January 18, 2007
Sansula Tuning

The Sansula, as it comes from Germany, is tuned this way:

The grey shaded rounded rectangles represent the short tines which are bent up above the longer tines, which are represented by the white rectangles.

Things to note:

• There are three octave jumps between adjacent tines: A-A, C-C, and E-E. Since the upper octave note is on one of the upper bent tines, you can just pull off of that tine and go to the right (or to the left in the case of E) to get to the note an octave lower. This move sounds great, and these intervals are common in traditional African mbira and karimbas.
• The two A notes which are the same length on the left side of the tablature are in fact the exact same note. If you want a change in tuning, one of these notes to a G or G# would be an interesting touch, but you would then need to exhibit a little care about when you played that note.
• On the right side, the F and the adjacent E are two such notes that you need to be a little careful of. If you play them at the same time, it sounds dissonant. On the other hand, the biggest trick that this kalimba owns is going back and forth between the Aminor and FMajor7 chords, which is implemented by going back and forth between E and F here.
• Speaking of going back and forth between Aminor and FMajor7: first play only long white notes. This makes an Aminor chord, with a 9th thrown in to jazz it up a bit (the B is the 9th - use it judiciously). Now change to the four short grey notes, which make the FMajor7 chord. In addition to being this kalimba's biggest trick, it is one of its easiest tricks.

I admit, this instrument looks too beautiful to mess with the tuning! I haven't had the guts to retune. Hey, readers, have any of you retuned your Sansulas? How did you retune? What sorts of issues have you run into?

By the way, the upcoming Duets book (available for Valentines Day!) will have about six pieces written for the Sansula and other kalimbas.