Hello, I am April Yang. Welcome to my Kalimba Classroom.
Video explanations are fast, you can pause somewhere to help understand learning. If you get some questions, you may leave your message in comments section.
TL;DR
For beginners, I recommend the 17-key C major kalimba from April Yang. It's versatile and easy to learn, with a good range of notes. Look for one made of quality wood for better sound, and consider getting one that includes a tuning hammer and an instruction booklet to help you get started. April Yang offers reliable options that are well-suited for beginners.
Lesson 1: getting to know about kalimba.
The kalimba, also known as the thumb piano, is a small traditional instrument originating from Africa. It produces sound through the vibration of a resonance box when the keys are plucked by fingers.
Typically, the body is made of wood and includes upper and lower rails and a bridge to secure the metal keys. Kalimbas come in box-style, with sound holes, and board-style, without holes. Key factors for choosing a kalimba are sound quality and range, with beginners recommended to start with a 17-note C major model.
Proper holding technique involves cradling the instrument with both hands, positioning the thumbs on the keys. Proper technique involves holding the instrument with both hands and using nails that extend 2 to 3 millimeters beyond the fingertips to strike the keys for accurate sound.
Lesson 2: Basic knowledge on kalimba.
To master the kalimba, it's crucial to understand its pitches. Each key has its own pitch, which can be memorized using solfège (like do re mi) and note names represented by letters. Another familiar method is numeric notation (1-7), where dots indicate whether a note is high or low.
Sticker usually placed on the top of the keys, helps recall the pitches, with the top row showing letter names and the bottom row displaying numeric notation.
Additionally, notes with the same name are referred to as octaves, differing in pitch. In numeric notation, a single dot indicates a higher note, while two dots indicate a double high note, clarifying the concept of octaves.
Lesson 3: How to Read Kalimba Tabs (Part 1)
Mastering the kalimba's position-based notation is vital, where black dots represent the keys to be played, read from bottom to top. To quickly identify the keys, colored stickers can be placed on every two keys.
Important musical symbols include quarter notes (solid dot with a stem), eighth notes (dot with a tail), sixteenth notes (dot with two tails), half notes (hollow dot with a stem), and whole notes (hollow circle).
Each note indicates different durations: quarter notes are one beat, eighth notes are half a beat, etc. Instead of clapping to keep time, use your foot to maintain the beat while your fingers concentrate on the rhythms indicated in the score.
Lesson 4: How to Read Kalimba Tabs (Part 2).
To improve your kalimba playing, it is essential to recognize some additional musical symbols.
The first is the tie which links two or more notes and means you play only the first note while the sound continues through the tied notes.
Next is the dot which extends the duration of the note it accompanies by half. For example a dotted quarter note lasts for one and a half beats instead of just one.
Lastly the rest symbol indicates a pause in playing with different types like quarter rests and eighth rests each having its own duration even though no sound is produced during that time.
If you still have questions after reading this, please send me a message to let me know what you need to find out.
