Knowledge Base

Making a sound Hold the kalimba in both hands, without resting it on a surface. Use your thumbnails to press the tines down and let each thumb slide off so that the tine springs back. Aim for a quick, light, brushing movement so the tine does not buzz aga...
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Theory Tuning means adjusting each tine's frequency to its intended note so that the intervals between the notes are accurate. The pitch depends on the length of the free, vibrating part of the tine. Think of a pendulum: a long one swings slowly, a short ...
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This can happen when tiny changes in the wooden body, caused by humidity, temperature or drying, alter the contact between the tines and the pressure bar. Often, simply moving the tine slightly from side to side solves it. If not, try placing a tiny strip...
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Of course! Kalimbas are tuned instruments, apart from some colourful coconut or gourd souvenirs, which can usually be tuned too. One tine produces one note. There is a reason they are sometimes called “thumb pianos”.
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The tuning, or set of notes, can vary widely. Major, minor, pentatonic and other traditional scales are common in Western-style instruments. African instruments often use their own tunings, which may not match equal temperament. The most common single-row...
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Scales, semitones and the kalimba This article explains how a tuner, a frequency chart and an understanding of major scales can help you change your kalimba's key and keep its notes in tune. Much of the music we hear uses seven-note major or minor scales....
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A kalimba does not need a special tuner. You can use a microphone-based tuner or a contact tuner clipped to the body to pick up its vibration. It should be chromatic, meaning it can identify all notes. It can be a separate device, a computer program such ...
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It has probably drifted out of tune: some tines are no longer at their intended pitch. Retuning should help, and it is not difficult.
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A kalimba needs no special maintenance. Like any object made of wood and metal, it should be kept away from moisture: do not play it in the rain or shower. Light, thin-walled hollow-body kalimbas need extra protection from moisture and sudden temperature ...
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Playing melodies on a kalimba: what you need to know Can anyone learn the kalimba, even without reading music? Making a sound by pressing and releasing a tine is certainly not difficult. You can also find tablature online: diagrams showing which tines to ...
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A thread in our VK group — please add your own finds too: https://vk.com/topic-146264279_41230814 A large collection of useful material, including sheet music and tabs: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dEPcv1-PkkB5Cw713kbnFjVZQiGj25S7 KTABS Softwar...
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A kalimba is a fairly quiet instrument, so amplifying it for a concert takes some care. The simplest and most widely available option is an ordinary microphone. As with any sound source, moving it closer to the kalimba captures more of the instrument rela...
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Yes. A small decorative area will have very little effect on the sound. Covering the whole body with several thick layers of paint or varnish, or significantly thinning it by burning, can change the tone slightly.
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