Musical Instrument Blog #2

So, a thumb piano is an interesting instrument and can make some beautiful music if you know how to play it. Sometimes, the tines are attached to just a piece of wood. However, it is better to use a hollow piece of wood and then a hole in that box. In order to play the instrument, you pluck a series of tines attached to the top of the box, which then vibrate. This vibration is caught in the hollow box and released through the hole. You can cover the hole and uncover it to make interesting sounds. To change the pitch, you must change the tines. Usually, the longest tine is in the middle, with the tines then getting shorter to the left and to the right. The shorter tines have a higher pitch. So, in order to change the pitch of the tines, you have to change the length of the tines. Changing the box simply changes how long the sound resonates (as with the tuning forks). To make the instrument, you need pieces of wood to construct the box, and a piece of small pipe to attach the tines. The tines, though, are a little tricky. I read around and it said that you should use a rake to get the tines. I'm still looking for an alternate way to get the tines. I'll probably use the tip of my nail instead of the fat part of my thumb to pluck the tines, to make a sharper sound. The hardest part of this project will be making the tines the right length, so I'll get the box out of the way early so I have time to work on the tines. I just need to figure out what lengths to make the tines... I may have to figure this out with experimenting though.