The following interactive web-app (best viewed on a desktop computer*) allows users to explore the role of rotation and transposition in the mbira repertoire of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. Much Shona mbira music centres around a harmonic sequence that may be called the "Standard Shona Sequence" (after Andrew Tracy, 2015): 1,3,6 | 1,4,6 | 2,4,6 | 1,3,5, where 1 is some home pitch. To create variety within the repertoire, mbira music uses a variety of rotations and transposition of this sequence. The starting key of the sequence is always indicated at the top of wheel and the sequence moves clockwise. Transposition is shown on the left hand side. When there are known pieces at a given transposition/rotation combination, a circle appears to let users know there is a piece corresponding to that combination.
The lowest key of one standard tuning of mbira dzavadzimu and most Shona marimba tunings is G, and therefore I pick this pitch as a useful reference. N.B. It should be remembered that mbira tunings vary widely, and do not always correspond to the intervals implied by the use of Western letter names.
To show which pieces use a given transposition/rotation combo, I referred to the analyses provided in Paul Berliner (2020). In this book, Berliner asserts the piece's rotation and transposition as played and informed by Shona musician Cosmas Magaya (1953-2020). The pieces on the right hand side correspond to the analyses given in Berliner (2020).
*If you are a mobile viewer and wish to try a more "full screen" version, try this.