Alamellophone (alsolamellaphone orlinguaphone) is a member of the family ofmusical instruments that makes its sound by a thin vibrating plate called a lamella or tongue, which is fixed at one end and has the other end free. When the musician depresses the free end of a plate with a finger or fingernail, and then allows the finger to slip off, the released plate vibrates. An instrument may have a single tongue (such as aJew's harp) or a series of multiple tongues (such as ambira thumb piano).
Linguaphone comes from the Latin rootlingua meaning "tongue", (i.e., a long thin plate that is fixed only at one end). lamellophone comes from theLatin wordlamella for "small metal plate",[1] and theGreek wordφωνήphonē for "sound, voice".[2]
The lamellophones constitute category 12 in theHornbostel–Sachs system for classifying musical instruments,pluckedidiophones. There are two main categories of plucked idiophones, those that are in the form of a frame (121) and those that are in the form of a comb (122).
The most usual [of plucked idiophones] is a flexible lamella or tongue attached to a frame, plucked by a finger and resonated by a small box.
A large number of lamellophones originate inAfrica, where they are known under different names includingmbira,kisanji,likembe,kalimba,kongoma, andsanza. They play a role in southeastAfrican Music. They were reported as early as the 16th century, but there is no doubt they have a much longer history. The Caribbeanmarímbula is also of this family. The marímbula can be seen as a bass variant of the mbira and is sometimes used inhip hop music.[4]
In most cases the tongues are divided in two playing halves with the lowest notes in the centre; from there to the left and to the right each tongue is tuned higher than the previous one. The tongues may also be arranged in a linear arrangement in the manner of apiano. Tongues may be made small enough to play with individual fingers, hence the colloquial name "thumb piano". (Although some instruments, like theMbira, have an additional rows of tongues, in which case not just the thumbs are used for plucking.)[5]
Some conjecture that African lamellophones were derived fromxylophones andmarimbas. However, similar instruments have been found elsewhere; for example, theindigenous peoples ofSiberia play wooden and metallic lamellophones with a single tongue.[citation needed]
Lamellophones may be made with or withoutresonators. There are alsoelectric lamellophones with an additionalpickup.
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Electric lamellophones have been electrified with anelectro-magnetic pickup (like on electric guitars) or contactpiezo pickup.
There is a distinct difference between the piezo and the electro-magnetic pickup. Most electric lamellophones feature piezo pickups. The piezo sound contains more treble and has more problems withfeedback when amplified (distorted) heavily.Lucinda Ellison produces a wide range of her Embiras, which are solid body electricmbiras with piezo pickups — a design first conceived in 1981 and finalised in 1996.David Bellinger has been making ekalimbas -kalimbas with piezo pickups - for 20 years.
TheArray Mbira is a lamellophone with an alternate tine configuration. It is electrified by the addition of a 2-channel stereo piezo cable pickup system. A special solid-body Array mbira exists.
Ernst Zacharias created a series of electric lamellophones created in the 1960s forHohner. These instruments were based on the reeds made by Hohner (already employed in accordions, concertinas, melodicas and harmonicas). These instruments were thePianet (plucked by a foam pad), theCembalet (plucked by a rubber pad) and theGuitaret (plucked by fingers). The idea of a struck reed tongue had been pioneered by the Alexandre brothers in their "Orgues expressifs" (harmoniums) in the 19th century, where they were called percussion stops.
TheSpace Harp, or Frankiphone (designed, built and played byPhil Cohran), is a famous instance of an electric lamellophone.
A range of other mbiras andkalimbas have been created by contemporary instrument makers. The African bandKonono No.1 uses custom-built electric kalimbas with electro-magnetic pickups.Neptune's Jason Sanford makes electric thumb pianos from scrap in a similar tradition andYuri Landman has made12-TET bass kalimbas and metaltongue drums.
Schaeffner's musical instrument classification scheme has a post-prominent place for the linguaphones (lamellophones) at the second highest level of classification.
In 1932, Andre Schaeffner developed a new classification scheme that was "exhaustive, potentially covering all real and conceivable instruments" [Kartomi, p. 176].Schaeffner's system has only two top-level categories denoted by Roman numerals (Schaeffner, A.:Origine des instruments de musique, pp. 371–377.):
The lamellae vibrate within a frame or hoop
121.1Clack idiophones orCricri - The lamella is carved in the surface of a fruit shell, which serves as resonator.[6] Also known as galip nut snapper.[7]
121.2 Guimbardes and jaw harps - The lamella is mounted in a rod- or plaque-shaped frame and depends on the player's mouth cavity for resonance.
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The lamellae are tied to a board or cut out from a board like the teeth of a comb.
122.1 With laced on lamellae.
122.11 Without resonator.
122.12 With resonator.
122.2 With cut-out lamellae
...Your left thumb plays all of the double row of keys. Your right thumb plays ONLY the farthest left (longest) 3 keys in the single row. Your right index finger plucks up on the rest of the keys in the single row.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)The thumb piano... many names given to this instrument throughout Africa... In other parts of Africa it is called the kaffir piano, the kasayi, the maduimba, the insimbi, the oopoochawa, the kinsanji, and the eleke.
