This week we are pleased to showcase a special guest blog post from Ryan over at Carved Culture all about thumb pianos. He has a great website and makes really cool videos about all sorts of things including how to play various tunes on a kalimba.

As a kid, your parents may push you toward a musical instrument in the hope of tapping into your undiscovered talent. Usually, that will lead to a brand new guitar, a violin, or for the more brave parents, a set of drums.

However, there are a wide variety of other instruments out there that are fun to play, that can be picked up easily, and sounds great. You might be thinking of a ukulele or a harp. Well, we had something a little more out there in mind. We introduce you to the Kalimba. 

What is a Kalimba? 

A kalimba is an instrument that comes from the Mbira family. It originates from the land of Zimbabwe and is the chosen instrument of the Shona people. The instrument consists of a wooden base that is accompanied by metal tines. These metal tines can be plucked to give off a faint ringing sound, and in the hands of a skilled player, wonderful melodies can be played. If you can’t picture it, just imagine a mini xylophone that you play like a guitar.

How Do You Play The Kalimba? 

Just like any instrument out there, you won’t just be able to pick it up and play your favourite tunes. It will take practice to perfect. However, the good thing about a kalimba is the simple and accessible nature of the instrument. To play this instrument, you’ll want to hold it with both hands, one on each side of the metal tines.

Then to play notes, you’ll want to use your thumbs to pluck the bottom of the metal tines to give off a musical note each time. Then once you master this, you can begin alternating your thumbs on each side to hit both lines of progression, allowing for more complex note combinations.

Then finally, you can practice making chords on the kalimba. To do this, you need to pluck two adjacent tines at once, allowing for a much more rich sound that compliments single notes. Try and use all these techniques to create some interesting sounds and become familiar with the instrument.

Do I Need A Tuner?

This very much depends on the type of kalimba you own as some kalimba instruments may not have the notes that you need to play specific songs so if you would like to be able to play a wide array of songs then a tuner can be very beneficial. You can download a free app on your smartphone that will do the job. Another great tool is a tuning hammer which can in some cases make it easier to tune your instrument, however, it is not needed as this is a process that can be completed by hand.

What Are Kalimba Tabs?

Making noise is great, but wouldn’t you rather be playing some recognisable tunes to amaze your friends? Well, unless you have a trained ear, the best way to do this is by using kalimba tabs. These are the kalimba equivalent of sheet music and this tells kalimba players what notes to hit, in what order, and at what time. These can look rather intimidating at first but once you become accustomed to the format, these little diagrams will be a godsend, allowing you to learn all your favourite songs with ease.

Where Can I Find Beginner Kalimba Tabs?

Now that you are on your way to learning to play the Kalimba, you can find a free extensive library of kalimba tabs on the Carved Culture website. Alternatively, you can watch their kalimba tutorial videos and play along too.