Learn the Kalimba in 4 easy steps

Whatever the instrument, music has an effect on our spirit. The Kalimba is one of the first instruments created by man. Starting with the French kalimba learning method will help you use others.

It's known for its crystal-clear, beautiful sound, but not everyone knows how to play it.

Learn to play the Kalimba today with the tutorials we offer. Learning to play the Kalimba isn't difficult, as long as you have the method to learn and follow our tutorials prepared by our Kalimba teachers and tutors so you can finally play your favorite music with ease and confidence. The French kalimba learning method is widespread. Once mastered, it will help you learn other types of kalimba.

How do I learn Kalimba?

You can be sure that to play any instrument well, you need to learn how to play, have time to practice and practice with it. The way to learn Kalimba is, of course, the same! However, the way to learn to play Kalimba will be easier if you learn with confidence if you follow these steps:

Step 1: Familiarize yourself with the keyboard, identify the notes

You could say that this is the first lesson for beginners when you start learning to play any instrument, including the Kalimba. The thumb piano has a specific organization classified according to the number of notes or the number of metal bars. Each metal bar corresponds to a note.

Step 2: Adjust the Kalimba notes, i.e. tune them carefully

In the good old days, you needed someone who could try out and identify musical notes to be able to tune the Kalimba notes. Now, with modern technology, all you need to do is download the "Kalimba Spin" or "Pano tuner" application onto your phone. Bring your Kalimba close to your phone, having launched the application.

If the application displays blue notes, this means that your notes have been successfully tuned. If the application doesn't show green, it shows red on certain notes, indicating that the notes are too low or too high. If the note is too high, you can use the hammer supplied with your kalimba to lower it and find the right key, and vice versa if the note is too high. Tune your instrument continuously until the notes return to the standard state. You can often rely on the notes inscribed on the kalimba, which correspond to international notation:

• A for an LA
• B for an SI
• C for a DO
• D for a RÉ
• E for an MI
• F for an FA
• G for a GOLD

Step 3: Make learning songs easy! Get used to playing the different notes of the tablature of the music of your choice slowly when you start and gradually speed up the way you play the more you get used to it, starting again every time you make a mistake. This is the most effective way to learn Kalimba, as your brain will gradually assimilate the notes in your memory, whereas if you rush, you won't register the notes as well in your brain.

Then think about playing more and more complex music. A little note for you in step 3: if the Kalimba has a lot of blades, i.e. a lot of notes, you can play more music, especially more complex music. When choosing your instrument, it's important to choose a Kalimba with at least 17 notes, because you'll find more tablatures and literature about kalimbas with 17 notes, and you'll be able to play much more complex pieces of music than on instruments with fewer notes.

Step 4: To get the most out of your Kalimba and get into the spirit of the player, you also need to pay attention to your surroundings and equipment. When you're playing your favorite music, it's best to be able to play freely, so choose a calm, quiet place where you won't be in anyone's way, and where you won't feel ashamed of being able to play freely. This will increase your enthusiasm for learning to play and perceive music.