georgia k
georgia k
@georgia-k
3 months ago
2 posts

That museum sounds very interesting.   Hopefully I can visit there at some point.  I have a tiny collection of instruments, flutes, ocarinas, a gorgeous tongue drum.  A kora would be a good addition!

NateBuildsToys
NateBuildsToys
@nate
3 months ago
238 posts

georgia k:

I have a CD of Sona Jobarte  playing the Kora.  It's really beautiful, but looks incredibly difficult!

 

Georgia, she is an incredible kora player, thank you for sharing. The kora is an instrument that lends itself to rhythm techniques, so the very high level players do things that most folks would find really daunting, but when using beginner tunings and techniques, it is very easy to get started and make beautiful music.
When I went to the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ they had a small room full of gongs, chimes, large drums and all sorts of easy to "play" instruments like ukuleles and xylophones, which were open to the public to mess around with. I was super excited to see simple koras in there and get to play one. They really are a lot of fun, and very easy to start but quite difficult to master, I'd imagine.
Nate


updated by @nate: 12/23/23 05:26:28PM
georgia k
georgia k
@georgia-k
3 months ago
2 posts

I have a CD of Sona Jobarte  playing the Kora.  It's really beautiful, but looks incredibly difficult!

NateBuildsToys
NateBuildsToys
@nate
last year
238 posts

Hey Ken, I thought the instrument was super interesting, especially how the traditional ones have handles on the front, so you can basically hold it like a plane yoke while you play. My next one will too. The one I built has the saddle sitting on two coffee cans in a plywood box. I sort of just winged it, didn't really measure anything or use plans or whatnot. Intending to build another one now that I know what to expect.


updated by @nate: 03/15/23 03:07:30PM
Ken Hulme
Ken Hulme
@ken-hulme
last year
2,113 posts

Interesting instrument. IIRC there were several biblical era lyres which used a skin drum as the resonator chamber.  Can't really see what you've built, from that vid.  Had to go looking.  

I found Dennis Havlena's how-to article which, like most of his other homemade instrument DIYs is pretty comprehensive.... Is that what you used to build from?


updated by @ken-hulme: 03/15/23 07:08:36AM
NateBuildsToys
NateBuildsToys
@nate
last year
238 posts

https://youtube.com/shorts/Xl1pDlMtGbM?feature=share
The Gambian Kora is a really clever African harp. I think one would probably sound incredible with the dulcimer. Made one attempt and building one DIY style and still have no clue how to play it. Working on building a much nicer, louder, and prettier one using what I learned.



updated by @nate: 03/14/23 06:31:49PM