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!

 

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

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

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

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

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