A brand new 16-string, single-fret acoustic instrument known as the Hanago has launched on Kickstarter, which is designed to mix the very best elements of piano and guitar to make studying to play simple, whereas additionally laying down the foundations of music concept.
The Hanago is already on sale in South Korea by way of music model Koaura, and is launching to US string pickers via Kickstarter. Rocking hammer dulcimer or zither vibes, the instrument might be held like a smartphone and the strings plucked with thumbs, positioned on a lap and performed utilizing one hand whereas the opposite cups the highest or laid on its facet and strummed like a guitar. Although not talked about within the product description, it may most likely be sounded utilizing dulcimer hammers too.
It is being aimed toward people who wish to play music however are bamboozled by the complexities of doing so on piano or guitar. The 16 guitar strings up high are tuned to match notes from a piano keyboard – working from G3 via C4 and up past the octave to A5. This could make studying as simple as “do-re-mi” whereas providing familiarity to completed keyboard wizards in search of one thing a little bit totally different.
Koaura
Like a single-fret guitar, the Hanago sports activities a “bridge” to the underside along with tuners and a fret arc to the highest with a brief hole to the nut. There are black dots positioned at sure positions inside the hole, and urgent down the string at these factors permits for semi-tones to be performed. Easy chords might be shaped by sounding three or 4 strings directly, and melodies by fingerpicking particular person or mixed strings.
Constituted of a beech wooden core and mahogany base, the instrument might be performed acoustically, however a piezo pickup is put in together with an instrument output jack for amplified tones. The selecting hand is raised above the strings on the wrist by a security cowl for consolation (and to keep away from unintentional muting), the strings might be tuned utilizing an everyday clip-on guitar tuner and the equipped hex wrench, and it’ll ship with a material pouch to guard it throughout transport in a backpack.
The Hanago measures 13.38 x 8.26 in (34 x 21 cm) and weighs in at 1.43 lb (648.6 g). Kickstarter pledges presently begin at US$99 – a saving of 34% on the anticipated retail worth – and although the same old crowdfunding caveats apply, if all goes to plan with the already funded marketing campaign, transport is estimated to begin in June. The video under has extra.
New Instrument HANAGO introduction
Supply: Koaura