I am overwhelmed by the 17 tine kalimba – what can I do?

I really want to play kalimba! I previously purchased a 17 key kalimba and ended up giving it away because I was overwhelmed. I wanted to know what you could suggest for me.

Why not get a 10-Note Kalimba? The 10-Note Heart Kalimba is Great For Learning Music

The 10-Note Heart Kalimba has four instructional downloads written just for it. It plays a wide variety of music, is simple to play, and  is easy on young thumbs. Special small size is great for kids ages 7-12. Conceptually appropriate for beginners of any age.

By the way, the 10-Note kalimba has the same notes as the lower, central 10 notes of the 17-Note kalimba. This means two things: if you start on a 10-Note kalimba, everything you learn on it can be immediately transferred to and played on the 17-Note kalimba… and, if you already have a 17-Note kalimba, you don’t actually need a 10-Note… you can get the 10-Note downloads, and put “blinders” on the outer three left tines and the outer four right tines – like sticky notes to cover up the higher tines. Then, after you learn to play, you can remove the sticky notes and fly on all the tines.

For African Music, the Student Karimba is a great place to start

Usually, the African karimbas (with an “r”) have an extra row of upper tines, and they are perfect for playing African music. The “Student Karimba” is just the lower row of tines from a karimba, which represent the most ancient notes from the instrument as played in Africa over 1000 years ago. So, with this 8-note or 9-note instrument, you can play the same music that was played in ancient Africa. An excellent way to appreciate African genius.