When the British took South Africa from the Dutch in 1815, they imported technologies brand new to the Africans who lived there. The tin can, first patented in 1810, was especially well received – not only as a readily recycled container for food and water, but as a newer, louder, and more brilliant resonator for stringed instruments. The most noteworthy outcome of that revelation was the ramkie, a plucked or strummed instrument related to lutes, guitars, and ukeleles.
The traditional ramkie is based on an oil can. Cooking oil? Motor oil? Who cares! If it has a pleasant "ping," it will do very nicely. Cookie tins, round or rectangular, are less traditional – but often produce a superior sound.
Constructing a Ramkie
Once the can has been selected, the builder must create a workable neck for the instrument. This is not terribly difficult. A length of 1" x 2" filed and sanded to round the back corners a bit will do nicely. It always is better to send the neck straight through the can and affix it to both top and bottom than to try to affix it to the top only – if the neck is attached only to the top, and the can bends a bit, the strings will be too high off the fingerboard.
When sending the neck through the can, keep it one-quarter to one-half inch away from the side of the can that will serve as the sounding board. If the neck is touching the sounding board, the sound will be dull and unpleasant. Glue a 1/2" x 2" fingerboard to the neck as shown in the illustration. Drill holes at the top of the neck to accommodate friction pegs – tapered pegs like those used for violins. Drive one or more round-head screws into the base of the instrument, where the neck is joined to the bottom of the can, to anchor the strings at the other end
It may help to add a "nut" – a notched piece of hardwood to hold the strings in place – at the top of the fingerboard. Any thin piece of notched wood will serve as a bridge. Size it so that the strings lay close to the fingerboard, but do not rattle against it.
Strings and Tunings for the Ramkie
Traditional ramkies are strung with bicycle brake wire, but ordinary guitar or banjo strings are more dependable. In South Africa, a ramkie may have anywhere from one to six strings, but either three or four work nicely. A four-string ramkie may be tuned g-c-e-a, like a ukelele, and a three string ramkie sounds good when tuned d-a-d, a traditional mountain dulcimer tuning.
Most western musicians will want to add frets to their instruments – stops along the fingerboard that produce a clearer sound and ensure that notes sound precisely on pitch. Steel frets, like those on a guitar, are unnecessary. Tied frets – loops of monofilament fishing line tied completely around the neck and fingerboard – are both more traditional and far easier to place, since they can be slid up and down until the correct pitch is produced.
Although frets probably are needed to accurately play three and four note chords, very interesting polytonal melodies can be produced on a fretless ramkie played with a plectrum. Be sure to give it a try before tying on frets.
Music for the Ramkie
Anything that can be played on acoustic fretted instruments can be played on the Ramkie, from the old ukelele favorite, "Ain't She Sweet," to Appalachian modal hymns, to the latest hits from top-forty radio. Nevertheless, ramkie players will want to explore the native music of South Africa. A great place to start is National Geographic's world music website. Those who want a taste of ramkie in its natural environment will enjoy this video, from Namibia.
Building a ramkie can be accomplished in the space of one rainy afternoon, but it can provide musical enjoyment for many years. Try it – and have fun.
Victor A. Gallis - Vic Gallis has written for a variety of literary journals, educational publications, and websites. Thirty years spent in public education, ...
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