47. Cutting keys I
48. Cutting keys II
49. Decorating the soundboard I
50. Decorating the soundboard II
51. Burning the inside of the soundboard
52. Making supporters
53. Making the buzzer plate
As a buzzing device, many matepe have a metal rod stuck across the cavity in the soundboard, on which several more or less heavy metal rings are lined up. Asked why he puts a plate on the outside instead, Sekuru says:
“I and Mathias [Chidavaenzi] prefered adding snail shells which sounded rather loud enough to be heard. The pieces of metal inside the sound board were used by Josam [Nyamukuvhenu] in his mbira making.
However the purpose is the same. l and Mathias did not play mbiras with those metals inside the gomero. After all the sound produced by those metals never added to the sound produced when the mbira is in the deze.
Our understanding of the mbira musc differs from one individual to another. One would find it very sweet with those heavy metals hidden in the sound board. l and Mathias found those pieces metal not of any good mbira sound.“