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Mark Holdaway

The Electric Kalimba

It was good enough for Jimi Not many know that Jimi Hendrix was an excellent kalimba player Did Jimi Hendrix really play kalimba?  Well, no, Jimi Hendrix didn’t do anything with the kalimba as far as I know.  I’m sure one was put into his hands though, as the kalimba was exploding in popularity at the same time Jimi Hendrix was. This art work is derived from the famous photograph of Jimi kneeling in front of his guitar as he is poised to light it on fire for the first time in public.  In that photo, Jimi is looking down at his hands, and his hands look like he is

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Mark Holdaway

Kalimbas for Accessibility

Scales and Chords for One-Sided 8-Note Kalimbas Left: ergonomic setup for individual with the use of their left hand. Right: ergonomic setup for right handed person. I have known several people who only have the use of one hand, and two of them play kalimba. Kalimba Magic offers a special one-sided kalimba, either in a left handed or a right handed setup. It seems you would need both the left and right hands to simulate the full kalimba experience. The theory is that the kalimba evolved from huge log xylophones, made from actual logs, which were played by at least two people, one on each side, playing interweaving parts. The

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Mark Holdaway

How Maurice White’s Kalimba Playing Touched My Life

Joe Hernandez is learning to play all of Maurice’s kalimba parts Joe Hernandez, his family, and Earth Wind and Fire – 2014, long after Maurice left the band There are probably tens of thousands of kalimba players around the world who first learned about the kalimba from Maurice White. One of them is Joe Hernandez: “I saw Maurice White play in 1988 in Kansas City, the first time I had ever actually seen a kalimba. I was amazed and wish I had attempted to find one and start playing back then. Thanks to Kalimba Magic, I finally got my own kalimba and I love it. Too bad it took me

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Mark Holdaway

Words About Maurice White’s Kalimba Playing

And how you can get a kalimba like Maurice White’s Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire A lot of people who play kalimba were first exposed to the instrument when Maurice White of the band Earth, Wind and Fire pierced their hearts with its sound so many years ago, first beginning in the 1970s . While I did always like hearing Earth, Wind and Fire on the radio, I never even knew Maurice White played kalimba until after I started Kalimba Magic and people started pointing out the sorts of things I would need to know to stay in business. Now I’m making up for lost time. In another

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Mark Holdaway

New Tunings for the Lotus Karimba – One You Can Do Yourself!

The C Major Lotus Tuning is one you can do. The Em/Am Lotus Tuning is one for us to do. These are the three models of Lotus Karimba that we make at Kalimba Magic Yesterday, two sansula players came to Kalimba Magic headquarters with their sansulas, both of which were in standard A minor tuning. They had grown tired of the enchantingly beautiful standard A minor tuning and wanted to play different music. After trying several tunings, they both decided to go for the Heavenly A tuning. They left happy, and the new tuning has opened many new pathways for them to explore. Why am I telling you this in

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Mark Holdaway

TIP: Exploring Sansula Tunings – p15 – We’ll Work With You

Do you really need some totally different tuning? We can probably invent it Go to product page for “Kalimba Doctor Tuning” Many people are not looking for anything in specific – they will go for a particular kalimba or tuning because it makes cool music that resonates with them.   I think chances are good that these people will find something that tickles them among the tunings I have presented. Some people have very specific needs.  They might require a sansula in a particular key so that it will work with other instruments playing a song in that key, or to accompany singing a particular song in that key.  Inventing a

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Mark Holdaway

TIP: Exploring Sansula Tunings – p14 – Other Tunings

Following Kalimba Magic’s lead in the Sansula Tuning Movement, other tuning innovation is happening Peter Hokema, Sansula Inventor The people at Hokema have also been bringing forth sansula tuning alternatives. They have an app for the iphone that will help you experiment with your own sansula tunings, permitting you to retune, within realistic limits – that is, any tuning you create on the iphone will be possible to create on your sansula. App for Inventing Sansula Tunings Peter Hokema (in photo) has also invented sansula tunings. You can find those tunings at the Hokema site. Hokema’s Sansula Tuning Page

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Mark Holdaway

TIP: Exploring Sansula Tunings – p13 – C Minor Tuning

Go to product page for “Kalimba Doctor Tuning” The C minor tuning is a straight minor pentatonic scale.  It has a little more force and a little less mystery than the standard A minor Ake Bono tuning. I don’t have any music written out for the C minor Sansula tuning, but thought I would let you know about the tuning in case it is exactly what you need.  Eventually it will be exactly what someone needs.  Enjoy the video.

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Mark Holdaway

TIP: Exploring Sansula Tunings – p12 – C Major Tuning

From the C Major Sansula Download C Major Sansula Download The C Major Sansula Tuning is one of my favorites.  It is happy and uplifting and powerful. The tablature here is from the C Major Download, which has a lot to offer.   To me, it is absolutely stunning that such simple right and left thumb patterns combine and make music.  This is the sort of music you can space out on for minutes on end.                  

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