Tuesday, February 27, 2007
How Low Can the Notes on a Kalimba Go?

Kevin Eaddy asks this question because he wants to see how far he can go in modifying the tuning on his treble kalimba.

You don't have to leave the kalimba in the tuning it came in! But don't mess with the tuning unless you understand how to get it back to its original state.

You can make the tines play lower notes by pulling them out and making them longer. But in order to sound good, the kalimba needs to be big enough to resonate with the lowest note you play. Resonance affects both the air inside the box and the box or board itself. The lower the note, the larger the board or box must be.

I find that on the Hugh Tracey Treble and Alto kalimbas, I can go about 3 half steps lower than the recommended tuning before it starts to sound like it is off. I find that to be approximately an E for the Alto and about an A flat for the Treble.

If you don't mind the odd sound quality (I think the anharmonic overtones begin to dominate), you can still go a bit lower, but not much further or the tine will fall out!

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