The Star-13 Kalimba – Available in Diverse Tunings for Different Musics!

The Star-13 is a very interesting kalimba. It is built on a resonant frame similar to the Sansula… so it can do that cool “wah-wah” effect. However, the pentatonic 9-Note Sansula is mainly an instrument to just kick back and make cool sounds with, while this diatonic 13-Note kalimba is an instrument to play songs on.

Here is the Star-13 in standard C tuning. Even though it is in C, the low note is G, the 5th of C… which is very useful for songs as “Amazing Grace” or “As I Went Down to the River to Pray”.

Here is the Star-13 Kalimba in G major tuning. Why in G tuning? Well, the low note of G really lends itself to playing in G… but we need to retune the F tine to F#, or else we are playing in the Mixolydian Mode… which is also cool, and part of the standard C tuning experience.

And while the Star-13 is mainly about playing songs, the Lotus Lyte tuning is about kicking back and making cool sounds. Or improvising cool music. Here is the Star-13 Kalimba in Lotus Lyte tuning, playing along with looped guitar backing. The Lotus Lyte tuning has all the notes in SaReGaMa’s 17-Note Lotus tuning, but without the redundant notes.

And last, it is cool to tune it to a Middle Eastern tuning (or Harmonic Minor):

The Star-13 is mounted on a frame drum, which permits the Sansula-like wah-wah effect when you lift it off a flat surface:

We have a 40-page booklet that comes with this kalimba for free. Or, if you purchased a Star-13 Kalimba from someone else, you can purchase the Star-13 Book or the Star-13 Download separately:

So, if you are looking for a different type of kalimba experience, consider one of the exotic tunings of the Star-13 Kalimba, by Magadi.