Kalimbas

What is a kalimba and where does it come from?

Kalimbas come from Africa and have their origins there as a traditional plucked instrument. Because of their slats - also called reeds - they are also known as lamellophones or thumb pianos . The former belong to the plucked idiophones . This means a musical instrument that sounds self-sounding thanks to its material and is made to sound by plucking the individual slats, membranes or reeds. Although kalimba instruments and all their relatives are plucked, they do not belong to the genus of plucked instruments; they are referred to as percussion instrument.

How is a kalimba constructed?

The construction of a kalimba is relatively simple. To put it simply, several individual slats are attached next to each other on a piece of wood or another response box . These slats or tone tongues – as we learned – are usually made of steel or metal . If you now pluck the individual slats, the typical kalimba sound is created. The sound is created by the vibrations of the slats and is amplified by the response box underneath. Some models are even electrified and equipped with a piezo pickup system . Thumb pianos can be connected to an amplifier or PA system quickly and easily.

Can you tune a kalimba and what tunings are there?

So that you can play melodies with a kalimba, the individual tongues have different lengths and strengths . Due to the different lengths and strengths, every single reed sounds different. By sliding each individual membrane back and forth under the tuning suspension or bridge , most models can be kept in tuning . Basically, before you buy it, you should think about the pitch range or notes you want to play with your thumb piano. The different kalimba instruments vary in tuning from C major , G major and A minor , to models with five , seven , nine or even 17 tone reeds .

How do you play the kalimba?

The kalimba is played by hand . As already mentioned above, the individual membranes are plucked . The name thumb piano clearly describes that the thumbs are used for this. But of course you can also use any other finger. It's best to have the instrument on the table in front of you. In another style of playing, the sound block is held with both hands and plucked with the thumbs. Just like using a GameBoy. So that the instrument doesn't slip out of your hand while playing, some models have a hole on the bottom . You can insert a finger into this hole to fix it. In a special type called Twin Kalimba from the leading manufacturer Hokema , there are two slat suspensions. This way you can operate it from both sides and even play it with two people.

What different versions are there?

On our category page you get a very good overview of the different models we offer from Hokema and Meinl Percussion . As already mentioned, these differ in their tunings and of course in the quantity of their slats . Of course, the response box also plays an important role. Similar to a guitar, the woods vary here too. Since 2001, the HOKEMA company has been developing the original African instrument. This goes by the name Hokema Sansula . The Sansula consists of a covered wooden frame on which the resonance plate with tone reeds is mounted. The Hokema Kalimbas and especially the Sansula model have become real favorites among percussionists and are often the first choice for beginners and professionals alike.