If you’re looking for a small, travel-friendly kalimba instrument, the Hokema B5 is a great option. It’s also one of the best quality mini-kalimbas on the market, making it a great choice for beginner musicians. In this review, I’ll look closely at the features of the Hokema B5 and see how it stacks up against…
The Kalimba is a traditional African instrument that originates from the Shona people of Zimbabwe, used for centuries as an accompaniment to songs, dances, and rituals. Types of Kalimba vary by shape and sound, but they are all made up of keys or tines, creating different pitches when plucked with the thumbs, which is why…
While you technically can play the kalimba without nails, it is generally accepted to be rather uncomfortable and sometimes even painful. On top of that, your fingers will never make as clear a sound as fingernails on the metal tines – so you might not be able to achieve that beautiful, melodic ring that the…
Most standard Kalimbas for sale are tuned to either C or G Major scales across two octaves if choosing a 17 Key variation. There are quite a few notes to be going on with, but do they also have tines tuned to sharps and flats? As standard, 17 key Kalimbas tuned to C or G…
A chromatic Kalimba is different from standard kalimbas you may already be aware of. They have more tines and notes and tuned to a different scale. They are more closely related to the original African Mbira which were the inspiration for this largely unknown but well-loved percussion instrument. So let’s find out: What is a…
The Kalimba and Mbira are known as thumb pianos. Though they are similar, there are differences in them as well. The similarity comes from the Kalimba was created by being based on the Mbira. Here’s a more in-depth look at the difference between a Kalimba VS the Mbira The difference between an Mbira and Kalimba…
