Andy’s ‘Mbira Deep-Dive’ Course - Mbira Video/PDF Lessons
Beginners videos (1-7 below) accompany your free ‘Discover Mbira’ pack.
Intermediate videos (7-22 also below) accompany the ‘Mbira Deep-Dive’ course (support materials available in the Members Area).
These two courses lead into the advanced Year of Mbira video course (materials also in the Members Area).
Forward Kwenda - Tadzungaira tutorials
The first part of Discover Mbira explores Forward’s approaches to playing Tadzungaira, so here’s a few videos to inspire you.
Some players will notice that he uses Progression 4 and Nyamaropa tuning here.
Tadzungaira is also commonly played in Progression 1 on Nyamaropa tuning, and in Progression 6 on Mavembe/Gandanga tuning (but you don’t need to worry about that for now!).
Basic Kushaura and Kutsinhira
A short ‘bonus tutorial’.
Forward's beautiful tadzungaira improvisation. Filmed in Great Zimbabwe.
Beginner ‘Discover Mbira’ Videos:
Welcome! Lessons 1-7 lay down the essentials before we pick up speed and dive head first into the endless depths of mbira.
1) Get familiar with the layout of the mbira. All the mbira notes, their names, octaves, and a super-easy starter exercise ...
2) The ancient song structure used in traditional songs Nhemamusasa and Tadzungaira (and an older 'half-song') + 6 octave pairs in your l-hand.
3) Learn the right-hand notes that Forward Kwenda plays in his basic Tadzungaira variation.
4) Learn about mbira chords and make your first note substitutions!
5) This tutorial introduces cascades, revealing some new right-hand options for the traditional Zimbabwean songs Nhemamusasa and Tadzungaira.
6) Learn about Bridging and Spilling - two new skills to add to your mbira toolbox. Rather than learning them in my style, try to find your own.
Intermediate ‘Mbira Deep-Dive’ Videos:
7) A simple and beautiful exercise to open up your left hand improvisation. Everything here is built on earlier videos.
8) This beautiful variation of Nhemamusasa shows a traditional application of our 'note circles' from video 7, and a variety of mind-blowing patterns including a special 'two-note' pattern.
9) Choose from 3 approaches to learn mbira chords (analytical/practical/beautiful), all of them super-useful. Built on our note circles from video 7.
10) Mbira players around the world wrote to thank me for this 'traditional timing trick' after I first published it in my book 'Learn to Play Mbira'. Enjoy!
11) Explore the four-beat chord structure with 5 handy 'note patterns' and unlock infinite possibilities- bringing across note options from the 'Left-Hand Liberation' and 'Complete Mbira Chords’ videos.
12) Forward Kwenda offers a simple song line that we can ‘slide around’, creating new perspectives and deepening our relationship with the music.
13) Let’s combine the two- and three-note patterns in your right hand, providing a foundation for unlimited improvisation possibilities.
14) Learn to play funky 'bouncing' mbira variations. This is the number 1 idea I encourage everyone to learn!
15) A 20 minute deep-dive into the system of mbira + its evolution. Along with some of my new ideas.
16) Unlock Master Progression 1 with ‘The Key’ and a few super-easy treble improvisation ideas.
17) Master Progression 2 - Introduction, left-hand improvisation and a taste of Mbabvarira.
