate tunings. 


The tines look like open air harmonica reeds and if the tines on the Kalimba can be changed in pitch by adjusting the length, the same thing might be feasible for a tunable harmonica.


If someone were  to suggest that someone invent a wrist watch today from scratch, the immediate response would be that it would be impossible to make something with such small parts ever work.


Phil


PS: And while we sit around arguing about how impossible a tunable harmonica is, somebody will come up with one.