Focus on Two Star-13 Kalimba Tunings: Bothe-F and Desert Star Tunings

These two Star-13 Kalimba Tunings organize the universe of notes in two different ways:

Bothe F Tuning: Upper Row vs Lower Row

I have taken inspiration from other kalimba tunings.  Thomas Bothe, a German kalimba maker,  was inspired to create his own tunings with the lower row defining one musical space (FM9) and the upper row tines defining another musical space (Gm9).  To make interesting music, you just play the lower row tines for a while, then the upper row tines… and then return. Literally, you don’t need to know anything about music to actually make real music with this tuning.

What makes the Bothe F Star-13 Kalimba Tuning so easy to work with? The lower row notes make one space, and the upper row notes make a different space. Trade off between them!

Desert Star: Left Tines vs Right Tines

Another way to organize the notes on the kalimba is left vs right. Most kalimbas have different musical spaces defined by the lower left notes, and the lower right notes. However, with the regular 7-note diatonic scales (do re mi…) the lower right notes are repeated an octave up on the upper left. What makes the Desert Star tuning unique, is that it uses a 6-note scale (leaving out a note every octave). The lower left and upper left tines work together to make the G major chord. The right side tines, lower and upper, define the Fm chord. You can play these two musical sub-spaces separately (going back and forth between the two chords), or you can interweave them, stringing the sides together to make a middle eastern scale.

The Desert Star Kalimba Tuning puts the notes for one chord on the left tines, and the notes for a different chord on the right tines.

Your Tuning, or Our Tuning?

Of course, you can order your Star-13 Kalimba in its standard C tuning, then learn to play from the booklet… and when you are ready, you can begin exploring your own tunings. There are thousands of great tunings out there for this 13-note kalimba, and I have found just a few of them. You can go out looking for new tunings too. Or, you could take a look at the tunings we have figured out, and get one or more that suits your fancy. It is a big world to explore out there.

eBook Instruction for Exotic Star-13 Tunings

An Instructional Download for six exotic Star-13 Kalimba Tunings is now available! You will get this download for free when you purchase a Star-13 Kalimba in any tuning. Of course, you will also get the Star-13 Hardcopy Booklet for the standard C tuning. There are a lot of techniques covered in that book that will be applicable to any tuning you use!

Save 33% on Star-13 Kalimbas with code = Exotic33

I have extra Star-13 Kalimbas, and I am trying to get this stock down to a reasonable level before I hand off Kalimba Magic to the next owners. Now would be a great time for you to get your own Star-13 Kalimba (or Kalimbas, in different tunings). You can save 33% on Star-13 Kalimbas, in Olive-9 Kalimbas, or on Spiral-10 kaimbas only, using the coupon code Exotic33, now through October 14 2024. Other kalimba models are not being offered at this 33% discount.

Isn’t it time you start your journey through the great tunings of the Star-13 Kalimba?

Here are the exotic tunings in detail:

My estimate: there are trillions of possible Star-13 tunings, and there must be between thousands and hundreds of thousands of good useful tunings. This exotic tunings download can get you started on a path of creating and exploring your own tunings! A lifelong project should you choose to accept the challenge!