July 1, 2023

Blog
Mark Holdaway

African Music on the 10-Note Kalimba in C

A great many people now own kalimbas made in China.  These kalimbas apparently were created with an intent to play western pop songs. However, you can also play traditional African music on them… and I will show you how. It turns out there is a traditional 8-Note karimba that is particularly important in the evolutionary tree of African kalimbas. It is thought to be the original tuning, the grandmother of the African-tuned Karimba and the mbira dzavadzimu. I call it the Student Karimba and Andrew Tracey, Hugh Tracey’s son, called it the  “Original Mbira”. The notes on this 8-Note instrument are arranged differently than the new 10-Note kalimbas, but the

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How To Play
Mark Holdaway

How to Play 10-Note Kalimbas in C

The 10-Note Kalimba in C is a great instrument for learning. That is just 5 notes per thumb. Sounds possible, right? Because it is. Soft, wide tines, with extra space in between. Lower, soothing sounds. And there is a lot of music you can play with just 10 notes, and a bunch of instructional resources available for it. Plus, everything you play on the 10-Note immediately translates to the larger, more capable 17-Note Kalimba in C. This is a great kalimba to start with, no matter your age.

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