construction

Tute Chigamba

The mbira's soundboard is carved from wood; when possible wood from the Mubvamaropa (Pterocarpus angolensis) tree, which provides the optimal sound and tone. As this tree has become more and more difficult to find, mbira makers continue to experiment with wood from other trees, but none have been proven to be as suitable for mbira as the aged hard woods of the Mubvamaropa.

Formerly keys were made of hand-forged iron. However, in recent times such materials as rebar, hard drawn wire, nails, bicycle spokes, bed springs or umbrella staves are being used to create mbira keys.

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Tute Chigamba

To create keys with the proper pitch mbira makers work with variables such as length, thickness, shape, and flexibility.

The pitch of a key can be altered by altering the key's length. However because the geometric pattern of the keys in the three manuals, with graduated lengths and a roughly even pattern, is essential to a playable mbira, the mbira maker cannot rely solely on changing the length of the keys over the bridge for tuning.

So for each key the mbira maker chooses an appropriately thick piece of metal and, focusing first on weight and flexibility, pounds the metal wide and thin for low pitches, narrow and thick for high pitches.

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To fine tune the key's pitch the mbira maker can then shorten the key by trimming its tip to raise the pitch or by pounding the key flatter to lower it. For the fine tuning adjustments, the mbira maker moves the keys backward and forward over the bridge of the instrument until he arrives at the precise pitch for each one.

Although mbiras are all approximately the same size, there is a great deal of variation in the sound of mbiras made by different mbira makers. Factors such as the wood used for the soundboard, the metal used for the keys, whether keys are hot forged or cold hammered, and the thickness and stiffness of the keys all affect an mbira's musical qualities.

Mbira making techniques and technologies continue to evolve in Zimbabwe. The tunings, playing techniques, construction tools and materials of today reflect both reflect tradition and available resources.