This all-pizzicato work for young strings imitates an African instrument called the kalimba (also known as an mbira or thumb piano.) This lovely-sounding instrument consists of a series of metal tines above either a piece of wood or a hollow resonating chamber, arranged not in a scale pattern but mostly in thirds. The composer created the haunting melody of Kalimba Lullaby by improvising it on her kalimba, and your students also can experience this multi-cultural music making by playing this unique, easy string work. |
