All about the musical instrument Kalimba

Kalimba, "African piano", "piano for thumbs" - this is not a complete list of the names of the same musical instrument, whose history goes back several thousand years. It is interesting that all this time he was not influenced in any way by the musical culture of other continents. The musicians played it according to their own African scales. Only in recent decades have kalimbs appeared, tuned to the notes we are accustomed to.

Kalimba is a popular African musical instrument. It belongs to the reed group. Its sound is created by resonating plates of different lengths and a hollow body. Shorter plates produce higher sounds and vice versa. Tongs are attached to the metal nut. The instrument received the name "kalimba" from the Europeans. Initially it was called Mbira and belonged to the group of lamellophones. It also includes such African instruments as tsantsa, lekembe, luembu, lala and many others.

Thanks to the ethnographer-musicologist Hugh Tracy in the first half of the last century, Mbir got outside the historical homeland. He transported the recovered tool very carefully so as not to damage or change its appearance. Over time, kalimba began to be brought to the neighboring islands, so gradually it came to Cuba. There he was also very fond of, and he gained wide popularity. Locals can play this instrument for hours.

The length of the petals varies from 3 to 10 cm, and the width is 0.3-0.5 cm. The total length of the instrument ranges from 10 to 35 cm. The tunings of the kalimba can be different, and its range depends on the number of plates.The manufacturer can mark the reeds with the notes they are to issue. Usually the tuning is chosen upon purchase, but we will tell you how to tune the kalimba yourself at your discretion.

It is noteworthy that Russia often uses its own way of playing the kalimba. With this performance, not only the thumbs are involved, but also all the other fingers, as when playing the harp. You need to hold the kalimba between your knees and take the triads with one hand, and the bass with the other. You can also make kalimba at home. An unusual and exotic specimen is obtained from coconut. This work is very painstaking, but if you like to make musical instruments yourself, then you can easily find instructions on the Internet and make an instrument with your own hands.

In different areas of Africa, kalimbs looked different. But since we are talking about modern tools that have begun to be mass-produced for sale all over the world, their appearance is quite similar. There are only a few features, we will talk about them at this point in the article.

Kalimbs are divided into two groups:

• whole;
• hollow.

The former are considered more reliable, since their design is stronger. They sound clear and even. Hollow ones produce a louder rich sound, but with a "wooden box" effect, and the volume of individual notes is less uniform.

Kalimbs come in different sizes:

• small - from 10 cm and a little more;
• large - up to 35 cm.

The timbre of the sound is comparable to the dimensions of the instrument. The large ones produce a more spacious bass sound, while the smaller models are clear and transparent, like a trill with iridescence. Authentic kalimbs with a traditional look are produced in Africa. Hugh Tracy offers a model that is as close to the original as possible. The production uses natural materials such as wood, turtle shells, nuts, etc. Since African trees are distinguished by their high characteristics, the product turns out to be not only good-sounding, but also wear-resistant.

If you are not against more modern models, you may be interested in a look like sansula. It was invented by the musician P. Hockema. He created it by modifying the kalimba, that is, by placing the tongues on the drum. The instrument is manufactured in Hamburg by Hokema.

Like any instrument, the kalimba has different characteristics.

• To make a choice in favor of a particular instrument, listen to kalimbas tuned in different keys.
• Pay attention to checking the quality of the tool. Are the reeds swinging, are you satisfied with the sound volume, are there no noise. If they are, then the petals are poorly fixed and incorrectly transmit vibrations to the body.
• The range of colors includes shades of different types of wood. The body is stained, the surface should be well finished, smooth and pleasant. The wood species does not really matter, so you can ignore this parameter. Today there are also more budget models with acrylic resonators.
• The more reeds a kalimba has, the more varied it can sound. But for beginners who are just taking their first steps in learning, too much range can complicate the task. A model with 9-17 tongues will do just fine. There are up to 30 of them on standard kalimbs, but there are others, where there are even more of them. Chromatic kalimbs can reproduce notes with all tones.
• For the stage, the version with a built-in pickup is more suitable. They can be connected to a sound amplifier for an electro-acoustic version. Also, connecting will enrich the sound of kalimba with effects such as echo or reverb.

A beginner musician is best suited to kalimba, which comes with a tuning hammer, a tutorial and stickers for the names of the notes, because they are atypical. Adjacent notes of the familiar scale are located on opposite sides of the kalimba. This is not surprising, because it is customary to play on it with the thumbs of both hands. That is, pressing the petals alternately with one or the other finger and moving from the edges to the middle, you can play the standard "do-re-mi-fa ...".

Decide which scale is closer to you - major or minor, pentatonic or diatonic.

• Place the kalimba next to the tuner or connect a piezo pickup to it, which is connected to the tuner. Android mobile app or I-phone can be used.
• You need to tune one note at a time. At the same time, muffle the rest of the neighboring tongues so that they do not knock you down. You can tap the petals with your fingers.
• When it is written on the tuner that the tongue sounds lower than the desired one, it means that it needs to be shortened. To do this, you need a hammer - you can use it to knock the tongue towards the nut. When the petal sounds too high, then you need to knock it out from behind, from the attachment to yourself.
• Place stickers on the tabs so you don't forget where you put which note. After all, the arrangement of notes on themes is not typical for the instruments we are used to.
• Now listen to the sound of the petals, do they not rattle? You can get rid of such an unpleasant effect by slightly moving the petals to the left or right. To do this, loosen the fastening on the sill. If there is no result, place paper under the problem tab.

Everyone has probably heard the sound of the kalimba in some travel show or movie, but did not know the name of the instrument. The instrument's voice sounds so loud, as if someone is tapping with sticks on a glass surface. Pleasant overtones delight the ear and bring back memories of a music box. But for all the simplicity of the game, it is worth mastering the correct technique.

Kalimba is played while sitting, standing and even on the move. It is held with palms bent at right angles and pressed tightly to the sides. You can place the instrument on your knees by flicking back the tabs with your thumbs and forefingers of both hands. The easiest way to play, which can be learned without notation, is to play tablature. Often sounds are indicated on tablatures without durations, just black circles. You need to move along the tongues from the bottom up.

Chords on this instrument are played in different ways.

• Play the extra note first and then the rest of the chord. When you need to play the notes of a chord at the same time, slide your fingers from one note to another, from longer petals to shorter ones.
• You can play the highest and lowest notes of a chord at the same time, followed by others.
• Play the notes one at a time.

Vibrato can be obtained by slapping on the hole of the tool. A self-instruction manual for playing the Kalimba, as well as video tutorials from YouTube will allow everyone to master this instrument. This is a good option for those who would like to play an instrument but are not ready to immerse themselves in the study of music theory. Well, if you already have some experience of playing instruments, then this unusual and compact piece will give you even more pleasant emotions.

For information on how to choose, set up and start playing the Kalimba, see the next video.