Info

Half the 2B/14 kalimbas we shipped last month were in E1 Tuning – Now there is music for the E1 Tuning Download the 5-page, 60 measure instructional tab in PDF Thomas Bothe is famous for his delightful kalimbas as well as for his unique, individual kalimba tunings.  However, there was one day last month when I was fulfilling orders, and I tuned three 2B/14 kalimbas to the E1 tuning – which is perhaps the classic 2B tuning that most represents Thomas Bothe’s soul.  Simple, delicate, easy, and beautiful. Two of the three customers requested the E1 tuning after they had learned about it from the various 2B tunings I have

This electronic recording breaks the song into small pieces and starts slow Learn More About 4-phrase Mbira Music One of the best ways to learn to play is by playing with someone else. If you don’t actually have someone else to who knows the song to play along with, another way is to play along with a recording of the song you are trying to learn. Here we present something new in terms of Kalimba Magic instructional materials – the mbira song “Kuzanga” played progressively – meaning at first very slowly and speeding up gradually to help in learning to play. Also, the song is broken up into sections, which

I mark key root notes with different colors – and this works on other instruments too! Archival Practice Tips The mbira dzavadzimu is one of the pinnacles of the traditional African lamellaphones (thumb pianos), and its music is rich and sweet.  I consider the mbira and its music to be the highest intellectual wonder of ancient Africa.  And we can learn to play this venerable music today in our modern world. I have a confession to make: while I easily picked up the kalimba and taught myself to play, I have had a very difficult time with the mbira.  I bought my first mbira more than 15 years ago, and

20 Minutes a Day – You can make this a spiritual practice Archival Practice Tips You can spend 20 minutes a day doing any one particular activity, and you will get better at it.  If you did yoga for 20 minutes a day, your strength, flexibility, and balance would improve.  If you ran for 20 minutes a day, your cardiovascular function and physical stamina would improve.  If you meditated for 20 minutes a day, your level of insight and your outlook would probably improve. What if you played kalimba for 20 minutes a day, every day? I myself sometimes have difficulty finding the time to play kalimba every day, but

Do you really need some totally different tuning? We can probably invent it Go to product page for “Kalimba Doctor Tuning” Many people are not looking for anything in specific – they will go for a particular kalimba or tuning because it makes cool music that resonates with them.   I think chances are good that these people will find something that tickles them among the tunings I have presented. Some people have very specific needs.  They might require a sansula in a particular key so that it will work with other instruments playing a song in that key, or to accompany singing a particular song in that key.  Inventing a

Following Kalimba Magic’s lead in the Sansula Tuning Movement, other tuning innovation is happening Peter Hokema, Sansula Inventor The people at Hokema have also been bringing forth sansula tuning alternatives. They have an app for the iphone that will help you experiment with your own sansula tunings, permitting you to retune, within realistic limits – that is, any tuning you create on the iphone will be possible to create on your sansula. App for Inventing Sansula Tunings Peter Hokema (in photo) has also invented sansula tunings. You can find those tunings at the Hokema site. Hokema’s Sansula Tuning Page

Go to product page for “Kalimba Doctor Tuning” The C minor tuning is a straight minor pentatonic scale.  It has a little more force and a little less mystery than the standard A minor Ake Bono tuning. I don’t have any music written out for the C minor Sansula tuning, but thought I would let you know about the tuning in case it is exactly what you need.  Eventually it will be exactly what someone needs.  Enjoy the video.

From the C Major Sansula Download C Major Sansula Download The C Major Sansula Tuning is one of my favorites.  It is happy and uplifting and powerful. The tablature here is from the C Major Download, which has a lot to offer.   To me, it is absolutely stunning that such simple right and left thumb patterns combine and make music.  This is the sort of music you can space out on for minutes on end.