July 24, 2008
The Chromatic Kalimba
Mark the Whole Note Tines that Have Chromatics

The very fact that the front side has 15 tines while the back side has only 11 tines indicates that not every note on the front has a chromatic note half a step lower on the back side. If you are familiar with the keyboard (i.e., the "finger piano"), you know that C has no chromatic note one half step down - if you go half a step lower than C, you get B—B natural, i.e., B which is not a chromatic. Also, F has E just a half step lower, also not a chromatic. The E and the B are both found on the front side of the kalimba. Which makes things tricky.

Mark the diatonic tines that have a
back side chromatic note one half step lower.

In order to know which tines have a chromatic note right behind them, I mark these notes with a little dot using a Sharpie marker. C and F do not have chromatic notes behind (underneath) them, so they have no dots. All other notes on the front—A, B, D, E, and G—do have dots because they all have a flatted version on the back side.

More Chromatic Kalimba resources

You can purchase the Hugh Tracey Chromatic Kalimba at the Kalimba Magic Online Shop.

 

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