The thumb piano (or "Carlimba" in English: Carlimba) is a national musical instrument with national characteristics in Africa. In different African countries, the Thumb Piano has different names, for example, Kalimba is the name for the instrument in Kenya, it is called Mbira in Zimbabwe, it is called Likembe in Congo, it is also called Sanza and thumb piano. It gets its name from the thin pieces (mainly wooden, bamboo, and in modern times metal) on the body that are plucked with the thumb. The traditional thumb harp uses a gourd as a resonator.

The vocal body of the thumb piano consists of an elastic metal bar of varying lengths on the top to produce sounds of different wavelengths, and a wooden or gourd gourd is used as a sound box below. In the past, the raw material of these metal strips was only metal melted in the ore, but now they are made of higher quality steel. The thumb harp comes in many different shapes, and the number of steel bars does not vary. For example, the Zimbabwean thumb harp is in a round wooden case with 22 to 28 steel bars arranged in two rows. It is said that the music played by this instrument can not only drive away the evil spirit of the patient, but also play a role in praying for rain, so it is one of the most loved Musical Instruments in Zimbabwe.

Thumb piano is mainly used for singing, when playing, to hold the body with two hands, and then play with two thumbs, when the thumb is pressed and then released, the steel sheet will produce mechanical waves and make a sound. Some thumb piano will be installed with some objects such as shells or soda bottle caps, so that when playing can also produce some additional sounds, it can also be half-tilted on the table and shake, will produce an echo like a rotating effect, or like the effect of ice shaking, so that the playing effect is more rich. The thumb harp is often used for playing, at sunset, people will gather in a circle to sing or tell stories, and some native people will carry it to pass time along the way when they walk long distances. What's more, the thumb piano is characterized by a unique musical effect, and the sound is as cool as water, similar to the sound of a music box, but colder.