Russian
A simple answer
For an affordable, versatile kalimba, we recommend the Arcanum S15M or S17R, with their beautifully balanced sound. You can learn, enjoy yourself and keep playing them as your skills grow.
Why these models?
They are the best in their price range. Now let us look at what we mean by “best”. ;)
- Enough notes. For playing music, more notes give you more possibilities.
- A beautiful sound. This is not strictly necessary: the player creates the real beauty. But it is much more pleasant to do so on a musical instrument than on a rake nailed to a shovel. ;)
- A comfortable shape. You can get used to almost anything, but the classic shapes need very little getting used to.
- A straightforward note layout. There are many individual designs and traditional layouts, each with strengths and weaknesses. The alternating “inverted V” and the straight row are among the most intuitive, time-tested arrangements.
- A straightforward tuning. It works both for learning many existing pieces and for improvisation.
How do kalimbas differ?
We have listed the main qualities above. One more important, if rather broad, consideration is what you want to use the instrument for. It may look like a board with notes attached: what is there to think about? Yet, as with any musical instrument, there is plenty to explore. Consider plucked string instruments: acoustic guitar, balalaika, bass, electric guitar and countless traditional varieties. Kalimbas also vary enormously. Their pitch can range from low bass to high soprano; their sound can be sharp and clear or soft and diffuse; different note layouts suit different playing styles.
Many ordinary shops focus instead on the marketing extras: wood species, stickers, lettering, tuning hammers, cloths, bags and chains. In musical terms, these are just the wrapping.
Alternatives
Any single-row kalimba by Arcanum or Kalimba Lab offers a well-balanced sound, with options across different price ranges.
If you simply want to make magical sounds with almost no effort, consider a membrane kalimba such as the Moon, or a simpler pocket model such as the S11R Mini. The small models combine compact size with a beautiful sound, while the membrane models sound particularly lovely. However, fewer notes and their particular layout do limit what you can play later. These are wonderful instruments for catching someone's attention, sparking an interest in music, especially in children, or simply enjoying a single note and meditating. As you gain experience, more of the beauty will come from the combinations you choose, and the instrument's individual tone will become less central.
For African music, take a look at the TM-15 karimba. If you want access to the notes needed for any melody on one instrument, you will need a chromatic kalimba.
What if price is not the main concern?
Our first recommendation is the Arcanum B21O. You can see the other recommended models using this catalogue filter.