Plucked Idiophones
Plucked idiophones are also called lamellophones, which means plate or tongue sound. Sound is produced when one end is fixed and the other end is free so that when flexed and then released, the free end vibrates as it returns to its position of rest. They have existed in Africa for thousands of years. The tines (lamella) were originally made of bamboo but over the years metal keys have been developed.
There are two basic types:
- #1 Those that are attached to a resonator, such as a thumb piano (Sanzas/Mbiras/Kalimba), and
- #2 Those that are attached to a rod or frame, such as a Mouth’s Harp (the player’s mouth cavity is used for resonance).
