Last updated on January 22nd, 2021 at 10:13 am<\/p>
I love playing on my kalimba, it’s such a fun instrument that’s easy to learn and relaxes me with its soothing melodic tone. If you’re looking to purchase your own, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to help you find the best kalimba that fits all of your musical needs, but before that, let’s talk about some important things you need to keep in mind.<\/p>\n
“We\u2019ve updated our list to ensure we recommend only the best Kalimbas available in 2021.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Table of Contents<\/p>
- 1<\/span> What is a Kalimba?<\/a><\/li>
- 2<\/span> Important Things to Consider<\/a>
- 2.0.1<\/span> How Many Keys are on the Kalimba?<\/a><\/li>
- 2.0.2<\/span> Closely Spaced or Widely Spaced?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- 3<\/span> Our Top 5 Best Kalimba Options in 2020<\/a>
- 3.1<\/span> 1. Rain Whisperer Kalimba by LingTing\u00a0(Our Favorite)\u00a0<\/a>
- 3.1.1<\/span> This Bundle Comes With:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- 3.2<\/span> 2. GECKO Kalimba 17 Keys Thumb Piano (All-Around Great Choice)\u00a0<\/a>
- 3.2.1<\/span> This Bundle Comes With:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- 3.3<\/span> 3. Moozica 17 Keys Kalimba Marimba \u00a0(Most Design Options)<\/a>
- 3.3.1<\/span> This Bundle Comes With:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- 3.4<\/span> 4. MOOZICA 21 Keys Solid Koa Kalimba\u00a0<\/a>
- 3.4.1<\/span> This Bundle Comes With:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- 3.5<\/span> 5. EASTROCK Kalimba 17 Keys Thumb Piano (Most Affordable\/ Budget Friendly)<\/a>
- 3.5.1<\/span> This Bundle Comes With:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- 4<\/span> Other Things to Consider<\/a>
- 4.0.1<\/span> Solid Wood or Hollow Body?<\/a><\/li>
- 4.0.2<\/span> Stickers or Engraved Chords and Numbers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- 4.1<\/span> Tuning Your Kalimba<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- 5<\/span> Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li>
- 6<\/span> \u00a0More to Read:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n
What is a Kalimba?<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
The Kalimba,<\/strong> <\/em>also known as the African Thumb Piano<\/strong><\/em> or Mbira,<\/strong><\/em> is a simple percussion instrument that utilizes metal tines fixed onto a sounding board to produce a nice soothing sound with relaxing rhythmic tones.<\/p>\n
Kalimbas are often handmade and can have anywhere from 5 keys<\/strong> to 21 keys<\/strong> to play with. With so many options to choose from nowadays, it’s hard to say that one specific choice is the best Kalimba on the market. Before buying one, there are some things that you should consider.<\/p>\n
Important Things to Consider<\/span><\/h2>\n
How Many Keys are on the Kalimba?<\/span><\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
Probably the best place to start is figuring out how many keys you want to have on your kalimba. You’ll find that a lot of Kalimbas on the market have17 keys and are set to a specific tone\/key (Standard tuning in the Key of C). The key thing to keep in mind, no pun intended, is that the more keys\/tines you have on the kalimba, the more chords you have to work with.<\/p>\n
Having more chords to work with widens your list of songs<\/strong> to play and allows you to have more freedom to musically experimen<\/strong>t on your thumb piano. Of course, the more keys your kalimba has, the bigger the instrument will be. If size and portability is an important factor for your kalimba purchase, then we recommend you look at options with fewer keys.<\/p>\n
Closely Spaced or Widely Spaced?<\/span><\/h4>\n
Something that a lot of people may not consider is the spacing between the keys\/tines<\/strong> on the kalimba. If you’re like me and you have bigger fingers, playing on a kalimba that is closely spaced might be challenging. This is especially important if your playstyle requires precise plucking. Precision is very important when it comes to playing a thumb piano so definitely consider what type of spacing would work best for your fingers.<\/p>\n
Of course, your<\/strong> playstyle<\/strong> is an important thing to keep in mind when buying a Kalimba. If the songs you want to play require you to strum on multiple keys at once, then a kalimba with closer keys might fit you best.<\/p>\n
Kalimbas with keys that are more spaced out usually have a hollow body<\/strong> with a soundhole while a kalimba with closely spaced tines is usually pure wood.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Now that you have a better idea of what you might be looking for, let’s get into our list of recommendations to help find the best kalimba for you.<\/p>\n
Our Top 5 Best Kalimba Options in 2020<\/span><\/h2>\n
1.<\/span> Rain Whisperer Kalimba by LingTing\u00a0<\/span><\/a>(Our Favorite)\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
Check Price on Amazon<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
An excellent choice for players who are looking for a Kalimba with more keys. The LT-K21W<\/strong>, also known as the “Rain Whisperer” Kalimba<\/span><\/strong><\/a> from LingTing is a great option for beginners and professionals. Made of high-quality black walnut wood,<\/strong> the sound that this thumb piano produces is angelic<\/strong> and pure.<\/strong> Since this is a pure wood kalimba,<\/strong> the resonance is quieter than its Hollow body counterparts.<\/p>\n
This Bundle Comes With:<\/span><\/h4>\n
\n
- 21 Keys Kalimba (Black Walnut)<\/li>\n
- Tuning hammer<\/li>\n
- Chain (Adds “bell-like” tone)<\/li>\n
- Carrying case<\/li>\n
- Small bag<\/li>\n
- Syllable Stickers<\/li>\n
- Wiping piano cloth<\/li>\n
- Finger caps<\/li>\n
- Helpful Kalimba Booklet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
2. GECKO Kalimba 17 Keys Thumb Piano (All-Around Great Choice)\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
Check Price on Amazon<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
This beautifully handcrafted Kalimba from Gecko<\/strong><\/a> <\/span>makes it onto our list as a great all-around choice<\/strong> for players of any skill level. Gecko made this Kalimba with high-quality mahogany wood and ore steel bars that give users a better sense of hearing, vision, <\/strong>and touch.<\/strong> Many are impressed and surprised by how good this kalimba plays, especially considering the price range it’s in.<\/p>\n
This Bundle Comes With:<\/span><\/h4>\n
\n
- 17 Keys Treble Kalimba<\/li>\n
- Tuning Hammer<\/li>\n
- Travelling Case (Waterproof and Shockproof) x1<\/li>\n
- Thumb Piano Key Stickers (1 Set)<\/li>\n
- Flannelette Bag x1<\/li>\n
- Cleaning Cloth x1<\/li>\n
- Study Guide (User Manual and Music Score)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
3. Moozica 17 Keys Kalimba Marimba <\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Most Design Options)<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
Check Price on Amazon<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
If you want to spice things up with your Kalimba purchase, I definitely recommend you check out Moozica’s 17 keys thumb pianos.<\/span><\/strong><\/a> Moozica’s 17 key Kalimba comes in 4 different color\/wood variations<\/strong>\u00a0giving players more choices to choose from. There are two Koa Kalimbas<\/strong>, one made with Acacia Koa wood and one made of a mix of selected Koa and Spruce wood. The other two options are made with Mahogany,<\/strong> one, in particular, having a unique deep blue color.<\/p>\n
This Bundle Comes With:<\/span><\/h4>\n
\n
- 17 Keys Kalimba<\/li>\n
- Tuning Hammer<\/li>\n
- Professional Waterproof Kalimba Bag<\/li>\n
- Finger guards<\/li>\n
- Chord stickers<\/li>\n
- Cleaning cloth<\/li>\n
- Learning Guide and Song Book<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
4. MOOZICA 21 Keys Solid Koa Kalimba<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
Check Price on Amazon<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
This Bundle Comes With:<\/span><\/h4>\n
\n
- 21 Keys Kalimba (Solid Wood)<\/li>\n
- Tuning Hammer x1<\/li>\n
- Hard Protective Case x1<\/li>\n
- Kalimba bag<\/li>\n
- Finger Guards<\/li>\n
- Music scale stickers<\/li>\n
- Instruction Manual and Song Book<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
5. EASTROCK Kalimba 17 Keys Thumb Piano<\/span><\/a> (Most Affordable\/ Budget Friendly)<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
Check Price on Amazon<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
If you’re looking for the best kalimba that’s both budget-friendly<\/strong> as well as good quality,<\/strong> then check out this 17 keys thumb piano from EASTROCK.<\/strong><\/span><\/a> An excellent choice for new players, this 17 keys kalimba is handcrafted with mahogany wood,<\/strong> having a finer texture, better sustain, and a softer delicate tone.<\/strong> The finish on this thumb piano is so beautiful that you wouldn’t think that this was the budget option on our list.<\/p>\n
This Bundle Comes With:<\/span><\/h4>\n
Stickers or Engraved Chords and Numbers<\/span><\/h4>\n
Tuning Your Kalimba<\/span><\/h3>\n
Kalimbas come tuned in a specific key. A lot of the times, they will be standardly tuned to the key of C, however, you can always tune your thumb piano with a tuning hammer. Don’t worry, tuning hammers usually come with your kalimba purchase. Here’s a helpful video by Karina Javier<\/strong><\/a><\/span> on YouTube showing us how to tune our kalimbas.<\/p>\n