June 22, 2006
Introduction to Karimba Tablature

Of the eight different models of Hugh Tracey Kalimba, the Karimba is the only instrument with a traditional note layout. The Alto and Treble kalimbas have made their own tradition, as they've been around for almost 50 years, and popular African musicians use these instruments. It is a new tradition. I've modified my kalimba tablature to work for the karimba. The karimba has two rows of tines, a lower one spaning an octave and a third (though two notes are skipped and one is doubled), and an upper row of tines which spans less than an octave and has three sets of doubled notes. Why such an odd layout? Because it makes playing African music easy. This note layout co-evolved with Zimbabwean music. The music sounds the way it does because of the karimba's layout, and the karimba is the way it is to make that music.

I have included the tablature for the "Close Encounters" theme.Start at the bottom. It uses only notes on the lower row. The notes on the upper row will appear in next week's tablature.



Listen to Close Encounters Theme on the Karimba