Lamellophone
- Medium
- Wood, metal, organic materials
- Dimensions
- 8-3/8 x 4-13/16 x 1-7/16 in. (21.3 x 12.2 x 3.7 cm)
- Genre
- Musical instrument
Tags
Democratic Republic of the Congo
About
This instrument is properly called a lamellophone, but most people call it something much more evocative: a thumb piano, as its metal keys (the lamelles) are played with the thumbs. Very popular and widespread in traditional Africa, it has been reinvented in urban settings as a large, electronically amplified instrument.
