Anyone play Kalimba?

[LarryS]

My partner randomly bought me one recently,a 17 kwy hollow board from Amazon. Arrived in tune and sounds great. Playing kalimba is quite a challenge though .



Here I'm playing Brahms's Lullaby on it.



https://youtu.be/IkdoubKuk9k

[ukantor]

You're doing a lot better than me! I bought a Kalimba a few months ago. Mine is an Aiersi - solid Koa, hollow body, 17 keys. It sounds lovely, but I find it difficult to play a scale using both thumbs alternately, while moving outward from the center. It seems counter intuitive. I confess I haven't persevered.

I must take it out of its bag and try again.

John Colter

[Kalimbera]

I'd like to welcome all Kalimba lovers o Kalimba Forum and Kalimbera, our Forum and web-store

https://kalimbera.com
https://kalimbaforum.com

[TerryWhite]

The kalimba is an African folk reed instrument, played simply by "stroking" the reeds with your thumbs and creating a sound from the wooden resonator box.

[ukantor]

The term "Reed instrument" is usually used to describe wind instruments. The kalimba has tines rather than reeds and is classed as a lamellaphone, a member of the plucked idiophone family.

John Colter

[Croaky Keith]

I was looking at maybe getting a concertina - until I realised just how expensive they are, (even pre used) - so I took another look at the Kalimba, (which I first saw/heard Joo playing in/on the Seasons threads).

Needless to say I ordered one, a Kmise 17 tine that should arrive sometime in the next 2 weeks - & I signed up at the Kalimba Forum to see what they are like.

It's good to try something new every now & then.

[ukantor]

I'll be interested to see how you get along with it, Keith. I confess, I find it not at all intuitive to play. My lack of application and self-discipline doesn't help, but I think it's a case of old dogs, new tricks. It does sound very pleasant, and would be a most complementary instrument for the ukulele.

[Ms Bean]

I was looking at maybe getting a concertina - until I realised just how expensive they are, (even pre used) - so I took another look at the Kalimba, (which I first saw/heard Joo playing in/on the Seasons threads).

Needless to say I ordered one, a Kmise 17 tine that should arrive sometime in the next 2 weeks - & I signed up at the Kalimba Forum to see what they are like.

It's good to try something new every now & then.

I got my daughter a Kmise 17 tine one for Christmas. I haven't bothered tuning it yet, as it is acceptable out of the box. I 'tabbed' about seven Christmas songs during the holiday (numbers only, I didn't bother with the notes length).
The Kmise came with a pickup you can attach with a sort of suction cup, but we don't have any toys to plug into and see what the result is. All in all, I like the sound and the volume too. So far we've been playing in C major/A minor.
I don't play it often, but I think it's good fun.

[Croaky Keith]

I'll be interested to see how you get along with it, Keith. I confess, I find it not at all intuitive to play. My lack of application and self-discipline doesn't help, but I think it's a case of old dogs, new tricks. It does sound very pleasant, and would be a most complementary instrument for the ukulele.

Being an old dog myself, I'll try & remember to come back & let you know, John.

Sounds real nice, I wonder if they make then an octave higher, or lower.

I believe they make 21 tine boards, that goes down to G3 below middle C, (from what I have read, so far).

I got my daughter a Kmise 17 tine one for Christmas. I haven't bothered tuning it yet, as it is acceptable out of the box......... All in all, I like the sound and the volume too. So far we've been playing in C major/A minor.
I don't play it often, but I think it's good fun.

Good to know, thankyou.

[MJB]

I've got a 17 key Kalimba arriving today. Because uke, guitar and bass are not enough.