TIP: Exploring Sansula Tunings – p10 – Morocco E Tuning

This is an enchanting middle-eastern style tuning

Even though the  Morocco E sansula tuning is one that I haven’t explored very much,  I actually have two instruments set up in this tuning!  I play around with this tuning because it is fun.  Morocco E tuning sounds quite serious, which is why I love it so much.

Again, even if you have no interest in ever getting a sansula, look at the patterns in the tablature here and learn, as this stuff is applicable to any kalimba.

Lesson 1: Lopsided phrase.   Measures 1-3 (on the left) are all cut from the same cloth, but measure 4 is totally different.  Measures 1-3 are pretty melodic, and measure 4 is all about fast playing and fire.

Lesson 2: The phrase in measures 5-8 (on the right) closely mirrors the first phrase.  The last measures of each phrase are identical.  If you compare the first three measures of each column, you can see that the second phrase has the same melody as the first phrase, but a harmony note has been added to each melody note.

Lesson 3: If you were creating your own variation of this music, how would you do it?  There are many approaches.  We could continue in the form that we can see in the tablature here – make another variation for measures 1-3 and keep measure 4 the same.  What could we do to alter measures 1-3?  We could use the same notes but change the rhythm.  Or we could create a new melody by choosing one note from each of the two note chords.  Or what would you do?

We could also keep measures 1-3 the same as either of these phrases, and (surprise!) change the last measure.

So far, the Morocco E tuning hasn’t had a lot of music written for it.