A kalimba? But what is this strange instrument? Long unknown to the general public, this charming little wooden musical object is now invading TikTok videos. Also known as mbira, sanza or thumb piano, the kalimba is an African instrument whose blades, adjusted on a pressure bar, produce sounds from a soundboard or resonator.  

Where does the kalimba come from? How does it work? Newzik tells you all about the kalimba, a percussion instrument that produces magical sounds!

Where does the kalimba come from?

Discovered in the 1950s by British ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey, the Kalimba has its origins in the Mbira, a sub-Saharan African instrument dating back almost 3,000 years. This wooden musical instrument with bladed keys directly inspired the creation of the kalimba.

The kalimba is a percussion instrument from the idiophone family. This small percussion instrument consists of a soundboard, bridges, a pressure bar and metal blades. 

Placed in a single row, the keys are held in place by a system designed with two trestles and a pressure bar. The support, which was a simple plank of wood for the mbira, becomes a hollow block of wood with a hole on the front to serve as a sounding board. The musician can then create sounds similar to "wah-wah".

What sound does a kalimba make?

The kalimba is recognizable by its blades, each of which is linked to a note standardized by the solfeggio (the famous notes Do, Ré, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si). 

Wooden planks, coconuts or sounding boards, the shapes and models of kalimbas can vary. 

The notes of the kalimba are produced by the vibration of meticulously shaped blades, each length corresponding to a specific note. The number of blades varies, from 5 to over 20, depending on the kalimbas model. 

The harmonious tones of this percussion instrument are appreciated the world over, and are an integral part of today's musical repertoires, from soul to pop. The relaxing sound of kalimbas is also used in music therapy and is ideal formusical awakening. Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber or the Pirates of the Caribbean theme: discover or rediscover today's pop tunes to the enchanting sound of the kalimba! 

How to play the kalimba

To play musical notes on a kalimba, all you have to do is gently grasp the blades of the instrument in the palm of your hand and create vibrations by pressing one or more blades with the tip of your thumb (hence the name thumb piano). As well as being easy to learn, the kalimba produces pleasant sounds, whatever the note played. Perfect for introducing children to music and instruments, while developing their musical ear !

How to decipher and read a kalimba score?

Have you always wanted to learn how to play tunes like the Harry Potter theme tune on the kalimba? Good news! You can do it all by learning to decipher sheet music or tablature of the instrument.

You've never studied music theory or have no music reading skills? Fear not. Unlike the classical piano rules, the kalimba note-reading scores have been designed to be accessible to everyone, whether or not you've studied music theory. 

In general, the kalimba's lamellae (keys) are visible on a diagram, and all you have to do is pinch the indicated ones with your finger, reading from top to bottom. On the kalimba, the metal strips are "engraved" with the musical note they produce.

🎶 Want to get to grips with thumb piano techniques? Simply import, read and annotate your kalimba scores in Newzik !