Tiny Thumb Pianos is a modern form of the ancient African Mbira dating back to 1000 BC, also called a kalimba or sanza. The Mbira has been used for poetic storytelling, often accompanied by a Hosho (gourd shaker), and played at religious ceremonies, weddings, and social gatherings. These wooden instruments from Zimbabwe have a gentle & melodic percussive plucking sound with a marimba-like warmth and tonal body.
We recorded Tiny Thumb Pianos in wide stereo, close and dry, performed in unison and solo. The Duo and Solo plucks were captured with an average of 8 velocity layers per note. After that we sampled percussive hits, slides, taps, glisses, and other FX to enhance realism and make it feel like you’re dual-wielding tiny kalimbas IRL. These samples are all you need to become a master music storyteller.
