Matepe / Madhebhe / Hera

This instrument class represents the matepe type of mbira from northeast of Zimbabwe and adjacent areas in Mozambique. The key layout of the regional variants matepe, hera, and madhebhe is very similar so we can use a common notation format for all three.

Currently there are six notations. They are called

Pitch.4
Pitch+Octaves.4
Pitch.1
James Kamwaza's Numbering
Chaka Chawasarira's Numbering
Rattletree Forum Numbering

All of them employ an additional track for Hosho [down]beats (denoted by a dot "."). The number of tracks varies, the Pitch notations have the most fine-grained division of playing areas:

RX: Hera "extra" manual for emphasized solo lines, played with the right thumb, alternatively to the RT manual
RI: Keys played with the right index finger
RT: Keys played with the right thumb
LI: Left index finger manual
L: Top left thumb manual
B: Bottom left thumb manual

All notations are convertible to and from Pitch.4 as well as Pitch+Octaves.4. If a direct translation between two notations is not available, use an intermediate step across Pitch.4 or Pitch+Octaves.4.

Click on the tabs below for a description of each notation:

Scale degrees are numbered from 1 to 7; 4 being the lowest key of the instrument. It is the same as the Pitch+Octaves.4 notation, with all octave indication omitted where it can be deduced from the playing area. Only the 5, and 5 keys in the L manual need to be distinguished.

Some instruments and transcriptions employ right index finger keys up to RI4 and RI5.

Comparing this notation with Pitch of the mbira dzavadzimu reveals similarities in the key layout, e.g. the characteristic sequence L1 L5 L4 L6 L7 L1' on the mbira matching the L1 L5 L4 LI6 LI7 LI1 keys on the Hera.

Key Overview

The table below shows all keys of the notation, from lowest to highest. Each row contains all possible keys for that playing area. Each column contains all keys of the same pitch.

Not all instruments may have keys matching all these notes. Red notes are alias names for the same key, if it can be played with different fingers.

Hosho	.
RX																					2	3	4	5	6	7	1
RI																4'	5'	6	7	1	2	3	4	5
RT									4/	5/	6	7	1	2	3	4	5
LI											6	7	1	2	3
L			5,			1			4	5	6
B		4		6	7		2	3

Aliases

The table below lists all alias keys. Row names are shown in black, cell content in red.

Key	Alias	Notes
RT4	RI4'	RT4 key played with the index finger instead of the thumb
RT5	RI5'	RT5 key played with the index finger instead of the thumb

Same numbers as the Pitch.4 notation, but full octave indication.

Some instruments and transcriptions employ right index finger keys up to RI4'' and RI5''.

Key Overview

The table below shows all keys of the notation, from lowest to highest. Each row contains all possible keys for that playing area. Each column contains all keys of the same pitch.

Not all instruments may have keys matching all these notes. Red notes are alias names for the same key, if it can be played with different fingers.

Hosho

2''

3''

4''

5''

6''

7''

1'''

1''

2''

3''

4''

5''

Aliases

The table below lists all alias keys. Row names are shown in black, cell content in red.

Key	Alias	Notes
RT4'	RI4'	RT4' key played with the index finger instead of the thumb
RT5'	RI5'	RT5' key played with the index finger instead of the thumb

This is the same as the Pitch.4 notation, with 1 as the lowest key on the instrument.

Some instruments and transcriptions employ right index finger keys up to RI1 and RI2.

Key Overview

The table below shows all keys of the notation, from lowest to highest. Each row contains all possible keys for that playing area. Each column contains all keys of the same pitch.

Not all instruments may have keys matching all these notes. Red notes are alias names for the same key, if it can be played with different fingers.

Hosho	.
RX																					6	7	1	2	3	4	5
RI																1'	2'	3	4	5	6	7	1	2
RT									1/	2/	3	4	5	6	7	1	2
LI											3	4	5	6	7
L			2,			5			1	2	3
B		1		3	4		6	7

Aliases

The table below lists all alias keys. Row names are shown in black, cell content in red.

Key	Alias	Notes
RT1	RI1'	RT1 key played with the index finger instead of the thumb
RT2	RI1'	RT2 key played with the index finger instead of the thumb

This notation is based on James Kamwaza's numbering scheme as described in Jocelyn Mory's Yelloweaver blog. The seven scale degrees are numbered top-down, 1 being the highest pitch of a Hera's left thumb area, which James considers as the core of each piece.

Following the sequence, L0 was added to the notation for a key not present on Kamwaza's Hera.

Some instruments and transcriptions employ right index finger keys up to RI2 and RI1.

Key Overview

The table below shows all keys of the notation, from lowest to highest. Each row contains all possible keys for that playing area. Each column contains all keys of the same pitch.

Not all instruments may have keys matching all these notes. Red notes are alias names for the same key, if it can be played with different fingers.

Hosho	.
RX																					4	3	2	1	7	6	5
RI																RT2	RT1	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
RT									9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
LI											7	6	5	4	3
LT		9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0

Aliases

The table below lists all alias keys. Row names are shown in black, cell content in red.

Key	Alias	Notes
RT2	RIRT2	RT2 key played with the index finger instead of the thumb
RT1	RIRT1	RT1 key played with the index finger instead of the thumb

This positional notation is based on a handwritten transcription by Chaka Chawasarira. Even though most keys have their individual number, the playing areas of the both hands (L, L, B and RT, RI, RX) are distinguished, to avoid two numbers in the same table cell, e.g. 11/20 if right thumb and index play together.

I've also added the RX keys to Mr. Chawasarira's original numbering to achieve a complete mapping between the different notations.

Some instruments and transcriptions employ right index finger keys up to RI23 and RI24.

Key Overview

The table below shows all keys of the notation, from lowest to highest. Each row contains all possible keys for that playing area. Each column contains all keys of the same pitch.

Not all instruments may have keys matching all these notes. Red notes are alias names for the same key, if it can be played with different fingers.

Hosho	.
RX																					1	2	3	4	5	6	7
RI																16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
RT									11B	11A	12	14	11	13	15	16	17
LI											25	24	23	23A	23B
L			9			7			3	5	1
B		10		8	6		4	2

Aliases

The table below lists all alias keys. Row names are shown in black, cell content in red.

Key	Alias	Notes
RT16	RI16	RT16 key played with the index finger instead of the thumb
RT17	RI17	RT17 key played with the index finger instead of the thumb

This notation is based on the one used by Joel Laviolette in his Rattletree forum. The keys in each playing area are numbered bottom-up according to their pitch.

Joel only uses R for the right hand), but this notation also distinguishes the playing areas of the right hand (RT, RI and RX), to avoid two numbers (e.g. 3/10) in the same table cell if right thumb and index play together.

Some instruments and transcriptions employ right index finger keys up to RI13 and RI14.

Key Overview

The table below shows all keys of the notation, from lowest to highest. Each row contains all possible keys for that playing area. Each column contains all keys of the same pitch.

Not all instruments may have keys matching all these notes. Red notes are alias names for the same key, if it can be played with different fingers.

Hosho	.
RX																					1	2	3	4	5	6	7
RI																6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
RT									1B	1A	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
L											1	2	3	4	5
B		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	9A

Aliases

The table below lists all alias keys. Row names are shown in black, cell content in red.

Key	Alias	Notes
RT6	RI6	RT6 key played with the index finger instead of the thumb
RT7	RI7	RT7 key played with the index finger instead of the thumb