March 30, 2019

A Melody Using the Upper Octave of the C Scale A Box Lotus and a Regular Lotus Karimba This series of tips is about scales and how useful they are for the kalimba player. We used the opening melody of the Bach Minuet in G as an example of how scale segments are used in melodies. Now that we have had a look at the upper octave of the C Major scale, I take you back to the Minuet melody.   (By the way, the tablature here is for a 17-Note Kalimba in C, but the concept and even the tablature is the same for many other types of kalimbas.)

The Upper Octave of the C Scale A Box Lotus and a Regular Lotus Karimba This series of tips is about scales and how useful they are for the kalimba player. Do the math. You have a 17-Note kalimba. There are 8 notes in one octave of a scale. For the C Major scale, which starts on the very lowest note on your kalimba, you will be able to get a higher octave version of that scale. And here it is now!   (By the way, the tablature here is for a 17-Note Kalimba in C, but the concept and even the tablature is the same for many other types

The G Scale A Box Lotus and a Regular Lotus Karimba This series of tips is about scales and how useful they are for the kalimba player. The G major scale usually has an F# in it. However, if you play a G scale – 8 tonally consecutive notes – on a 17-Note Kalimba in C, you will have an F natural, or a flatted 7th in the otherwise major scale. In music theory terms, this is the G Mixolydian mode. To me, that flat 7th is the first step toward minorness, and it introduces a funky sort of feel.   (By the way, the tablature here is for a

Edging Up and Down the A minor scale A Box Lotus and a Regular Lotus Karimba This series of tips is about scales and how useful they are for the kalimba player. This is a great sort of exercise to help you gain familiarity with your kalimba. Each measure only has three different notes – for example, in the first measure, it goes A B C B A. It even rests a little extra time on that last note, to give you a chance to prepare for the next part. And what is the next part? This exercise, which I call a “spider,” inches up and back down… and then

An example of a song that uses the A Minor Scale A Box Lotus and a Regular Lotus Karimba This series of tips is about scales and how useful they are for the kalimba player. Really, this song lives in the A minor scale. It breathes the air and drinks the water of A minor. It knows the curves and twists of A minor, and it follows them. It is founded on the land of A minor. OK – I like to be dramatic. Do you remember the song “Those Were the Days, My Friend”? That is an example of a song that lives and breathes in a minor scale.