Things To Know Before You Buy a Kalimba
Today’s musicians are lucky enough to have a lifetime’s worth of music instruction they can find online for any instrument. Though unlike most instruments, there is limited information about the kalimba so most beginners find themselves wishing steps they should have taken before buying their first kalimba.
Even though every kalimba player’s approach to playing is somewhat different, some of the missteps that they wish they could take back or change are almost universal. So we will discuss a few things most kalimba players wish they knew before buying a kalimba.
Grow out your nails beforehand. It’s important to know that in order for you to play the kalimba, you’ll need to grow out the nails on your thumbs. For guitar players, it’s hard playing with long nails when pressing on the strings so they are advised to cut their nails to produce a better sound, but for kalimba players it’s the other way around. Striking the tines without nails may cause some pain after a while. So it’s important to have any length of nail on your thumbs before playing the kalimba.
2. Beware of dead tines. When buying your first kalimba, it might be hard to distinguish if your kalimba possesses dead tines especially if it’s the first time hearing a kalimba in person. Dead tines are tines that don’t resonate/sustain well. Most cheap kalimbas possess dead tines so you should be wary when buying cheaper brands. The ideal range for good quality kalimbas are $20 and above. Flat board kalimbas are less likely to have dead tines compared to hollow kalimbas.
3. Kalimba tabs are hard to find. Unlike instruments like piano and guitar, there aren’t as many kalimba resources available online. Luckily, there are more and more websites and YouTube channels providing kalimba tabs and tutorials. So, it’s important to not give up when looking for a certain song you want to play as there might be one posted soon or better yet you can even make your own arrangements if you have background in music.
4. Notebook for kalimba tabs. Like every instrument, you’ll likely learn a lot of songs throughout your kalimba playing journey. So it’s better to have a record of all the songs you have learned or would want to learn. It’s important to stick to one kalimba notation when starting out so it will be easier for you to get used to playing the kalimba and learning songs.
5. Wooden kalimbas are more beginner friendly. Like every beginner you will need to spend a lot of hours practicing your instrument and it’s better to have a lighter instrument to lessen straining your hands. A wooden kalimba weigh half the load of an acrylic kalimba and this may allow you to spend more time with your instrument.
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