The Alto Kalimba is the most popular type of kalimba sold by Kalimba Magic.

• The Hugh Tracey Alto Kalimba
• Alto Kalimba Tuning
• Books and Downloads for the Alto Kalimba
• Articles on the Alto Kalimba
• Tips for the Alto Kalimba

The Hugh Tracey Alto Kalimba

Check out the video below, which shows me playing one of my songs, First Look Inside, on an Alto Kalimba.

You can learn more about tablature or learn more about KTabS, the Kalimba Tablature Software, which actually "plays" the tablature on your computer. Very cool!

Alto Kalimba Tunings

There are many other tunings for the Hugh Tracey Alto Kalimba, but I recommend that you start with the standard G major tuning. Most of the tips, tablature, and books were written for the standard tuning, so a good path to follow is to keep your kalimba in the key of G for a year or two or three as you learn, and then branch out into other tunings as you progress.

Standard Tuning

Standard tuning for the Hugh Tracey Alto Kalimba.

Three Blues Tunings for the Alto

Three different blues tunings for the Alto kalimba

Books and Downloads for the Alto Kalimba

	Kalimba Fundamentals for the Hugh Tracey Alto Kalimba is a good introduction for Alto, TM Alto, or Celeste Alto kalimbas. (Also works for the Bb Treble, D Treble kalimbas, and the front side of the G-tuned Chromatic kalimba.) Covers technique, chords, scales, left-right exercises, some songs, 32 pages with CD.
	Kalimba Christmas Carols for the Alto and Treble Kalimbas has 25 favorite Christmas Carols, ranging from simple single note melody lines to two note harmonies, full harmonies, and counterpoint. 32 pages with CD.
	21 African American Spirituals for Alto Kalimba arr. by Mark Holdaway, is available in both book and in download. The kalimba was first brought to the new world by African slaves, and some people must have played on the kalimba while singing African American spirituals. In this sense, the Alto kalimba is a symbol of the blend of African and Western traditions. The download provides both KTabS and PDF format, the book comes with a CD.
	Advanced Christmas Carols for the Alto Kalimba arr. by Mark Holdaway, is available as a Book or as a download. Both have 20 favorite Christmas Carols, the download provides KTabS files, tablature PDFs, and MP3s of the songs played by KTabS, letting you hear how the piece goes. These arrangements are very close to what I perform at Christmas time.
	Alto Kalimba Hymnal arr. by Sharon Eaton, this book has 50 hymns, ranging from simple to difficult. Amazing Grace, How Can I Keep From Singing, Jesus Loves Me, There is a Balm in Gilead, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, and 45 others.
	Classical Alto, arr. by Mark Holdaway and Sharon Eaton, is available in book form or as a download from KTabS. Both have 20 favorite classical melodies, ranging from simple to very challenging. Bach, Handel, Holst, Pachelbel, and many others, this collection will keep you busy for months, if not years.
	Kalimba Duets and Trios includes 32 duets and trios for alto, treble, pentatonic, 8-note, karimba, sansula, treblito, and Cloud Nine marimbula (bass kalimba). 72 pages, no CD, but free KTabS files.
	10 Traditional Karimba Pieces for Alto arr. by Mark Holdaway. These karimba pieces were transmitted to Andrew Tracey and Dumisari through Jega Tapera in the 1960s. They could be as much as 1000 years old. These arrangements for the Alto kalimba are provided in both KTabS and PDF format. MP3s (recordings of songs played in KTabS) let you hear how the piece goes, even if you aren't able to run KTabS on your computer. Available as download only.
	12 Easter Hymns for Alto Kalimba arr. by Mark Holdaway. Each hymn comes in both a (B) basic and an (A) advanced arrangement. Basic parts are melody only, while advanced parts come with harmony and some counterpoint. These hymns are provided in both KTabS and PDF format, but MP3s are not yet available. Available only as download.
	Introductory Pieces for the Happy Family by Mark Holdaway. The Happy Family is an Alto, a Treble, and a HotShot-11 kalimba, all tuned to G so they can communicate and harmonize like a good family at its best. To help turn folks on to the possibilities of this serendipitous ensemble, I have started to write music. At this point, the download is small and FREE! Available as download only.

Articles on the Alto Kalimba

We often write newsletter stories that reference the Alto or provide new music for it.

• Article on changing the key of the Alto kalimba.
• Article on the F Alto, along with tablature for Dona Nobis Pacem.
• Article on the G minor tuning for the Alto Kalimba.

Tips for the Alto Kalimba

The Tuesday Tips and the Wednesday Tips are filled with insights and guidance for developing skills on the Alto kalimba. Below is a list of selected tips. Note that most of them use tablature.

• Great Alto Riffs in the Tips of the Day, taught with VIDEO!
• The mbira cycle - the root of Shona mbira music - taught in a set of 12 Tips of the Day.
• I'm Moving Tomorrow taught in bite-sized chunks.
• First Look Inside taught in bite-sized chunks.
• Twinkle Twinkle - A Series of 9 tips
• Chords for the Alto & Treble Kalimba
• A G riff for the Alto
• A D riff for the Alto
• Arpeggios for the Alto & Treble
• Doxology for Alto & Treble Kalimba
• Chords in Collision for Alto & Treble
• Up on the Housetop
• Don't Think Twice, It's Alright, part 1
• Don't Think Twice, It's Alright, part 2
• Oliver Mtukudzi's Ndakuvara

Still Have Alto Kalimba Questions?

If you still have questions after reading this, please send me a message to let me know what you need to find out.