How to Make an African Harp

Gourd shells make an ideal sound chamber for African harps.

The African harp, also called a Kora, is an acoustic, stringed instrument similar to a gourd guitar. Where a traditional orchestral harp has strings stretched across a frame, an African harp has a sound chamber, typically made from the hard shell of a gourd. The strings are attached to the neck of the harp and stretched across the gourd shell in a similar way to a guitar, but you pluck the strings with both hands, as you would a harp. Making your own African harp enables you to save money and create a custom, unique instrument.

Things You'll Need

• Gourd shell, dried and halved
• Plunger router
• Router bit
• Electric drill
• Neck wood, 1-inch by 1-inch, about 40-inches long
• Saw
• Calfskin
• Pocketknife
• Industrial staple gun
• Wood for bridge and tail piece, scrap or offcuts
• 21 nylon harp strings
• 21 geared tuners

Instructions

1. Route a 1-inch by 1-inch hole into the side of the gourd shell, 1 inch from the top edge.

2. Cut a second hole of identical proportions on the opposite side of the shell.

3. Drill a series of 10, 1/4-inch holes on one side of the neck wood. Drill the first hole 1/2 inch from the top. Space the subsequent nine holes 1 inch apart.

4. Drill a series of 11, 1/4-inch holes on the opposite side. Drill the first hole 1 inch from the top. Space the subsequent 10 holes 1 inch apart. There are now 21 holes for the geared tuner. Ensure that the tuners are not positioned directly opposite each other.

5. Fasten a series of 21, 1/16-inch eyelets in a row along the bottom edge of the of the neck, 1/4 inch apart. Affix a second row of equally-sized eyelets 1/8 inch below these. Ensure there are two rows containing paired eyelets. These are where you will loop the strings.

6. Place the gourd shell edge-down on the calfskin. Cut the calfskin all the way around the shell. Score the calfskin 1-inch wider than the edge of the shell to ensure you have sufficient calfskin to cover the open side of the gourd.

7. Soak the skin in warm water for several minutes, until it is soft.

8. Lay the calfskin over the top of the gourd so the edges of the skin hang over the side of the shell. Pull one side down so it is about 1 1/8 inches over the edge. Staple it, rotate the shell and stretch the still-damp skin so the opposite end is 1 1/8 inch over the edge.

9. Rotate the gourd 90 degrees, stretch the calfskin and staple. Rotate another 180 degrees and again stretch and staple the skin. As the skin dries, the tension will increase.

10. Slide the neck into the gourd shell so the end of the eyelet protrudes by 2 inches.

11. Cut a 4-inch by 4-inch piece of scrap wood. On one edge, file 22 equally spaced, 1/8-inch grooves.

12. Glue the opposite side of the grooves to the center of the drum head. This is the tail piece. It may appear loose-fitting now, but when the strings are attached, the tension of the strings will hold the tailpiece in place.

13. Screw the geared tuners into the holes in the head.

14. Feed a string through the hole in the barrel of the tuner. Tie it in a loop, run it down the neck, through the groove on the tailpiece and loop it through the first pair of eyelets on the other end of the bridge.

Tips & Warnings

• You don’t need to glue the neck in place as the string tension will pull it up and hold it in place against the inside of the shell.

References

• Gourd Banjo: More About Banjo Gourds;
• Dennis Havlena: How I Built a "Northern Michigan Kora"