Sansa

What it means

Sansa is one of the designations for lamellophones, such as are widespread in many regions of Africa; depending on language and area they carry their own names, for instance mbira or kalimba. On a board or a resonating body, narrow tongues of metal or cane are fastened, vibrating freely at one end. The player holds the instrument in both hands and plucks the lamellae downward with the thumbs, sometimes also with the index fingers. The pitch depends on the freely vibrating length and is set by shifting the tongue.

Musical use

The arrangement of the lamellae does not follow the order of a scale but distributes neighbouring pitch levels alternately to left and right, so that both thumbs interlock. From this arise the characteristic, interwoven patterns, in which two voices weave into one overall figure. Many traditions connect this music with singing and with ceremonial occasions; the tunings differ from region to region and do not correspond to European scales. On some instruments, attached rings or plates produce a buzz that belongs to the tonal ideal and is not an extraneous noise.

Performance practice

Pluck downward with the thumbnail and let the lamella swing freely; pressure produces only a click. Practise the interlocking patterns slowly with both thumbs separately, before joining them — the difficulty lies in the interlocking, not in the speed. The tuning is changed by carefully shifting the lamellae; work in small steps and check by ear. Statements about tunings, names, and manners of playing differ by region and should be inquired about on the concrete instrument and within the respective tradition.

Bear in mind that the instruments are very quiet: in performances, placement or careful amplification decides audibility, not a more forceful attack. With instruments having a resonating body, the way of holding changes the sound, because the hands cover openings; try out different holds. Check the lamellae before playing for a firm seat, since they shift through playing and transport. Metal rings or plates are meant to buzz and must not be removed if they belong to the construction.