Melodies Of Life Kalimba? All Answers

For centuries, kalimba players have grown their thumbnails long so they can play for hours without pain. But what if you don’t have that kind of thumbnail? Read and Learn! Alaskan spikes are an easy, pain-free alternative…or have you ever tried super glue on your nails?

Father Dos Santos, the first European to document the kalimba in 1586, wrote that the players “play this instrument by hitting with their thumbnails the loose ends of the sticks, which they are growing long for the purpose, and striking them on the keys as lightly as a good player strikes those on a harpsichord.”

More recently, when Paul F. Berliner went to Zimbabwe (the country was then called Rhodesia) in the 1970s, players sometimes used metal wires on their thumbs to play mbira tines to save their thumbs. (See illustration.)

I recommend that people play with their thumbnails rather than the meat of their thumbs. Playing with your nail allows you to play for hours without pain. Actually, I recommend that just before you pluck a prong with your nail, you lightly touch the prong with your thumb flesh first to dampen any ongoing vibrations, so the hard nail doesn’t make an ugly ZZZZT noise when it touches a vibrating prong . Pull the nail off the tip of the prong in one motion with the initial flesh touch of the prong, tilting down as you lift but not pressing down very hard at all. Even with a short nail, pointing the tip of your thumb down can bring the nail into contact with the prong.

On the other hand, there are players like Kevin Spears for whom playing with the meat of the thumb is part of their technique. I know several people who started out playing this way but ended up playing with their nails. It’s a personal choice and you’ll find out for yourself.

In the early stages of playing kalimba, almost everyone’s thumb meat hurts, even if you play with your nails – but over time you’ll develop little calluses on your thumbs and you won’t feel any more pain. I have small ones just under my thumbnails. If you play with your thumb meat, your eventual calluses will be much larger.

Need ALASKA PIKS?

If for some reason you can’t grow your thumbnails, such as if you’re a massage therapist, you can use Alaska Piks, which are available at your local guitar store or at the Kalimba Magic Shop. I like Alaskan spades because they are well made and made out of plastic rather than metal which means they don’t click loudly on the metal kalimba prongs when played. Alaska spades are sized for fingers (for playing guitar) not thumbs. They are also expandable. Keep these things in mind when choosing some Alaskan spades for your thumbs. See the diagram below.

ALASKA PIK SIZE CHART

Alaska Piks, originally intended for guitar playing, are made for any fingers other than the thumb. So we’ve translated the sizes and made a chart just for use on your thumbs. The numbers on the left of our chart represent the thumb circumference (measured approximately at the base of the thumbnail) and the letters on the right are the associated Alaskan spade size. In this system, children use M, young teens and women with small hands might use L, and anyone with normal to large hands uses XL. Remember these are finger sizes; If you have very large thumbs, you are probably outside of the size range available. We’re sorry!

CRACKING, TONIC, CELEBRATE

Sometimes I don’t keep my thumbnails at their optimal length for gaming (just forget to trim them). As they get longer they tend to become brittle. When I’m reaching for something (a door or a drawer handle) I can accidentally press a thumbnail against a hard surface and snap the nail. (When the nails are that long, it doesn’t really hurt.) But within an hour, I often notice a crack at one end of the nail that hasn’t come all the way. If left untreated, this crack will eventually spread to the other side and the nail tip will soon detach.

There are two things I did to fix this. First, if the crack is only a half inch or less, I trim the cracked portion of the nail, possibly removing a sizeable chunk of the nail but leaving most of it. File off the sharp corners and edges so that you do not endanger yourself or others. You can either play with the remaining nail or it works great to back up an Alaskan spade.

The other approach is Krazy Glue: you can actually glue over the crack to prevent further cracking. On more than one occasion my thumbnail snapped straight out and I successfully reattached the whole thing. In these situations, it may be necessary to reapply the adhesive every two or three days until the break grows out. Krazy Glue comes in a bottle with a small brush applicator perfect for fixing thumb nails. You can actually paint your nails with this glue to strengthen them and prevent breakage and slow nail erosion from playing a lot of kalimba. You can also have acrylic overlays professionally applied to your nails. This is a solution that guitarists often praise highly. These are among the best answers to nail wear or breakage.

If you play kalimba hard for an hour or two in a day, you’ll find that the thumbnail is still wearing away at the spot where you tend to hit the kalimba tines. You should file the nail until the profile is straight or convex curved to improve your game next time.

It can also be useful to shape your nails differently for different kalimbas. The pentatonic kalimba likes flatter nails because there is more spacing between tines and a sharper nail tends to snag between them – a flatter nail profile can also play two adjacent tines at the same time. On the other hand, the Treble Kalimba, with its small and narrow tines, prefers sharper nails.

LENGTH CONSIDERATIONS

If your nails are too long, they can break easily. If they’re too short, you won’t be able to perform the glissando, or you’ll wear them out too quickly. So there is an optimal nail length that you can work with enough, but not so much that you break it off and leave nothing behind. Find your own sweet spot. I actually like to play when my nails extend about 3/16″ past my thumb meat, but they tend to snap at that length, so it’s just too long! About 1/8 inch as shown in the photo strikes me as a really good balance of length and practicality.

Nails that are longer than optimal and not hardened can also produce an awkward sound when playing. Work around this by playing closer to the left or right side of the nail, using Krazy Glue to harden them, or just keeping them short enough. For the same reason, right after you clip your thumbnails, you will find your Kalimba game unleashes a clicking attack. It will take either a few days of normal life or a few hours of playing kalimba to smooth your nails enough to get rid of that clicking noise. I personally prefer filing my nails every few days rather than waiting to trim. Filing helps eliminate some of these problems, but not all. So file after you cut your nails and play a lot of kalimba!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us using the email form or speak directly to Mark Holdaway at 520-488-7641. Contact Us

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The kalimba is a simple, beautiful instrument. It has a rich, warm tone that captivates and keeps the listener mesmerized. It’s a relaxing, soothing instrument when played in moderation, and is very enjoyable and fun to play.

It’s amazing how many great songs you can learn on the kalimba. Here we look at some of the easiest kalimba songs that you can learn quickly.

“Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love” is an essential rock ‘n’ roll ballad, and like some of the other songs mentioned here, it has a melody grounded in deeply rooted traditions. And each song that renders melodies that are part of the cultural fabric serves as a gateway to deeper musical study.

It sounds quite nice on the kalimba, as the video demonstrates.

“Wake Me When September Ends” by Green Day

Punk rock band Green Day began taking things in a more pop-oriented direction in the mid-2000s. But it was mostly a good effect, giving way to songs like “Wake Me Up When September Ends.” Unsurprisingly, however, it is the image of simplicity, making it a quick study of the kalimba.

However, the arrangement shown in the video below is sophisticated, and there are simpler versions.

“The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel

It’s hard to imagine a folk duo more important to American music than Simon & Garfunkel. “The Sound Of Silence” is just one of many songs that have been a staple for several decades, but “The Sound of Silence” is probably their most haunting. The harmonies make it a great tune to learn inside and out. Nice and easy too.

Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen

Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist Leonard Cohen has written some true classics. He will be remembered most for “Hallelujah”, but the truth is that most of his songs featured very slow and moderate tempos. It’s no wonder, then, that the melodies of his songs are so easy to learn and play, on almost any instrument, including the kalimba.

You’re Still The One by Shania Twain

For country-pop fans, Shania Twain’s love ballad “You’re Still The One” might be a fun venture on the kalimba. The slow melody is soft and light and of course highly recognizable. A great tune to play to your friends.

Careless Whisper by George Michael

In my opinion, there aren’t that many artists who can pull off melodrama without coming across as pompous or cheesy. George Michael was one of those rare talents, and “Careless Whisper” is the proof in the pudding. This ballad’s haunting melody is the kind that sticks in your mind, and the guilty conscience lyrics are relatable to many.

Imagine by John Lennon

Often mistaken for a Beatles song, John Lennon’s “Imagine” encourages us to imagine a strange, utopian society that only a hippie could dream up. Ultimately though, I like to think of it as a song of unity and harmony, a song of erasing the dividing lines. And in that sense, it couldn’t be more relevant.

The adage “All Beatles songs are easy” doesn’t always stand up to scrutiny (most are more complex than today’s Top 40), but “Imagine” is a great song for any beginner musician to study and master.

“In the End” by Linkin Park

Here’s a fun project for a kalimba if there ever was one. Many kalimba players have observed that transposing “heavier” rock and metal songs onto the instrument creates a rather stunning, dramatic effect. Minor melodies just sound so good on the kalimba.

Linkin Park’s “In The End” was one of their earliest hits and the definitive anxiety and depression-ridden rockers they’ll always be remembered for.

“I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz

Laid-back, acoustic guitar-driven beach bum music was all the rage as artists like Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson rose to prominence in the mid-2000s. Most of these artists have real talent. I won’t comment on who I think doesn’t.

“I’m Yours” might be overkill, but the song still shines through, and Mraz always adds strong melodic hooks to his music, and usually positive mantras and messages as well.

“Heal The World” by Michael Jackson

“King of Pop” Michael Jackson proved to be a rare talent with widespread appeal, and his music thoroughly affirms his legacy. “Heal The World” is certainly a product of its time, the socially conscious and self-referential ’90s, but the message feels authentic to Jackson.

The moderate tempo of “Heal The World” makes it a relatively easy piece to learn for musicians of all persuasions, and a beautiful melody for the kalimba.

Zombie by The Cranberries

Depending on the arrangement, The Cranberries’ “Zombie” can be a challenging piece. That said, it’s a fun minor song to try out, it sounds great on the kalimba, and as you’ll see in the video below it’s possible to adapt the different riffs, chord progressions and melody parts to the instrument. Look for simpler arrangements if necessary.

“With or without you” by U2

Irish punk rockers U2 burst onto the scene with pent-up youthful energy and a politically, socially and spiritually charged message they wanted to convey to the world. However, they would ultimately have more success with their breezy, atmospheric, pop-friendly sensibilities, as heard on ballads like “With Or Without You” (Brian Eno played a major role in it).

It probably wouldn’t be too much of an exaggeration to say that U2 guitarist The Edge invented the guitar sound so associated with mature contemporary/easy listening/alternative rock bands like Coldplay and Snow Patrol today. It’s even imitated by pop bands like Mariana’s Trench.

“With Or Without You” is simple but backed by a strong melody.

“Hey Jude” by The Beatles

The melody to “Hey Jude” by the Beatles can easily be played on the kalimba. If there’s something difficult about it, it’s the fast-paced melody that accompanies the “take a sad song and make it better” lyrics, especially the “make it better” part. Either way, it’s a great song to study and add to your kalimba repertoire.

“Take On Me” by A-ha

A-ha’s “Take On Me” might require quick fingers (especially if you plan on working on the signature synth riff), but it’s fun to imagine you could transfer it to the kalimba, if only is for fun. And here’s a crazy thought – you can!

The trick is to start slowly and gradually increase the speed as needed. Everything can be learned note by note, and as your muscle memory kicks in (with repetition and practice) it will only get easier.

“I Want To Break Free” by Queen

Queen’s “I Want To Break Free” has a unique quality when played on the kalimba. It just sounds a little mysterious and indecisive, but certainly not in a bad way. It is also the perfect song for beginners to develop their skills on the kalimba.

Coldplay’s The Scientist

Colplay’s The Scientist is a great starting point for kalimba beginners. There are some fun tunes, but they’re mostly straightforward and easy to follow. If you’re struggling with other tunes on this list, maybe try this one first.

“Sweet Child O’Mine” by Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” is one of their most memorable, if not their most memorable power ballads. It starts with Slash’s famous “guitar finger exercise that should never be turned into a song” riff and then unfolds with the addition of the full band.

From the opening riff to the melody, there are at least a few areas worth studying here.

“The House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals

The Animals’ version of traditional folk, “The House Of The Rising Sun” is certainly the best known and one of the best versions of the song. It’s moving and thought-provoking.

It’s not the easiest tune to play on the kalimba, but it’s breathtaking. A good way to work your way up!

“Numb” by Linkin Park

Linkin Park’s fearful nu-metal knew no bounds in their heyday, and “Numb” is just one of many songs that reflect their restless energy. “Numb” specifically addresses a toxic relationship and how it affects one’s psyche.

Oddly enough, it sounds a bit like a lullaby on the kalimba. The arrangement in the video below is probably not the easiest to understand, but it doesn’t sound good. Of course, you can always learn one thumb at a time.

“True Colors” by Phil Collins

English progressive rock band Genesis is one of the best-selling artists of all time. What is surprising, then, is how the more pop-oriented solo careers of singer Peter Gabriel and drummer Phil Collins essentially eclipsed the band’s popularity. Of course, rockers will always learn more from Genesis’s considerable work on saturation.

Here we find Collins covering Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors,” originally written by American songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. In this case, it doesn’t really matter which version you choose, Collins or Lauper, both songs are pretty close in cadence. But I have a slight personal preference for the Collins version, which I think is more melodic overall.

Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran

Modern pop fans will rejoice at the inclusion of this song here. Ed Sheeran’s “Shape Of You” is simply composed and far more pop than its juicy and sentimental acoustic guitar crooners.

I know there are people who would disagree with me, but I’m having a hard time telling the difference between the Sheerans and the Biebers of the era… I feel like there were only four or five songs touted in 2017 with slightly different arrangements Artist.

In any case, “Shape Of You” should be an easy song to get your hands on.

Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” sounds quite authentic on the kalimba and thanks to the moderate tempo of the song is not difficult to play. If anything, the kalimba adds a bit of Asian flair to the song, or maybe more accurately, it brings out that Asian flair in the song that you didn’t necessarily know was there.

“Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes

Fueled by a youthful punk rock attitude, The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” has quickly become a widely recognized modern garage rock classic. And I still can’t decide whether to be thrilled or horrified (mainly because I think there are better Jack White songs out there).

It’s a simple song for sure, and probably the best part about it is singer/guitarist Jack White’s “let me strangle this incredibly difficult-to-play guitar” approach to playing. It definitely adds flavor to the song.

Bring Me To Life by Evanescence

Here’s another “heavy” song whose melody easily translates to the kalimba, with quite surprising results. It probably helps that it’s classic-inspired rocker at its core.

Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life” was a product of its time and a legitimate entry into the 15-second nu-metal corridor (which isn’t saying much). In hindsight, things seem to be falling apart a bit, to me at least, with the one-chord staccato guitar riff, singer Amy Lee’s over-the-top melodrama (how much can you take?) and male vocal chants. It doesn’t last, at least for me.

The kalimba version, on the other hand, is a refreshing take.

“How Deep Is Your Love” by Bee Gees

“How Deep Is Your Love” showcases the softer, gentler side of the Bee Gees. Of course, they always had a way with their voices, and this song features intriguing, cascading, multi-layered harmonies that dazzle the ear. It also has a nice taste on the kalimba.

“Carry On Wayward Son” by Kansas

American progressive rock band Kansas found considerable popularity with singles like “Dust In The Wind” and of course this “Carry On Wayward Son.”

In terms of difficulty, the song is probably “moderately difficult”. There are some fast notes that may take some getting used to, but this is the hardest part.

All in all, a very entertaining song to listen to.

“Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock songs of all time. There are no standards competent enough to definitively judge something like this, but there’s no denying it’s the perfect storm of mood, surprise and anthem.

“Stairway To Heaven” is a bit of a project for any instrumentalist, so don’t expect that you’ll learn everything without making an effort. However, most would say it’s worth the effort.

It sounds pretty authentic on the kalimba too.

Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra

Jazz standards can often be intimidating, but it’s not so bad once you fit it to your thumbs, especially when it’s as direct as “Fly Me To The Moon.”

In terms of difficulty, the following tutorial is well suited for beginners. The melody should sound familiar to you so that learning the song doesn’t hurt a bit.

“Let It Be” by The Beatles

The smooth pacing of “Let It Be” makes it a great choice for the kalimba. As with any other song, there are both simple adaptations and more complex ones. The video below presents a more complex version, but if you take it slow you can probably pick it up a bit at a time.

What you see when you play “Let It Be” on the kalimba is how classic the melody of the song is.

“(Everything I Do) I Do for You” by Bryan Adams

Bryan Adams is like Canadian Def Leppard. His rock songs contain intentional pop elements, unexpected modulations and surprising arrangements. All without deviating from simplicity.

“(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” is mostly a straight-forward power ballad, and that makes it easy to play as well.

All of Me by John Legend

John Legend’s piano love ballad “All Of Me” isn’t exactly my style. That means it’s good for beginners. Some of the melody parts happen pretty fast, but other than that it’s not too difficult to play. Enjoy!

Eric Clapton’s Wonderful Tonight

Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” is considered one of his most famous ballads. The opening guitar riffs are memorable and relatively easy to duplicate on the kalimba. The song also progresses at a gentle pace, so this one should be a shoo-in for beginners.

“Yesterday” by The Beatles

The melancholic melody of “Yesterday” by the Beatles is perfectly transferred to the kalimba. The arrangement shown in the video may be a bit more advanced than beginner oriented, but it’s a great piece to work on independently to develop your skills.

Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody

Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” is the pinnacle of rock opera tunes. As such, like “Stairway To Heaven”, this song will likely be a minor endeavor for the budding kalimba player. Still, it’s an incredibly rewarding and fun song to learn, and it doesn’t detract from the learning process.

Even on the kalimba it is immediately recognizable.

“What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong

As one of our readers pointed out (here’s a wink and a nod), jazz legend Louis Armstrong’s tune to “What A Wonderful World” is based on nothing more than the melody of the popular English lullaby “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”.

And since most nursery rhymes, lullabies, and nursery rhymes are easy to play on most instruments, this one shouldn’t falter too much either.

“Think Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” can be played note by note, so it’s pretty simple in that sense. The note changes can be fairly quick, but that generally comes with practice and repetition. So gradually build it up to speed if it’s too fast and you’ll do just fine!

Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People

Foster The People’s “Pumped Up Kicks” quickly topped the charts and became a radio-friendly hit. Its theme is somber and the upbeat pop tunes contrast with the story of the tune.

It doesn’t get particularly exciting until the chorus, but either way, a fun song to learn and easy to recognize.

“Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson

There’s something about Michael Jackson songs that makes you want to get up and dance, and “Billie Jean” has such a great groove that how can you not get up and start moving to it?

But how does it come across on the Kalimba? That’s the real question, isn’t it?

Of course, the song needs to be adapted to the instrument, but as you’ll hear in the video below, it can sound pretty cool!

“Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers

A melody that all kalimba players and instrumentalists should learn. Unchained Melody is very beginner oriented and easy to play.

“Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls

Goo Goo Golls’ “Iris” has an unforgettable melody, and it happens to be perfect for the kalimba. When played on the kalimba, it basically becomes a lullaby.

Jack Johnson’s Banana Pancakes

Beach-dwelling acoustic guitarist Jack Johnson sang songs about paradise, and the simplicity of it all was refreshing at a time when angsty alt-rock and nu-metal were still alive and well on the charts. Jackson’s voice is a little too relaxed for my taste, but his songs are the living picture of lightness.

Brown Eye Girl by Van Morrison

Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” showed us that an anthem can tell a story, contain multiple hooks, have dedicated singalong sections in the bridge, and still be cool. No cover band in their right mind wouldn’t at least consider “Brown Eyed Girl” for their set as it’s still a part of the zeitgeist.

“Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ode to Alabama — a state famed for its Southern hospitality — somehow became a universal hit about everyone’s favorite state. And that perhaps has more to do with the incredibly talented band and their knack for arranging catchy tunes that anyone can easily sing along to than anything else.

Again, no cover band on their setlist (past or present) would be caught dead, and it’s good study for both beginner and intermediate musicians, too.

“Really Insanely Deep” by Savage Garden

Australian duo Savage Garden’s popularity has come and gone, but looking back they’re one of the few groups that embodied the pop sound of the ’90s. Their debut album spawned several hits, along with the juicy ballad of “Truly Madly Deeply.”

There’s nothing “special” about the song, but it’s not terrible either, and it has a lullaby-like quality that makes it fun and easy to play on the kalimba.

“Wind Of Change” by Scorpions

“Wind Of Change” by the Scropions is very easy to play on the kalimba. A great tune for anyone starting out on the instrument to learn!

“Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond

Speaking of Barroom singalong classics, few karaoke nights end without someone selecting Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” and belting it out along with everyone in attendance. The call-and-response vocal and horn section seems to have embedded itself in the fabric of cultural consciousness.

“Dust in the Wind” by Kansas

We’ve already looked at a Kansas song, and here we have the far more depressing, existential “Dust In The Wind”. Then again, it became a hit for a reason and continues to this day.

The following video shows the “hard” version, but there are also easier versions.

Metallica Nothing Else Matters

Few Metallica songs can be described as “straightforward,” and the same goes for “Nothing Else Matters.” But the little melodic stems make for a haunting yet beautiful song to hammer out on the kalimba.

“All To Myself” by Mariana’s Trench

Modern pop-rock band Marianas Trench originally learned more from punk rock, and some of their earlier hits like “All To Myself” show that. Repetitive melodic figures make the kalimba fun to engage with, and it’s undeniably catchy even if you don’t like the genre.

“Hysteria” by Def Leppard

No wonder we should pick one of Def Leppard’s most infamous power ballads for this list. “Hysteria” is loved by most, even those who think it’s a guilty pleasure and wouldn’t admit it to anyone. It sounds cool on the kalimba.

“Rock And Roll All Nite” by KISS

KISS’ trademark “Rock And Roll All Nite” features an infectious three-chord chorus that’s hard to get out of your head once you’ve heard it. There is a bit of movement in the verse melody, though, so take it slow and you should be fine.

“I Can’t Tell You Why” by Eagles

The Eagles, along with many of their cohorts from the same era, had a knack for turning simple songs into complex ones by layering instrumentation on top. However, at the heart of every song is always the dedication to simplicity.

“I Can’t Tell You Why” has a great melody and is worth tackling.

“Hey you!” by OutKast

There’s just no way OutKast’s four-chord wonder “Hey Ya!” with its tight melody could be a difficult song to play. But there’s more to it than you might expect. So buckle up before you try.

Easy kalimba songs final thoughts

Although we’ve mainly focused on pop songs here, it’s worth noting that there are plenty of classical compositions, traditional folk songs, nursery rhymes, and Disney songs that are also easy to learn and play. If you want to delve deeper into the world of kalimba, you will benefit from a deep dive into these areas as well.

If you care what notes you will play – that is, if you want to learn specific songs and achieve specific learning goals, kalimba tablature is a very good way to go. Tablature is a map of the kalimba that shows you which tines to play.

Listen to “Mwana Aboyi Mama” the song in tablature – Alto Kalimba in G.

Listen to “Mwana Aboyi Mama” the song in tablature – 17-note kalimba in C.

Did you get that? I used the tablature above to show me how to play this music on the alto kalimba in G… as well as the 17-note kalimba in C. The thumb movements are the same for both instruments. I painted both instruments correctly so I can refer to the tablature for instructions. (OK, this tablature is for a 15-note kalimba… which means there is no guide for the top two notes of the 17-note kalimba.)

I have written hundreds of songs on the kalimba but if I do nothing most of them are gone when I wake up the next day. To just save my kalimba ideas for another day, I invented a kalimba tablature, a visually intuitive diagram or map of the kalimba that shows you which tines to play to produce a song or exercise. The tablature on the right is for the 15-note alto kalimba and the song Mwana Aboyi Mama from the

1968 Hugh Tracey Handbook. The center black line represents a line separating left from right; the bars are numbered on the right side of the tablature; one reads from bottom to top; each tine is labeled below with its note name; the repeat characters are green here; and the note symbols indicate the tines to play and the waiting time between plucking that tine and plucking the next.

I use this kalimba tablature to help me remember new songs I’m writing; as a tool that gives me an easy way to write down note by note what I’m composing; as a teaching tool to convey detailed musical ideas to students; and as a tool to help me learn difficult passages that my mind has created but my hands don’t yet understand. I have written dozens of kalimba books and instructional downloads using this tablature.

The Goshen Box 8-note kalimba plays along with KTabS to demonstrate tablature.

For comparison purposes, I have rendered Mwana Aboyi Mama in standard notation, which of course reads left to right. The advantage of using staff notation is that anyone who has achieved a certain level of fluency with musical notation can sing or play it on the piano. However, reading this music and playing the kalimba is a great challenge, and the reasons for this are firstly, not only do you need to be familiar with musical notation, but you also need to already know where each note is on the kalimba . You also have to distinguish which notes are played with the right thumb and which with the left thumb. And finally, there can be a lot of difficulty trying to get away from reading standard notation and understanding its linearity – low notes on the staff are low and the higher ones are higher notes, and instinctively knowing where to sing or play these – playing an instrument that is completely different, split in half and played with just your thumbs. The gift of kalimba tablature is that it eliminates all of these problems. You just have to follow it like a treasure map to create the right notes in the right order and at the right time. Whether you know standard notation or have no musical experience at all, kalimba tablature will give you the key to making music on a kalimba.

It’s not that difficult to look at the kalimba tablature and see that it is a map of the kalimba and see how to trace the steps needed to play a song. If two notes are on the same horizontal plane on the tablature, they must be played simultaneously. In this example, both first notes appear on shaded spikes; these correspond to the painted tines on the kalimba. Go to the notes at the top of the page to learn which tines to play next. In this example, you can see that the right thumb plays the tine further to the right of the tine being played, and the left thumb plays the tine further to the left of the tine being played.

Children with no musical experience and adults who never thought they could play music can read this tablature and have a highly successful musical experience with the kalimba. In other words, kalimba tablature offers a way of learning kalimba that can work for almost anyone who has the patience to sit down and follow through step by step.

It’s almost like looking over the shoulder of someone who can already play the kalimba – but the tablature never gets impatient with you, no matter how many times you have to repeat something!

When playing the kalimba, I often see geometric patterns dancing on the kalimba tines. When looking at a song written on kalimba tablature, these geometric patterns can be very noticeable (see the diagram on the right with the pattern highlighted to make it easy to see). Sometimes I use a geometric pattern to guide me to a song, or at least it can give me the seed of a song and it’s a wonderful feeling to come out of it. And you can use a memorable geometric pattern to remember a song and play it by heart.

The kalimba tablature is an oblong map of the kalimba and is read from bottom to top. It’s totally connected to what your thumbs have to do to make music. With tab, you won’t waste time trying to figure out where to play a particular note on your kalimba, left or right – tab will show you exactly what bar to play to get the song you want.

Tablature is flexible and can accommodate all types of kalimba; those that have few tines or those that are packed. If your kalimba has fewer tines, that kalimba’s tab will also have fewer tines, just like the 8-note tab in the diagram.

There is one downside to tablature: Until you get a good deal of reading experience, you probably won’t be able to look at a tablature song and know exactly how it’s going to sound. You just have to play it to hear the song.

Music is based on a recurring cycle of time, and a bar is one of the smallest units of this recurring cycle. Bars mark the beginning and end of a bar; In this tablature, the bars are the dark horizontal lines next to the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 to the right of the tablature. The numbers indicate measures; the first bar is between 1 and 2, the second between 2 and 3, and so on. The same amount of time passes in each bar, and notes are the impulses of that time. The more notes between bars, the faster you have to play the notes. Kalimba tablature uses the same note symbols as standard notation (quarter notes, eighth notes, etc.) that describe how long a note is held. The timing of a piece of music is determined by a fraction called the “time signature.” (See 4/4 in the lower left of the tablature diagram.) The top 4 indicates 4 beats per bar, and the bottom 4 means that a quarter note is given a beat. In this example, the whole note gets four beats, half notes get two beats, quarter notes get one beat, and eighth notes get a half beat each.

Chords are multiple notes played simultaneously that create a harmonious sound. An example of a chord in kalimba tablature appears just above the bar in bar 5 in the tablature diagram above. Arpeggios (the sounding of the notes of a chord in quick succession rather than simultaneously) are often played on adjacent tines, as in bar 3. Scales zigzag back and forth on kalimba; The notes move outward to go up the scale, as in bar 4, or inward toward the middle to go down the scale.

If you don’t understand the rules for all the symbols used in musical notation, you’re IN LUCK! This topic is covered in a series of blog posts

Learn to read tablature 1, and

Learn to read tablature 2. and

Learn to read tablature 3.

Learning music notation may be difficult at first, but one of the nicer features of our educational materials is that they contain many songs that you probably know very well, making learning to play them much easier. Look at the first two bars of Joy to the World. Imagine you have a small 8-note kalimba in your hands and each thumb only has four notes to deal with. Start with the leftmost tine—it’s the highest note, and you can tell this because it’s the shortest tine (look at the tine lengths in the tablature below). Switch from left to right as you walk, noting that each subsequent note on the left is one prong inward (towards the middle) from the previous note on the left, and the same with the right. The words to the right make it up by helping you coordinate the familiar notes, words, and rhythms of this ancient reserve. Of course you can play this song on the kalimba!

Yes, kalimba tablature is basically easy to read, but that doesn’t limit you to playing simple music. Tablature makes it possible to notate very complex music, as seen in the first four bars of Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

As you can see, there are many notes to be played, some on the same beat of a bar.

There are a few techniques used to deal with these instances. On the second beat of the first bar (at the word “the”) three notes must be played, G on the left and B and D on the right. While placing your left thumbnail over the G, place your right thumbnail between the B and D prongs and pluck all three down at the same time and ta-daa! It makes a nice G chord with B in the bass. (You can always look at the bottom of the tab to remember what notes are being played.) Now look at the third beat of bar 3 (on the word “to”). See the five notes you can play all at once? You have to do a glissando to play this. A glissando is easiest to perform when you have between 1/16 and 3/16 inch thumb nail extending beyond the flesh of the thumb. Touch the C, the lowest (closest to the middle of the kalimba) of the five notes, with your thumbnail and slowly drag it over the other notes, E, G, B, D, then stop. What chord is that? A CM9 (C major ninth) in the pop charts or C79 (C seven ninth) in classical music theory.

As you can see, Tablature is very simple, yet very powerful.

Well, you don’t necessarily have to read tablature to play kalimba – I played for 18 years before I invented tablature. But tablature will open up a whole new world of understanding, knowledge and music for you.

The books that

Instructional downloads that

recent blog posts that

Current tips use this tablature. You can easily send tablatures by e-mail. You can write it on paper or on your computer. It puts you in touch with a world of kalimba music and innovation. It’s fast, easy, and fun to read and write. So what are you waiting for?

We have over 80 books and downloads available for the kalimba. They are all organized by Kalimba on this handy page: Read More

KTabS is a wonderful software program that can be used to create tablature for any kalimba and melody. KTabS was developed by Kalimba enthusiasts Randy and Sharon Eaton. People all over the world have started using KTabS and kalimba tablature to notate kalimba music and I use it almost every day. All tablature examples on this page were written quickly and easily in KTabS. And since KTabS plays the notes as you click the tines on the screen, and the whole song can be played at any time, I no longer make mistakes in my kalimba tablature. Although KTabS is an old program (2006), it still runs in compatibility mode on Windows computers.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us using the email form or speak directly to Mark Holdaway at 520-488-7641. Contact us

The kalimba is a great instrument to start with, but one of the main questions people often ask is if it can play every song.

That’s a very good question and if you’ve asked yourself this question you no doubt know that the standard kalimba only has 17 keys or notes to choose from, with some kalimbas only having 5! A guitar, on the other hand, has over 40 different notes to choose from, while a piano has 88.

With such a disparity in the sheet music available, it’s easy to see why one might think certain songs are unplayable with a kalimba, but in many cases, that’s simply not true!

Unfortunately, the standard kalimba will not be able to play every song, since the range of some songs simply covers too many tones. However, the majority of songs should be possible if the kalimba is tuned to suit the song’s requirements and the music is adapted to the kalimba. Alternatively, a chromatic kalimba can offer further flexibility and open up many more options.

There are a few things you need to consider before understanding if a song is playable on the kalimba. Let’s see these in detail below.

Kalimba Notes

Most modern kalimbas have 17 keys and are tuned to C major. Without getting too deep into music theory, this means that the kalimba can only play natural tones (C, D, E, F, G, A, and Bb) in a diatonic scale. That would be the same as playing only the white keys on a piano, for example.

If the song you were trying to learn uses only these natural notes, you should be able to play it on your kalimba without any problems. A perfect example of this is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, which only uses the notes C, D, E, F, G, and A. All of these notes are accessible to the kalimba, making it an easy song to play without having to make any adjustments.

In keeping with the theme of the nursery rhymes, Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes is an example of a song that contains an annoying sharp note.

A sharp note is a note that falls between two natural notes. On a piano, the high notes are the black keys.

In order to play heads, shoulders, knees and toes correctly, we need to play an F# on the word “knees”. The rest of the song can be played on the kalimba with ease, but it won’t sound quite right until we do something about that note.

To solve this problem, you have two options:

Tune the kalimba to “sharp” the F note.

Transpose the song to a different key.

Let’s take a closer look at these two options below.

Can you play sharps and flats on a Kalimba?

It is possible to play sharps and flats on a kalimba by tuning the kalimba appropriately. This means that a given note will be raised or lowered by half a step as needed.

This is a great technique to master in order to take full advantage of your kalimba and open up many more song choices to play with!

The nursery rhyme Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes is an example of a song that contains a sharp note. All the notes used in this song are C, D, E, F#, G, A, B, C, and D. A standard kalimba here can play all the notes except F#, so the kalimba needs to be tuned to Make room for this note .

Here is the kalimba tab for the song’s opening line.

G A G F# G E G G G Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.

To play this F# note, the F note must be tuned up a semitone to F# as shown below.

This can be a little confusing on songs that require multiple tines to be tuned to different notes, but once you do this a few times you’ll start to get the hang of it. This is where it can be very helpful to keep a chart to which each prong is tuned, or to put stickers with the note on each prong.

Once your kalimba is in tune with the notes of the song, you’re now ready to play it!

Play the song in a different key

Transposing a song is a way to make it more in line with the standard kalimba scale.

In its simplest form, transposing is taking a note, scale, or song and raising or lowering its pitch to a new key. For example, you might have a song that is in the key of G major. By lowering the pitch by 7 semitones, the key of the song would now be C major.

This can be particularly useful for instruments like the kalimba where notes and pitch range are limited and tuning is not possible.

Again, use the nursery rhyme Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes as an example. Instead of having to tune multiple tines to new notes, we can transpose the song up 5 semitones, change the key to C major, and get rid of the F#, which is now a B note.

This is what the Kalimba tab would look like now.

C° D° C° B C° A C° C° C° Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.

(Want to learn the whole song? Here is the full kalimba tab for the heads, shoulders, knees and toes).

This can be much easier and less time consuming than re-tuning your kalimba. This is great if you’re just playing or practicing by yourself, but if you like playing along with songs this could be problematic since you’re not playing in the same key.

Both tuning and transposing have their pros and cons and you need to weigh them before deciding which is the best option.

How to convert songs to kalimba?

Converting songs to kalimba can be a really simple task or very intense depending on the song.

In order to convert songs into the kalimba, we first need to figure out the notes used in the song. There are many ways to do this, some people just listen to the song and work it out by ear. This is a great skill to practice and learn, but it will take a beginner some time to master.

Alternatively, we can use grades to get the grades.

Let’s take Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as an example. The sheet music for this song is as follows:

If you’ve never seen sheet music before, you might be wondering what exactly you’re looking at here, so let’s break it down.

Sheet music is read from left to right and the notes to play are the black and white circles with vertical lines. The vertical lines tell us how long to hold each note, but we don’t need to worry about that too much now.

As you can see each circle sits either on a horizontal line or between two horizontal lines. This tells us what note to play. The notes are shown below for each circle’s location.

So once we know the notes being played, changing them to a kalimba tab is a simple process! Just refer to the table above if you get stuck.

Regarding Twinkle Twinkle Little Star we have the following notes:

And that’s exactly how we have our Kalimba tab Twinkle Twinkle Little Star! It is really that easy!

Of course, you might come across much heavier songs than Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, but the process is the same. Just take your time and work through it note by note and you won’t have any problems!

If you’re looking to find sheet music for your favorite songs, musescore.com is an excellent resource.

Conclusion

It’s true that not every song can be played with a kalimba, but in this article we’ve learned that the vast majority can be played with some tweaking.

Tuning the kalimba to accommodate sharps and flats is a very viable option for many songs, but more complicated songs may be better suited to a chromatic kalimba that also has sharps and flats built in.

An alternative method is to simply transpose the song to a new key. In some situations this can remove the sharp note and replace it with a natural note, meaning the kalimba does not need to be retuned.

Finally, we learned a simple sheet music reading method to figure out the notes of a song and then transfer them to a simple kalimba tab!

One of my clients asks: “In the Treble Kalimba brochure there is a picture of the kalimba tines and

the notes written out on the staff. Is there such a picture for

the 17-note kalimba in C?”

The staff doesn’t specify which key it is, but it’s obviously a treble clef. how would you know Well, the low note, C on the kalimba, appears as “middle C” in the staff notation, indicating that it is actually a treble clef!

I suppose I’ll have to put this in my next edition of the 17-note C books.

But maybe a more important question is, “Why don’t I write books in notation?” Because that’s not how I think when I play kalimba. I explain what I mean in this post:

This post brings you together with all the tablature-based books and e-books I’ve created for the 17-note kalimba in C:

{“smallUrl”:”https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/9c\/Play-the-Kalimba-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Play- the-Kalimba-Step-1.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”\/images\/thumb\/9\/9c\/Play-the-Kalimba-Step-1.jpg\/aid10627252-v4-728px-Play -the-Kalimba-Step-1.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”

What is the easiest song to play on a kalimba?

Melodies Of Life Final Fantasy IX Kalimba Tabs: Number & Letter Notation

What are the notes on a 17 key kalimba?

It is three high notes, C, D, and E, played left, right, left.

Melodies Of Life Final Fantasy IX Kalimba Tabs: Number & Letter Notation

Which kalimba is good for beginners?

Melodies Of Life Final Fantasy IX Kalimba Tabs: Number & Letter Notation

Melodies of Life (Final Fantasy IX OST) KALIMBA cover + TABS | ファイナルファンタジーIX

Melodies of Life (Final Fantasy IX OST) KALIMBA cover + TABS | ファイナルファンタジーIX

Melodies of Life (Final Fantasy IX OST) KALIMBA cover + TABS | ファイナルファンタジーIX

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Melodies Of Life Final Fantasy IX – Kalimba Tabs

“Melodies of Life,” the theme song of the game, performed by Emiko Shiratori in Japanese and English. The song was released as a single by …

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Melodies Of Life Final Fantasy IX Kalimba Tabs – Pinterest

Sep 11, 2020 – Melodies Of Life Final Fantasy IX Kalimba Tabs tutorials with Number & Letter Notations. Melodies Of Life Final Fantasy IX Lyrics also …

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Melodies Of Life Final Fantasy IXKalimba Tabs&Chords

Melodies of Life – Final Fantasy IX (kalimba). Info. Shopping.

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Melodies Of Life (Final Fantasy IX) – Shiratori Emiko

[Dm]Melodies of life. [Bb]To the sky beyond the fly[G]ing birds –forever …

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Melodies Of Life Final Fantasy IX Kalimba Tabs: Number & Letter Notation

Alone for a while I’ve been searching in the dark

For traces of love you left in my lonely heart

Weave by picking up the remaining pieces

Melodies of life, love’s lost refrain

Our paths have crossed, although I’m not exactly sure why

We met, we laughed, we held tight

And then we said goodbye

And who will hear the echoes of tales never told?

Let them ring out loud until they unfold

Do you remember loving me in your fondest memories?

Was it fate that brought us close and now leaves me behind?

A voice from the past joining yours and mine

Adding the levels of harmony

And so it goes on and on

Melodies of life, to the sky beyond the flying birds

Forever and if I should leave this lonely world behind

Your voice will still remember our melody

Now I know we’re moving on

Melodies of life come around us and grow deep in our hearts

As long as we remember

The 9 Best Kalimba Sheet Music/Tabs Websites (2022)

Percussion The 9 Best Kalimba Sheet Music/Tab Websites (2022)

There are many great resources for kalimba tabs and sheet music online. Some of the best websites for kalimba tabs are Kalimbist, Easykalimbatabs, Kalimbasheetmusic and some more.

Finding a decent website with kalimba sheet music and tabs can be difficult as quality varies widely.

This article contains some of the best sources for kalimba tabs and sheet music.

1. kalimbatabs.net

Kalimbatabs.net is a great resource for labeled and numbered kalimba sheet music. You can search tabs by artist, genre, song title, or year.

Alternatively, you can look at the website’s auto-generated lists such as the Trending, Top, and Recent tabs. The website also lists the latest Kalimba tabs right on the homepage.

2. Kalimbist

Kalimbist.com is not just a library of kalimba tabs; It is also a tool that allows you to create your own kalimba tabs for free.

By clicking on the Sheet Music tab, you can search for kalimba sheet music and even apply filters to refine your search.

The website has a player and composer for kalimba sheet music. It also includes instructions for navigating and using the website’s features.

3. Easykalimbatabs

Easykalimbatabs.com is specially designed for beginners who want to get access to easy kalimba tabs.

The website is pretty easy to use; Just visit the homepage, type your query in the search box and you will get a list of top matches. You can also check some recommended chords, tabs, and notes.

4. Sheet music

Although musicnotes.com is not exclusively dedicated to kalimba tabs, it can be a good source for kalimba sheet music if you check out the “Kalimba Tree” library on the site.

Once you open the Kalimba Tree page, you will be introduced to the most popular tabs of the Kalimba Tree. If you want to see more tabs, just click the Browse All Kalimba Tree Notes button.

5. Kalimba Notes

Kalimbasheetmusic.com is another online library for sheet music and kalimba tabs. The homepage features some of the latest and most popular kalimba tabs and sheet music on the site.

You can also search for the tabs you want by clicking on the small magnifying glass icon in the top right corner.

6. free sheet music

To find kalimba sheet music on free-score.com, click on the “Digital Sheet Music” tab and add “Kalimba” to the filters. The website will show you all the Kalimba tabs.

However, all the tabs on the site are available for a small fee.

7.musicsheets.org

Musicsheets.org is an online sheet music library with a large selection of tablature for kalimba and other instruments. You can easily find sheet music for kalimba by typing “kalimba” in the search box.

8. my score sheet

One of the features that sets mymusicsheet.com apart from the crowd is the weekly “Top 50” chart, which lists some of the best tabs you can buy.

However, to find sheet music specifically for kalimba, you must use the site’s search function. Just type “kalimba” and tap “Notes” in the filters to browse all available kalimba sheet music.

Note, however, that this site charges a small fee for each download.

9. Kalimbalullaby

Kalimbalullaby.com lists the recently added Kalimba tabs right on the homepage so you can easily keep track of the latest additions to the library. Alternatively, you can click All Tabs to search the entire library, or use the search function to find something more specific.

How to read kalimba tabs

There are several ways to interpret a kalimba tab, including:

Standard kalimba tabs. This is one of the easiest ways to read kalimba tabs. It consists of vertical bars representing each of the lines on the kalimba. The reading order is from bottom to top.

This is one of the easiest ways to read kalimba tabs. It consists of vertical bars representing each of the lines on the kalimba. The reading order is from bottom to top. Numbered kalimba notation. The numbered notation includes a numbering system for each individual line on the kalimba in which the texts are lined up with the numbers. This makes reading the kalimba tab easier.

The numbered notation includes a numbering system for each individual line on the kalimba in which the texts are lined up with the numbers. This makes reading the kalimba tab easier. Kalimba letter notation. Reading kalimba tabs using the kalimba letter notation works quite similar to the numbering system. The basic difference is that letters are aligned to the texts instead of numbers.

What is the best way to read kalimba tabs?

Standard Kalimba Tabs are the best way because it clearly shows which line should be played.

It is especially helpful for beginners who are just getting started with kalimba tabs. Although the numbered and labeled notations aren’t that hard to read either. While the standard is considered the easiest, some might find that one of the others suits their preferences better.

What do chords look like on a Kalimba Tab?

Before attempting to read a kalimba tablature, you need to make sure you know what chords look like on it.

In a standard kalimba tab, a chord is represented by multiple dots in the same row. In the case of a kalimba in number notation, the chord is represented as multiple numbers in parentheses connected by dashes or numbers stacked on top of each other.

As for letter-notation kalimbas, the chord looks like in a numbered notation tab, except letters are used instead of numbers.

summary

Kalimba tabs are very similar to guitar tabs and piano sheet music in that they all use a set of symbols to represent the notes and chords. The main difference is that kalimba tabs typically do not include rhythm notation, emphasizing an understanding of how long each note should be played.

Although experienced kalimba players may not need these tabs, beginners can benefit greatly from them. Kalimba tabs are also very common on the web, so you can find what you are looking for with a simple search.

With these 9 resources, you should be able to navigate the world of kalimba tabs with ease. Now all you have to do is practice!

Melodies Of Life Final Fantasy IX Kalimba Tabs: Number & Letter Notation

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