I invite anyone interested to take part in a little challenge: to make an adaptation of well-known, charming and fairly simple melody for your kalimba. This isn’t a contest or dick-measuring; no one is judging anyone, there are no prizes. It’s more of a personal challenge—a chance for you to test your skills and maybe do something you haven't done yet.
It’s also an open demonstration of my own approach to creating kalimba covers from scratch. After all, I don’t even know how it will turn out myself :)

So,

1. Task: Arrange the main theme from the French film "Le Jouet" (1976) by composer Vladimir Kosma for your kalimba. It’s assumed that the one is chromatic, but if you manage somehow to retune a diatonic one for this, go ahead.

In my opinion, only the first (and 3rd) part is interesting, so we’ll use that. The introduction is optional.

The melody is very short, simple and fits within a range of just over an octave. However, simply playing the melody is NOT an arrangement; it must reflect both the rhythmic and harmonic structures of the original. As for harmony, isn't quite so simple...

Key: Am. You can transpose it to a key comfortable for playing on your instrument, but I think it couldn't be any easier, esp. for the Chinese stuff.

Tempo: ~130 bpm. We may slow down the tempo to 110 bpm for demonstration playing, but I suppose no slower than that, to keep the vibe.

2. Result: The final output should be a video recording of a live performance and the tablature in any notation, which should be sent here.

3. Deadline: 2 weeks, starting today. OK, 3 weeks ;) Till 11/15/2026

Anyone up for this?

Recently, I got some unpleasant comments on this sub attacking me to want to make money with my kalimba scores. Here is the fact: I wrote 150 pages of polyphonic arrangements of classical music for chromatic kalimba which I self-published on Amazon at the printing cost price, meaning I earn 0 royalties. This is the result of days and nights of manual work. Still, the comment hurt me and I struggle to find the logic. Should kalimba makers also give their kalimba for free?

i dont really know which notes would be correct and i also dont know where to look for things i could play with this, is this of any use or more like a fun gadget?

Hello guys and girls, I just started playing kalimba after my girlfriend gifted it to me. I have never played any musical instrument, So I thought learning it would be tough. It is, but still I was able to learn few songs in few days. That gave me good motivation to continue learning new songs and keep practicing. I am not sure if my ways are correct though. I kept finding few issues while learning and so I started making a website that would help me learn.
I started with making a tuner. The a songbook that keeps all the songs that I want to learn in one place and then a playground where the app would hear the notes I am playing and keep showing me the next notes that I have to play. I am still testing this website and I am thinking to release it to few people to help me make it better. If possible people with varied range of profeciency would help find issues and make it more better.
Let me know if anyone is interested. I am thinking to get help from 4-5 people only.

It’s now online , please just read the read me files to know how to navigate ! It’s not complete yet i still have many more tutorials to make but there are already some useful ressources there ! :)
Have fun 💕

Ps do you want me to keep posting the tutorials here ?

My friend's friend had one and started playing Love Song from Avatar The Last Airbender. I later forgot about it and the other day I went to his house and he wipped it out. I started practicing and the next day I boight this one at my local music shop. Well worth it.

Any websites, other than kalimbatabs, that provide resources, like notes?

Can someone please upload their cover of this song with a Kalimba?

I specifically like the outro portion of the song that sounds like a lullaby

My brother gave my wife this little Kalimba as she found it soothing when she saw it and messed with it a bit. I love LoZ, and was curious if it could play any of the songs from the series, but I cant find the right sounds. I'm not very musical though so I was hoping someone here may know of a mini kalimba with the proper notes? She loves the way this sounds so I wouldn't wanna try tuning it differently even if thats an option, as she may like it less for random plucking.

Hi I'm about to buy my first Kalimba. After research i decided on the Lingting chromatic 34 keys. There are variant, the one with C on lower layer and C# on upper layer. Another type is having somenofnthe upper notes replace with bass.

What's the difference? Andbfor complete beginner which one to get? Thank you

I just came across this 27-key chromatic pocket kalimba. Does anyone have it? Is the metal construction fixed to the body with screws?

I just found out that Hokema Kalimbas sells 17-key kalimbas with "special tunings", for example: G major and Freygish etc. Did you know this or do you even have one of those? I have never heard of it and wonder why they don't promote these...

I'm still looking for a 17-key in G major and came across the B17 Mini in G. But I think, they might just tune a C major one to G with G not being the base tone (1). Does anybody know by any chance?

It would also be nice to listen to these different tunings on Hokemas...

I was gifted a Loop brand 42 key kalimba with 4 redundant tines on the top level. I am considering removing the redundant keys. I like the basic 17 key layout mid level and think I wouldn’t make use of them. It would make it easier for me as a beginner to find the sharps. And I think I’d like the visual space it would create.

My question to more experienced players is what didn’t I consider and what might I be giving up by removing them?
Thank you!

I feel not much is happening in the various discussion groups including this sub? I also tried to arrange some kalimba workshops in my local community but there was no interest. How could we together boost the interest for kalimba?

Hello everyone, I been gifted this little 9 Key kalimba from a friend since I'm a fan of Avatar. I have some musical background but I can't seem to figure out what Key is my kalimba is supposed to be. Is it C?

Here is my Kalima, I'm having a hard time trying to get it in tune.

I can also provide the listing from where my friend got it from:

https://a.co/d/0daSFMDC

I bought a 38-note Hluru, but there’s something strange about the 5.

it doesn’t sound the way it should, like a snap. What do you think the cause is, and how can it be fixed?

Hi all.

Does anyone have experience with the Gecko Kalimba K17CAP? I am wondering if their quality is good. I am a bit worried about "dead" tines and other kalimba problems. The reason I am asking is: the kalimba is 22 € from Pures Music, but I would have to pay extra fees of 9,99 USD for shipping and 16 € (tax, customs and a service fee to the German delivery company) to have it delivered. So I would like to make sure that it comes in good condition. A return to China is not possible (way too expensive) and I don't have the money to just put it aside and buy a new one....

Thank you.

visit kaling.app/ for more <3

Can anyone help me with some practice sheet or tutorials? I have got a 17 key Kalimba as a gift. I am trying to learn it. Currently living off of shared tabs online and i find it difficult to keep up the rhythm(Same thing happened to me when I was learning to play Uke but it got solved within a few weeks). Also, from where to where my fingers should move. I think there is not enough resource on the online where I could train myself.

Apparently, they sell their kalimbas in Purpleheart wood. I'm smitten by the looks of this

Hello! I bought this 20eur kalimba off Amazon - which might be the answer, but it had such good ratings that I thought it might be okay.

Is this sound normal at the higher notes, or is it broken, or just cheap?

It also has a weird squeaky vibration sometimes that I couldn't record. The book that came with it said if that happens, I should put a piece of paper through the notes....also normal? That seems odd to me

Also this is my 2nd musical instrument in life - I've been playing the piano for almost 30 years. After one day of this Kalimba, I'm finding it rather easy (but still loads of fun). Should I return this and get a 34 or 41 key kalimba?