Kalimbas & Thumb Pianos

A choice of tonewoods. The 17-key comes in Rosewood, red cedar, a spruce top, and rounded-back Rosewood or red cedar with lacewood, plus a version with a pickup for playing through an amp. The 8-key is a pocket-size Rosewood box.

Learn by ear. On most kalimbas the lowest note sits in the middle and the scale climbs outward, alternating left and right. Once that pattern clicks, melodies come quickly.

8 keys: a single scale in a 3 by 5 inch Rosewood box. Ideal for children, gifts and anyone who wants to play by ear without reading music.

17 keys: the most common size for kalimba songbooks and online tutorials, with enough range for melody plus harmony. Pick the wood for the look and voice you like, or the pickup version if you plan to play through an amp.

Tune it before you play. Kalimbas are not tuned before they ship, so out of the box the keys sit in an uneven, unfamiliar scale. Each tine slides across the bridge: tap the tip you pluck to shorten it and raise the pitch, or tap the back end to lengthen it and lower the pitch. A small tuning hammer and a clip-on or phone tuner make it easy. Most players tune to C major, with the lowest note in the middle.

Use your thumbs, not your nails. Flick each tine near its tip with the flesh of the thumb for the warmest tone. Longer nails give a brighter, sharper sound.

Questions? Write to us at info@roosebeck.com and a member of our team will help.