Do you know what is a kalimba? If you enjoy music, you’ll be interested in learning about and playing a broad range of instruments, especially the much more unusual ones. One such instrument is the kalimba, but what exactly is a kalimba?
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The kalimba, sometimes known as the thumb piano, is a musical instrument that you won’t want to pass up! It’s maybe one of the easiest instruments to learn for both beginners and experts, and it’s becoming increasingly popular! The kalimba is a musical instrument with metal tines that make the sound when plucked. Its body is commonly constructed of wood, although other materials, such as acrylic, are also popular. The kalimba tines generate a clear, bright, almost percussive tone when plucked. This combination, which is frequently tuned to C Major, offers the kalimba a particularly pleasing sound quality.
Kalimba Anatomy
The body or the tines are the two major components of a kalimba. However, as seen in the graphic below, these may be broken down much further. The kalimba’s body is its most important component. It is the section of the kalimba which you would grip, and it is usually made of wood, although it may be acrylic or other materials.
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Tines
The tines are the vertically running metal tongues or rods of the kalimba. The kalimba’s tone is produced by plucking the tines. The standard kalimba has 17 tines, however many kalimbas have many less or even far more!
Bridge
The kalimba’s body and tines are separated by the bridge, which runs horizontally across the instrument. When each tine is plucked, the length of the tines about the bridge determines what note or pitch it will generate.
Back Soundholes
Back soundholes, like the front soundhole, are generally exclusively seen on hollow kalimbas. After a note has been plucked, the rear soundholes are employed to change the sound. This effect sounds a lot like vibrato and wah and can be used to give a song more texture.
What is a Kalimba Made From?
The soundboard, or body, is usually constructed of African hardwood, however, acrylic kalimbas are becoming increasingly popular, and there are even kalimbas with metal bodies! A contemporary kalimba’s tines, or tongues, are nearly typically constructed of metal, especially spring steel. A component called a bridge joins the two materials together. The bridge is often three metal and wooden bars that span horizontally over the kalimba’s body.
The tines are held in position by the bridge, and the length of the tine that extends from the bridge defines the precise note of each tine. The shorter the time, the higher the harp note generated, and the longer the time, the lower the note produced. This is how we modify the resonant pitch of the material, and it’s the basis for tuning a kalimba.
What Does a Kalimba Sound Like?
A kalimba’s sound, or timbre, is a light and clear tone, akin to that of a windchime or bells. The music is generally created by plucking tiny metal tines using your thumbs or other fingers, and the sound can be softer or more percussive depending on how you strike the tines. In the YouTube video below, you can hear how a normal kalimba sounds.
History of the Kalimba
The kalimba has a fascinating history that can be traced back to Africa and the Mbira family of instruments. Hugh Tracey, an ethnomusicologist, is credited with designing the contemporary kalimba. Tracey came to Africa in the early 1900s, notably Zimbabwe, and was immediately captivated by the indigenous music and instruments found there, such as the several types of thumb piano.
Tracey invented and constructed the first ‘Western’ thumb pianos, which he opted to call the kalimba, & began distributing them globally upon his return to London in the 1950s, inspired by the traditional Mbira. The kalimba has risen in popularity since then and is now a well-known instrument all over the world.
Final Thoughts
The kalimba is a wonderful portable musical instrument that generates chime-like tones and is an excellent first instrument for beginners owing to its simplicity and affordable cost. Hopefully, this article has given you a lot of useful information on the kalimba and introduced you to a wonderful new instrument that adds to your collection. Take a peek at the site’s kalimba area to discover more about this fantastic instrument.
