System of Mbira

Learn How to Play Mbira : FREE Online Video Course

by Forward Kwenda and Andy Fowler

Learn How to Play Mbira Online - Fast, Fun and FREE Video Tutorial Course

  • Get Deep inside the Shona mbira songs Nhemamusasa and Tadzungaira + learn traditional improvisation

  • FREE Downloadable multimedia Support Pack with Beginner and advanced examples from Forward Kwenda

  • Dozens of creative starting points with endless possibilities - so you can develop your own mbira playing style

Really thrilled. I want to thank you for the incredible video series.
— JJ, US

No mbira instrument yet? Learn how to choose and buy your first mbira + meet our trusted mbira makers here.

Beginner Mbira Video lessons 1-7 (below) cover:

Learn Mbira Notes • Play Mbira Octaves • Discover Ancient Shona Song Structures • Understand Mbira Chords • Play Basic + Intermediate Parts for Nhemamusasa + Tadzungaira • Make Note Substitutions + Explore Basic Mbira Improvisation

1) learn Mbira notes and octaves fast with the easy, popular and super-useful ‘seven note system’

2) Discover the ancient song structure of traditional shona songs Tadzungaira and Nhemamusasa

Grab the FREE, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rated, Multimedia ‘Discover Mbira’ Pack designed to support you as you work through these videos [40+ page PDF • Audio • Video support files + Bonus Content*].

3) Understand mbira chords and How to make your first note substitutions

4) Learn a basic, but important right-hand part for tadzungaira and nhemamusasa

Another thank you message cluttering your inbox! Thank you so much for what you’ve put together!
— VW, US

5) why cascades of notes appear in shona mbira music & how to play them

6) Endless Creative exploration! your first right-hand improvisation exercise

Hi Andy,
Loving the deep dive. You are a great teacher. I really appreciate the structure of those lessons in teaching both the playing and the theory.
— Shawn, US

7) Get a taste of the ‘Mbira Deep-Dive’ (video 8 onwards) - Enjoy Endless left hand freedom and creative possibilities!

What’s next?

New advanced video Lessons every week, Enter the Mbira Deep-Dive (Video 8 onward)

Get Discover Mbira (FREE) here

  • FREE multimedia pack designed to accompany your journey through and beyond these mbira video lessons

  • 40+ Page PDF / Downloadable Audio / Play-Along Video

  • Tadzungaira song lyrics / meanings

  • Tablature for more variations of the Shona Mbira songs Nhemamusasa and Tadzungaira

  • Further Improvisation exercises

  • Fascinating mbira information and illustrations unavailable elsewhere

Get Mbira Essentials (FREE) Here

  • Everything you wish you had when you first started playing mbira

  • Play-along hosho tracks

  • Printable mbira tablature

  • Mbira notes, Octaves, Chords

  • System of Mbira / Seven Shona Mbira Modes

  • Trusted mbira maker profiles, photos, prices + contact details

Subscribe on youtube here

  • Get notifications of new video lessons as soon as they’re released

  • Make comments and lesson requests or likes and shares to show your support.

  • FREE mbira master video tutorials + performance examples from www.mbira.online The World’s Largest Mbira Master HD Video + Tablature/Notation Archive

1:1 Mbira Video Lessons : with Andy Fowler

by Andy Fowler

Personalised Mbira Lessons for All Abilities. Get 1:1 Mbira Video Lessons with Andy Fowler + Deepen Your Mbira Playing Today.

  • Fun and fascinating mbira lessons

  • Develop your mbira playing skills

  • Deepen Your understanding of traditional mbira music

  • Start from scratch, or build on Your prior learning

  • Includes Personalised printable resources

  • Your pace and Your goals

  • Money-back Guarantee*

More student reviews below!

Andy-Fowler-Mbira-Magic.jpg

*Love your first lesson or get your money back!

  • I’m super-confident that you’ll love learning mbira with me.

  • When we’re 20 minutes in I’ll ask how it’s all working out - then you decide whether or not to stay and pay!

  • No pressure - no problem!

Traditional Zimbabwean Mbira Music - Demystified

Another thank you message cluttering your inbox! I had been learning mbira from someone (who is an excellent player and teacher) but preferred to teach without all the theory that you present so clearly...learning all the theory helped me learn this all so much more easily! It’s a fractal! I always could feel that in the song but could never verbalize that there was something geometric about the music. So thank you so much
— Victoria, US
Hi Andy,
I want to thank you. I have always wanted to understand improvisation better and now I feel more confident about my instrument.
— Jana, US

Learn to Play Mbira Book : Traditional Songs and Improvisation

by Forward Kwenda and Andy Fowler

Learn to Play Traditional Shona Mbira Songs and Discover The Secrets of Improvisation Inside Learn to Play Mbira : Traditional Songs and Improvisation

  • Beginner parts for 10 Shona Mbira songs*

  • Accompanied buy Forward’s experiences and song meanings

  • Creative and empowering mbira improvisation intensive

  • Online ‘Play-along’ tracks included so you can easily switch between different tunings -and- your preferred style of notation / Tablature

  • Timing tips and tricks, accessible song-structure information and fascinating Illustrations

  • Jargon free - you Just play the music and learn to improvise

Your passport to Mbira Dzavadzimu: the mbira of 
the ancestral spirits. Journey into its intricate rhythms 
and melodies guided by step-by-step explanations, 
colorful illustrations, and audio samples. There’s 
a path here for every ability and learning style.
— Sheree Seretse, Ethnomusicologist / Performer, Seattle, WA

*Includes Shona Mbira Songs: Karigamombe | Mahororo | Chaminuka | Chipembere | Mbavarira | Taireva | Nhemamusasa | Nhemamusasa Yepasi | Mukatiende | Bangidza

Traditional Shona mbira songs and Improvisation - at your fingertips

Published in 2019, Learn to Play Mbira : Traditional Songs and Improvisation has been praised by experienced mbira players around the world.

An excellent resource! Inspiring songs and clear 
presentation make this book suitable for every player. 
If you want to learn traditional songs and improvisation 
I strongly encourage you to check this book out.
— Nicky Bernardi, Percussionist, Costa Mesa, CA
I wish I had this book when I began playing years ago! Andy has a gift for taking something rather complicated, and presenting it in simple accessible terms.
— Seth Geddes

The Best of Both Worlds

Coming together for the first time, world-famous performer Forward Kwenda and mbira author Andy Fowler bring you Zimbabwean mbira music and crystal-clear presentation.

Forward shares ten Shona mbira songs with the meanings and experiences he associates with them.

Next, a popular variation of the mbira song Nhemamusasa acts as the foundation for our accessible improvisation intensive:

Creative step-by-step exercises (with tablature and audio accompaniment) deepen your relationship with traditional music and place ‘the language of mbira’ at your fingertips.

Jargon-free (a few optional references to theory) - you just play the music and learn to improvise.

The secrets of Mbira improvisation - Demystified

Informative, insightful and inspiring. This 
gem of a book will deepen your understanding, 
broaden your horizons, and take your playing to 
a whole new level... I can’t wait to get stuck in!
— Victoria Gater, Musician, Somerset, UK

Mbira Tablature Style: Position Notation (play-back files with quick notation/tuning-switch included).

Join 1000’s of Mbira Enthusiasts Around the World

Fungai Gahadzikwa : Shona Mbira Songbook

by Fungai Gahadzikwa and Andy Fowler

Learn Traditional Shona Mbira Songs and Discover The System of Mbira inside Fungai Gahadzikwa : Shona Mbira Songbook

  • Kushaura and kutsinhira parts for 10 Shona Mbira songs*

  • 39 variations suitable for soloists and groups

  • Entry and transition points show how Fungai teaches and plays each song

  • Fascinating Introduction to Shona song structure - chords, progressions, composition and phrasing

  • Accessible analysis for every variation provides a springboard for your improvisation journey

*Includes Shona Mbira Songs: Nhemamusasa | Bhuka Tiende | Chipindura | Karigamombe | Bangiza (two styles) | Chipembere | Chaminuka | Mahororo | Fungai's Composition 'Zviroto' ('Dreams')

Traditional Shona mbira songs - at your fingertips

Published in September 2016, Fungai Gahadzikwa : Shona Mbira Song Book quickly won praise from academics and enthusiasts around the world.

An accessible, innovative and important addition to mbira literature... this book will be invaluable to players of all levels. I strongly recommend it!
— Dr. Samuel Gould, Grand Valley State University
A wonderful, informative and inspiring book!
— Micha Schwarz, Vienna, Austria

A book of two halves…

Mbira author Andy Fowler and gwenyambira Fungai Gahadzikwa begin this first-of-its-kind book with a beautiful collection of Shona mbira songs. Many of these variations originate from Fungai’s rural village in Nhumbe, Zimbabwe.

Learners wishing to deepen their relationship with mbira music will enjoy Andy’s accessible introduction to the system of mbira.

This overview provides an exciting lens through which every variation is explored in the second-half of the book - inviting you to taking your playing beyond static parts and into the infinite and absorbing realm of improvisation.

Traditional Zimbabwean Mbira Music - Demystified

I wish that this songbook existed when I started playing mbira! This is, without question, the most thoughtfully put together book of mbira music that I’ve come across.
— J. D. Golay, Massachusetts, USA

Beautiful variations, insightful commentaries, and an exciting invitation. This is a book for all mbira players.

Mbira Tablature Style: Position Notation (quick notation-switch resource included).

Join 1000’s of Mbira Enthusiasts Around the World

This is a wonderful book, suitable for anyone interested in mbira... The later sections give a real insight into a mbira master’s working process. Thank you!
— Steve Butcher, British Virgin Islands

Unlocking Mbira : System of Mbira Workbook

by Andy Fowler

Master Traditional Shona Mbira Music with Unlocking Mbira : System of Mbira Workbook

  • Over 60 step-by-step exercises & audio tracks

  • Develop advanced mbira playing skills

  • Discover Traditional Zimbabwean song structures

  • Explore composition & improvisation (Dozens of Examples/etudes)

  • printable blank tablature, support resources & fascinating illustrations

The Complete System of Mbira - at Your Fingertips

Published in September 2015, Unlocking Mbira, quickly became the must-have book for mbira dzavadzimu players around the world.

Fast and effective access to mbira.
— Hendrik Brueck, Germany

Beginning with a simple variation of the Shona song Mahororo, mbira author Andy Fowler reveals the fascinating structure it shares with many other traditional Zimbabwean mbira songs like nhemamusasa, tadzungiara, taireva, karigamombe and mbavarira.

A comprehensive series of 60+ step-by-step exercises and examples follow, placing the full system of mbira at your fingertips - along with fascinating new insights into this profound and transformational music.

I’ve come across a few different explanations, but yours is the fullest, the most comprehensive, and the easiest to grasp. Great work!
— Milena Ivanova, Bulgaria

Look Inside Unlocking Mbira

Unlock your creative potential

Unlocking Mbira is perfect for me as I have been trying to create my own variations and improvise within the traditional mbira parts that I know already and have been having trouble understanding the rules/principles. I am confident this book will help a lot and make me a better player.
— Silas Mosbacher, UK

This beautifully designed book welcomes readers of all abilities into an infinite universe of musical possibilities. Warning… Your life will never be the same!

Mbira Tablature Style: Position Notation (quick notation-switch resource included).

Join 1000’s of Mbira enthusiasts around the world

Way different than what I’m used to. I’m really liking the chord theory charts. I listened ahead of where I am in the book and I’m really looking forward to learning some of those tricks!
— Steve Croisant, Detroit, US