Hello, this is Qi Wang. I am happy to meet you here. It is my honor to have you here.
About nine years ago, I had nothing else to do one evening and was looking for something to enjoy.
So I went to YouTube and casually browsed a few percussion videos, finding them rather bland.
Suddenly, a video ad appeared below a YouTuber’s video, catching my eye. It showed a musician
playing a small percussion instrument. This two-handed instrument was wonderful. I clicked on
the page, and a clear, resonant, and gentle sound filled my ears. It was so melodious, neither too
fast nor too slow—just the right tempo.
This sound was perfect for a relaxing solo, and the instrument looked so simple that I felt I could
make one. During a trip or some time alone, I could pick it up and play a few tunes, feeling the
beauty and sweetness of life.
About a month after this idea came to me, I found a few pieces of wood and some springs and tried
to build my own thumb piano, modeled after the thumb piano I’d seen. It truly proves the saying that
it looks easy, but it’s hard to do. After a busy day, I finally managed to create a seven-key thumb piano,
which I’ll call Thumb Piano 1.0. Thankfully, it produces sound and can play some simple chords.
I’m very satisfied with the result of a day’s exploration.
Since then, whenever I have time, I’ve experimented with different woods and springs to make
different thumb pianos. The twists and turns and failures are so numerous that I can only record
them with a pen.
One wood was too hard, resulting in a brittle sound; another was too soft, resulting in a muddy sound.
One spring was too hard, causing my fingers to ache after playing for a while; another was too soft,
resulting in a mushy sound and a tendency to metal fatigue, which would cause it to lose its elasticity
after playing for a while. After various attempts, I finally found the wood and springs that I felt were suitable,
and finally, I was able to create a thumb piano that satisfied me. I hope my thumb piano will bring joy to everyone.