r/kalimba May 22 '26

Mod Looking for Kalimba players (all experience levels) to feature on the sub.

25 Upvotes

We love the Kalimba. It's awesome. We love people. They're awesome. I'd like to see more of those two things intersect. No matter if you're just starting, or a vet... let me know, and I'll make sure your videos get the attention they deserve!

-DtD


r/kalimba 5h ago

Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo Kazooie Tabs

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3 Upvotes

I’ve been creating tabs for Donkey Kong 64 & Banjo Kazooie , because there seems to be no Kalimba sheets for these obscure 90s games.

I don’t think there’s any interest , but here are the songs I’ve done so far:

Banjo Kazooie - Click Clock Woods Winter

Donkey Kong 64 - DK Isle Theme

Donkey Kong 64 - Banana Fairy Island

Donkey Kong 64 - Fungi Forest Night

If anyone has a good resource for music from these games please share! Translating from the piano sheet music by hand was so tedious.


r/kalimba 5h ago

Original Composition Tusicean - A Kalimba Among Other Things (improvisation)

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1 Upvotes

r/kalimba 1d ago

Cover F.U.N song

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15 Upvotes

r/kalimba 2d ago

Cover Proud Of You

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10 Upvotes

r/kalimba 2d ago

Help Requested My Kalimba Notes Song

2 Upvotes

Does my Kalimba note song is to long?

Here's the lyrics

🏃‍♀️ A Journey to Lose Weight
By: Raven Espinoz
Tuning: Standard C

**\[Verse 1 - The Start\]**
**1     3     5     3                     1     3     5     3**
**One step for - ward           clear - ing my mind,**
**2     4     6     4                     2     4     6     4**
**Leav - ing the hea - vy       sha - dows be - hind.**
**1     3     5     3                     1     3     5     3**
**La - cing my shoes           rea - dy to run,**
**2     4     6     5                     1**
**My jour - ney of strength   has just be - gun.**

**\[Chorus - The Active Beat\]**
  **(1-3)     5     (1-3)     5               (2-4)     6     (2-4)     6**
**Move to the rhy - thm,       feel   the   heat,**
  **(3-5)     7     (3-5)     7               (4-6)     1'     (4-6)     1'**
**Ev - ery sin - gle step       is a brand new beat.**
  **(1-3)     5     (1-3)     5               (2-4)     6     (2-4)     6**
**Stron - ger to - day           than I was be - fore,**
  **(3-5)     5     6     7                     1'**
**Cha - sing the goals         that I'm fight - ing for!**

**\[Verse 2 - Keeping the Pace\]**
**1     3     5     3                     1     3     5     3**
**Sweat on my brow,             breath catch - ing deep,**
**2     4     6     4                     2     4     6     4**
**These are the prom - i - ses   I’m go - ing to keep.**
**1     3     5     3                     1     3     5     3**
**Like a but - ter - fly         break - ing out into light,**
**2     4     6     5                     1**
**I'm find - ing my pow - er,   I'm tak - ing my flight.**

**\[Bridge - The Big Push\]**
**6     1'     6     1'                   5     7     5     7**
**When it gets tough,           I won't look back,**
**4     6     4     6                     5     6     7**
**Stay - ing right here         on the for - ward track.**
**6     1'     6     1'                   5     7     5     7**
**My bo - dy is ca - pa - ble,   my spir - it is strong,**
**4     5     6     7                     1'**
**This is the rhy - thm         where I be - long!**

**\[Chorus - The Active Beat\]**
  **(1-3)     5     (1-3)     5               (2-4)     6     (2-4)     6**
**Move to the rhy - thm,       feel   the   heat,**
  **(3-5)     7     (3-5)     7               (4-6)     1'     (4-6)     1'**
**Ev - ery sin - gle step       is a brand new beat.**
  **(1-3)     5     (1-3)     5               (2-4)     6     (2-4)     6**
**Stron - ger to - day           than I was be - fore,**
  **(3-5)     5     6     7                     1'**
**Cha - sing the goals         that I'm fight - ing for!**


r/kalimba 3d ago

My first Kalimba: I need your help

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21 Upvotes

Hello there everyone.

I've been thinking of getting my first Kalimba and i finally get it.. it is a 21 key kalimba and I get it from Amazon India.

But fellas, I am facing a problem.. the sound seems okay and tuned but I still tried downloading apps on my phone and making sure if it's turned or not.. and that's the problem I found. The problem is after playing the tune it shows a number down. For example when I play the key: F4, on the phone it shows F3.. this is what happens with all the keys. Some keys show a number up and some are showing a number down.

What should I do?

And yes.. do you guys have any idea about what is the first thing i should do to start learning Kalimba... And what kalimba is this? I mean like G or C or anything else?


r/kalimba 4d ago

Cover Under the Sea

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33 Upvotes

r/kalimba 5d ago

"What is the Youth" from Romeo and Juliet 1968

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15 Upvotes

This one I learned because my mom likes the song.


r/kalimba 5d ago

Cover "Once Upon a Time" from Undertale

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12 Upvotes

My favorite song.


r/kalimba 5d ago

Cover Playing Hollow knight theme on cheap kalimba

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7 Upvotes

This kalimba cost around 20 dollars. Im new so please dont judge me >.< This is only a temporary kalimba since I ordered one from poopoopidoo but now im waiting for it to arrive.


r/kalimba 5d ago

Help Requested My "Mommy Baby Girl / Boy" Kalimba Tabs

2 Upvotes

This is my kalimba tab of my mother song, please tell me if the tab note is correct?

Verse 1: Baby Girl

3 5 5 6 5 3 5 5
Mom - my Ba - by Girl, Yes She Is

3 5 6 5 3 2 3 2 1
I Want Her To En - joy and Dad - dy too

Verse 2: Baby Boy

3 5 5 6 5 3 5 5
Mom - my Ba - by Boy, Yes He He

3 5 6 5 3 2 3 2 1
I Want Him To En - joy and Dad - dy too


r/kalimba 6d ago

Afroharp Kalimba Tuning

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26 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I recently made a 15-tine kalimba tuned in the Afroharp style in G for one customer, and wanted to share its beautiful sound and also the interesting mechanics behind this layout.

Originally designed in Chicago around 1969/1970, the Afroharp was created as a bridge between traditional African lamellaphones and modern design.

Unlike standard kalimbas where you have to jump side-to-side to find your octaves, the Afroharp stacks them vertically.
If you look closely:
The bottom row (longer tines) plays the lower register.
The top row (shorter, upward-bent tines) is tuned exactly one octave higher.

This layout is inspired by the ancient Shona Karimba from Zimbabwe, creating a rich, harp-like resonance. When you pluck both the lower and upper tine together, you get an instant, octave chord that sounds full and hypnotic.

Have you ever tried playing such a kalimba layout?

Source: Kalimba Magic (Mark Holdaway) "The AfroHarp – Another Neo-African Kalimba in 1970 American Culture"

#kalimba #afroharp #musictheory #gkey #thumbpiano #acousticmusic #instrumenttuning #worldmusic


r/kalimba 6d ago

Help Requested Just got my new kalimba and I think I might have a dead tine

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8 Upvotes

Hi! Just got my kalimba today and I’m still new and learning. I looked up tutorials and learned that kalimbas could have dead tines. When I got my kalimba today and started tuning, I have noticed a different sound from my other kalimba. I have tried tuning and even fixing the tine from the video I found here on reddit but didn’t work. Is there any way to fix this?


r/kalimba 7d ago

Brahms' Lullaby at the beach (not the best)

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8 Upvotes

r/kalimba 7d ago

Getting back into Kalimba and making music

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13 Upvotes

Sound sample Poopoopidou Selene.


r/kalimba 7d ago

Shostakovich Waltz a minor

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3 Upvotes

Hello, from now onwards I will put 2 new kalimba videos on my channel. Today is a little piece by Shostakovich which is good to try if you are chromatic kalimba beginner. Hope you enjoy!


r/kalimba 8d ago

Not sure about my chromatic kalimba 🤔

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20 Upvotes

Hello fellow kalimbers (is that a word ? 🙉), I'm new here (and also French, sorry about the possible mistakes).

Last week-end, I rediscovered my 17 keys kalimba and remembered how soothing the sound was, but also how frustrating it could get to be limited to 7 notes, so I wandered a bit on YouTube and discovered the existence of chromatic kalimbas (✨mindblown✨). So of course, I impulsively bought the cheapest one I could find on Amazon.

I'm not sure it's a great kalimba ; it sounds very tinny/metallic to me (I don't know whether it's from the lack of soundbox, or just low quality), and the A., D: and D#: are dead. Not to mention it was out of tune and the note setting was really weird : the four middle upper keys were low "EFGA" instead of sharp C, D, E and F (I think they tried to copy the Seeds setting and replaced the first sharps with the trademark low notes). Also, it came from a hardware store that doesn't sell musical instruments at all, and it was the only item in stock (my brothers say it's a cursed kalimba 👹) - BUT it was just 35 euros, so.

After retuning every key, I was finally able to play some music. Here are some of the tunes I was able to record after a few hours of practice and *lot* of takes (video).

(No, my thumbs don't sparkle in the light like some kind of kalimba-vampire, it's just the lighting that's weird 🧛‍♂️💩)

But I don't know. I miss the full, warm sound of my simpler kalimba, and I'm not soothed AT ALL right now, instead I just feel very tense trying to fit in chords around the melody (which kind of defeats the purpose 🤡). Does it ever come naturally with some practice ? I can't imagine playing without thinking, like I do on my harp or guitar or flute or even piano. The alternating notes still feel strange to me (but on the other hand, most chords are ready to play, it's really clever). So am I a slow learner or is it worth keeping it up ?

Also, wouldn't practicing on a better sounding kalimba be more rewarding ? Or should I be humble and try to fix this one to start with ? If so, how do you fix dead keys ? I heard of sticking a piece of paper under the key, does that work ?

And if I ended up returning this one and buying a better kalimba, where can I find one that has a full, soothing, surrounding sound like my 17k hollow body kalimba (which is just a generic brand with a cat engraved, by the way ˆˆ) ? Seeds, Hluru and Chill Angels all seem to have solid bodies like the chromatic one I just bought, so that's a risk. I mean, maybe I just don't like solid bodies, who knows ?

Aaaaah.

Sorry about the rant ! I'm in a hate/love relationship with chromatic kalimba right now, I keep wanting to grab it and play, and getting frustrated with the sound and my lack of progress, so that's confusing.

Thank you :)


r/kalimba 8d ago

Best Kalimba to purchase for minecraft music?

3 Upvotes

In particular, I'm looking to play Dreiton on kalimba, which is primarily a handpan song. I'm wondering if there's a specific 34 key kalimba which can replicate that sound well


r/kalimba 8d ago

Question New player looking for kalimba

2 Upvotes

Hello everyone, I wanted to get started with kalimbas, starting with an 8-note kalimba, but I've heard they often have problems with the last keys.

Can you tell me if this model is good?
https://www.musicis.it/sonic-energy-kl801tol-kalimba-8-note.1.0.2729.gp.50334.uw?srsltid=AfmBOor_Kc0xPrugyRnYhaRMLu8XS_mSJzXTUNhMnswjC20_jREvEJ7M

If not, could you recommend a good model?

Thanks everyone


r/kalimba 8d ago

Question New player looking for kalimba

2 Upvotes

Hello everyone, I wanted to start play with kalimbas, starting with an 8-note , but I've heard they often have problems with the last keys.

Can you tell me if this model is any good?

https://www.musicis.it/?cmd=getProd&cmdID=50334&rr=GoogleMerchant&utm_source=GoogleMerchant&utm_medium=cpc&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22149622283&gclid=CjwKCAjwvNfSBhBiEiwAyaGMCb-HOFzBbUtrA-0_9uYf9De-ehUlnBChHj3uZNLSfCvJkiUrJkfgXBoCHkEQAvD_BwE

If not, could you recommend a good model?

Thanks everyone


r/kalimba 8d ago

Help Requested is there a way to save this?

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8 Upvotes

A relative found out I play the kalimba and gave me a mini kalimba, , but the last notes sound bad. Is there a way to save it?

I'm trying to lower all the notes, and the sound has improved slightly, but it's become really difficult to play.


r/kalimba 10d ago

Question How to convert scores into numbers?

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2 Upvotes

Help.

I'd like to play this, but I have no idea how to start reading sheet music, or how to convert it into numbers.

Could you help me figure out where to start?


r/kalimba 11d ago

Question Two Kalimba recommendations

4 Upvotes

A little bit of background detail, I got my wife a Sansula from Hokema over a year ago, she really enjoys it but it is fairly limited in the number of keys that it has, and so I was thinking of picking up a Hokema Kalimba, the B-17 to be more specific. Then I noticed that hollow Kalimbas are a thing too? So I was thinking of maybe grabbing a solid and a hollow Kalimba to give her the best chance/range at finding the sound she really gravitates toward.

My only experience thus far is Hokema, but I'll entertain recommendations from other companies. I want something that is a quality crafted Instrument, not a cheap toy that is going to fall apart.

Any help is greatly appreciated!


r/kalimba 11d ago

Help Identifying a kalimba

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17 Upvotes

Does anyone know if this is a particular brand? Taken from a limbatrip Instagram reel. Love the size and look of it