Four Different Kalimbas Play Silent Night – Compare Alto, treble, 17/C, 10/C

Compare: 10-Note Heart, 17-Note Heart, Hugh Tracey Alto, and Hugh Tracey Treble Kalimbas

Kalimba Magic has “Easy Christmas” ebooks for each of four of our best selling kalimbas. A big part of every ebook is the sound recordings for each song. This provides us with a great data set for comparing these four popular kalimbas, side by side.

Without any prejudice, I recorded the Christmas carols on each kalimba, trying my best to make each one sound as good as it could. The sound editing and processing is fairly minimal and very similar for all four kalimbas.

You get to decide: which sounds better to your ears? Which is pitched correctly for your singing? Which one will better fit your musical needs?

Silent Night: 10-Note Heart Kalimba

It is really remarkable how much music you can play on this little kalimba. It does sound a bit small, but the wide, soft tines are very nice for beginners. Great for children or adults who may be overwhelmed.

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Silent Night: 17-Note Heart Kalimba

This will be very similar to the 10-Note kalimba – both are in C. This one is a bit harder to play, with more and smaller tines closer together. It also sounds better. Let’s say age 13 and up?

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Silent Night: Hugh Tracey Alto

The Alto Kalimba is in G, and plays a fourth lower than the 10-Note and 17-Note kalimbas. The lower, richer tones are excellent to support singing. The larger body makes this a good choice for people who don’t have small hands.

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Silent Night: Hugh Tracey Treble

The Hugh Tracey Treble, like the Alto, is also in G, but it is missing the Alto’s lowest notes and has extra high notes. Same size as the 17-Note in C. This tends to push melodies into the upper octave, making the Treble the highest sounding kalimba of the lot. With the melodies soaring into the upper ranges of the Treble, this kalimba may be the most angelic of all.

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I don’t know. There are certainly good things to be said for all of them. I only sell kalimbas on which I can reliably make good music, so you should be able to buy any of these and proceed with confidence. Perhaps most important, each of these kalimbas is supported by high quality Kalimba Magic instructional materials.