MUSI3041 Assignment4: The Thumb Piano

MUSI3041 Assignment4: Musical Instrument 

Jingwen Liang 

The instrument I choose for assignment 4 is the Thumb Piano. Thumb Piano is an African ethnic instrument. In different African countries, the Thumb Piano has different names, for example, Kalimba is the name of the instrument in Kenya, while in Zimbabwe it is called Mbira, the Congolese call it Likembe, and it is also known by the name Sanza and Thumb Piano. It is named mainly for the thin sheet on the body that is plucked with the Thumb, and is very portable in size. 

The sound-producing part of the Thumb Piano is a flexible metal bar of different lengths on top and a wooden resonance box underneath. In the past, these bars were made from metal melted down in ore, but nowadays they are made from higher-quality steel. The materials usually used to make thumb pieces are mahogany and steel, which is very durable and not expendable. Mahogany is one of the most valuable materials in the world and is often used for furniture and lyres. Mahogany is drought tolerant and does not require much soil and can grow normally in dry areas. It is a canopy tree with low density and is mainly distributed in seasonal arid tropical forests in the southern Amazon from Mexico through Central America to Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil (Lamb, 1966).[1] Because of logging concerns, among them (Costa Rica 1995, Mexico 1998, Bolivia 1998, Brazil 1998, Peru 2001, and Colombia 2001), six countries have unilaterally listed mahogany in CITES Appendix III.[1] 

At the same time, Thumb Piano is also made of other more expensive woods, such as black walnut. Black walnut is mainly grown in North America, Eastern Asia, and the Americas. The growth cycle of black walnut is slow, taking about 50-100 years to grow, and can reach a height of 40 meters and a diameter of 1 meter. The texture of black walnut is hard and dense, not easy to deform, and the sound used to make the Thumb Piano will be very crisp. Black walnut stops growing in the winter, so their growth wheel will have a distinctive annual characteristic, and the beautiful pattern of the tree can be seen when cut open. Some sources suggest that black walnut is going to be endangered because their production is greatly declining and demand is on the rise. Although there is no substantial evidence to suggest this, it is an important sign that we should start paying attention to and protecting black walnut.

However, there is now a new material used to make Thumb Pianos --- acrylic. Acrylic is a type of Plexiglas, which is a recyclable material. When we look at plastic, we think of it as polluting trash, but acrylic can be reused. Although acrylic does not sound as good as those made of wood, I think it is a trend toward environmental protection. At the same time, acrylic is very durable and will not damage its performance no matter what conditions it is in. But a Thumb Piano made of wood needs to avoid humidity, etc., otherwise, the wood will change and cause the sound of the instrument to deteriorate. In fact, in China, beginners who learn Thumb Piano usually do so for recreational purposes. They will choose cheap woods or even acrylics, and few will choose the very expensive ones. Acrylic Thumb Piano was introduced, which I think is a way to preserve the presence of the thumbtack while protecting it from the use of expensive wood.

Reference:

[1] Blundell, Arthur G., and Bruce D. Rodan. “Mahogany and CITES: Moving beyond the Veneer of Legality.” Oryx 37, no. 1 (2003): 85–90.