Love this. Most people don't seem to realize that the banjo started out as an african instrument if im not mistaken and you can't get much more non african than that now.
@kalimbamagic im wondering how this lovely performance can have negative votes but im sure most came from jealous ppl Actlually i favorited your vid man
This version actually has a distinct African flavour. I think that instruments shouldn't be reserved to play a certain type of music. Any instrument is a source of creativity, not a source of constraint.
I love this video. It is amazing in pretty much every way, and when it kicks in around 0:23 I am blown away. Fantastic. I think I know what I am buying for Christmas!
Mark, how is it that you slide over the tines so easily? (you do what I'm referring to a few times starting around 1:00 ) do you use your nail? Mine tends to catch on the sides of the tines when I try that. Do you just do it very lightly? Are your fingertips ever involved in your playing?
I'm sorry if the question is confusing, but I'd appreciate any help. :)
This is a glissando - first, thumb nails help, It is a learned technique, the main thing is to know how far to go and where to stop. Maybe file your nail? Imagine surfing over the waves - ie, tilt one side down, and move in the opposite direction. If you go to the Kalimbamagic website, in the upper left corner is a search window - search for glassando and you can learn more about it.
@kalimbamagic Oh! I think I understand now. Do you tilt your nail to face the direction you're moving? I had been doing it the other way around, with the bottom of my thumb leading, so the underside of my nail would clip the tines as I passed over them. Thank you so much! And thanks for telling me the technical term. :)
This is the Hugh Tracey Treble Kalimba. People with smaller hands tend to prefer this to the ALTO Kalimba.
The ALTO kalimba's box is 8 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches, and the TREBLE's box is slightly smaller: 7 x 5 x 1.25 inches. Even though the Alto is larger, the Treble has more tines: 17 to the Alto's 15. The Treble's tines are 4mm wide, and the Alto's are 5mm wide, so you can fit 17 Treble tines into a space narrower than the Alto's 15 Tines. -Mark
Ok, I've got it now. The bridge wasn't in the right place, so I've moved it towards the top of the tines. I didn't know I could do that but i knew my kalimba looked different from all the others I've seen online. Managed to tune it with a chromatic tuner in a matter of minutes. Just need to learn how to play it now! I've already added Kalimba Magic to my favourites so I'll be looking in on you regularly now.
I bought a second hand HT kalimba recently but I'm recently struggling to get it tuned. It's got 17 tines so I thought it was a treble kalimba, but the longest tines on mine reach nowhere near the sound hole like yours.
What note does the longest tine play? You can see a tuning chart at my KalimbaMagic website - look on the left for "How to Play the Kalimba" and then go to "Treble"
If you search the internet for Bb Treble Kalimba you can read all about the details. three tines per octave have been flattened by 1/2 step from standard Treble tuning, I scraped off the paint from 5 tines, and then repainted 6 other tines - all of this make the Bb Treble "look and feel" like an Alto kalimba (but with an extra high note on each side). BUT it sounds like a Treble, with its high, clear voice.
Ah, if only it were that easy! This one is the Original Hugh Tracey Kalimba from Africa, and it costs over $100 (I sell the Hugh Tracey kalimbas at my web store) - if you go on eBay, you may find used HTs for $30 or $40, but you will also find several kalimbas that LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THIS ONE, but are Mid East Ethnic kalimbas (made in Pakistan) and cost $30 and are absolutely unplayable. Basically, you get what you pay for, unless you are very lucky or very good. -Mark
They hold up fine against one or two acoustic guitars - ESPECIALLY the treble, which seems to cut above the guitars with its slightly higher range.
If you play with an acoustic band, micing the kalimba in a live amplified setting works. If you play with loud bass and drums, you might not be able to get a loud enough signal through the mic without feeding back. -M
Ahh beautiful-- It's vids like these that inspire me to get a kalimba!! Ahh, but I'll have to wait till Christmas... :( Aha, btw I know you modified your kalimba to Bb or something like that, that just means you tuned it down right? I mean, this and all of the other songs you have posted can still be played on an unmodified kalimba right? Ahh sorry, but I just feel so inspired by your vids to pick up a kalimba! As soon as I get one this will definitely be the first song I learn, because of you:)
To get to Bb, I gave it Bb, Eb, and F# -> F --- which puts the root note in the bass. This is set up just like an ALTO, except it is in a different key, and it has two extra tines one on either side at the top. SO it reads ALTO tablature, but can do a few things the alto cannot as it goes higher. I have tablature for NowhereMan for ALTO, TREBLE, and Bb Treble. -M
@kalimbamagic ahh you have tabs for treble to then!! :) aha yaay because I was planning on getting the treble but without modifying it. thanks so much!!
The Hugh Tracey Treble Kalimba (this model) has a high clear tone that carries well. Two days ago I did a performance at the Oro Valley branch library, and 60 kids and adults were present in a large meeting room, and I performed without amplification, and as nobody complained, I assume everyone heard the music. The Treble is well matched in volume to play with a hard-strummed acoustic guitar. -Mark
"Hugh Tracy " Kalimba.. So the white man has appropriated one more thing from the black man. Do not pay him $100, make your own, as we do in Africa... It is not that hard. I know because I made some in my life...
Papa, they are made in South Africa in a company with both black and white men and women. MOST kalimbas now sold are made in Pakistan, Brazil, US. The Hugh Tracey kalimba is made in Africa. SO when someone pays $100 for a HT kalimba, the money supports black and white Africans.
BTW, on my web site I do show people how to make their own kalimbas, but the HT kalimbas are way better than any that I have made. The HT Kalimba was the first one to be exported from Africa, it has a good history.
This one - the Hugh Tracey Kalimba - runs a bit over $100. There are inexpensive Pakistani copies of these ones that run about $30, but I can't make them make music - they are getting better, but I don't think they've caught up yet. There are smaller instruments made by Steve Catania (8 and 12 notes) that cost $35 - $75 - they are pretty good. -Mark
Send me your email address and I'll send you the tablature for Nowhere Man - I have it for Alto, Treble, and Bb Treble (this video is of the Bb Treble, my own little invention made by transforming a Treble to feel like an Alto). To get a kalimba, search on the internet for Kalimba Magic - and if you use the coupon code CAT09 at checkout you will get 10% off. -Mark
I was wondering if the tone of a kalimba gets better with age. I know a guitars tone can become better with age depending on the wood and the temperature setting its in.
great playing ,...! I am a Cigar Box Guitar builder and just learned what a karimba was yesterday... you have inspired me to start building one and learn to play... Thanks man!
A kid recently handed me an eight tine kalimba not knowing what it was. I tuned it up and played around with it, and thought of this performance. I guess I'm saying this stuck with me, kudos pal..
superglue? eek! doesn't that hurt to take off? beautiful sound from your kalimba. i'm researching to buy one. there's only one retailer in the state of illinois that sells them, hopefully i can stop by to pick one up! i'm excited!
Mark what can i say???,you are the best, is deeply beautiful and inspiring everything you do with the kalimbas, now I want one of these beauties, your music is a blessing, thank you!
Hi, first I would like to say you are a very good Kalimba player. I have a question, I am trying to create a Kalimba for a school project thats due this friday, can you give me any suggestions on what type of material i can use for the keys of the Kalimba, I am looking at the rake prongs but I am afraid that it is too flemsy and that it won't make a loud enough sound. Thanks
Hey Mark! Thanks for the book and the sample keys. I'm putting the finish on my 4th kalimba (one alto, 3 eight-note diatonics in various keys) and hope to finish a pentatonic in the next day or so. I'm going through keys like popcorn! I'll order some more books and maybe 15' of key material. I'm not sure I know when to use 3mm vs 5 mm, stiff vs floppy though.
Floppy is for lower notes, stiff is for higher notes. Narrow vs wide? The wide might be louder. Certainly if you wanted to make a smaller kalimba, or have more tines, the narrow would be good. -M
thats the problem...those are hardened steel plates...what I will try: make some plates of different length than put into a fire until they are red and put them fast into the water or oil...thats how it is made
I love how this has the feel of a music box, which is one of my favorite kinds of musical sounds. I wish I had been raised to play something beautiful like this instrument.
I put it into a different tuning with the root in the bass - just like the Alto kalimba - and also scraped off the paint on 5 previously painted tines, and then painted 6 other tines, so that it "looks and feels" like an Alto kalimba (ie, the Alto is meine Muttersprache, but this one is more angelic).
i have that exact one i dont know how to play anything tho thats how i came across this but beautiful you have now made up my mind to learn how to play it :)
love the interest you show to replies Kalimbamagic, I was actually born in the Congo in the 50's, but the times I reffered to in the memories are in Kinshasa in the 70's, we had a guard (sinzili) in the yard all night long, and some of them would play the kalimba (mbira) and the melodies were continuous .I would then run out and listen them play around a bonefire for hours.Cheers Luc
very nicely done, great melody too! reminds me when I lived in Africa. those sounds were pretty common in the neighborhoods and always attracted my interest.
Is the kalimba an easy instrument to learn and play? It looks incredibly fun, not to mention it produces a beautiful sound! the harmonies between notes are amazing! I play the piano, so I was wondering if I'd have an advantage at learning and where I should begin?
Yes - Cloud Nine Marimbula is my favorite. Also, there are a few people who post Marimula videos on YouTube I believe. I'd love to hear a choir with kalimbas! -Mark
lol maybe you could ship a couple to my school, and i will advertise them for you :D haha, 1st i would have to rewire my brain into thinking the center is low and left and right are high notes lol
hi this is james faulkner. Ive been playing my 12 note kalimba i found in my uncles attic for about a year now and im fairly decent. I was looking on kalimbamagic site and about to order an alto or tremble and some begginer books and cds. What books and type would you suggest I buy as a novice to that style kalimba
I am a big fan of the Alto as a beginner's instrument - my Alto was my favorite kalimba for about 18 or 20 years - and now I love this Bb Treble best (it is a Treble that has been repainted and retuned to behave as if it were an Alto). The Alto has 15 notes, and will be a mild stretch from the 12 note... but it has 2 full octaves, which really takes you to a new set of musical possibilities.
I really love the sound of this beautiful instrument though I've never owned. I hear the hugh tracy kalimbas are the best and most exspensive and very easy to tune. There are so many to choose from. Some have from eight to seventeen keys and come in a range of treble and bass. I've done a little research on them, but I'm not sure which one is best for a beginner like myself. Can you tell me which ones I should start out with
I recommend the Alto for beginners, unless they are very young (8 or 11 or 12 notes), have small hands (treble), want a more ethnic sound (karimba or pentatonic), or want something that is easier and always beautiful (Sansula). -Mark
Very Nice.For some reason makes me want to travel the world and open up a list of possibilities i could do.Thanks for the listen,and keep up the good work.
WOW! If I wrote down a list of goals for my music to accomplish, I never would have thought of your words, yet, perhaps this could be one of the highest things my music could achieve - to open up the possibilities of the world to someone!
The sound you hear is mostly a blend of vibrations from the surface of the wood and vibrations of the air in the resonating chamber. The air chamber has a broad resonance - there are several notes in the midrange that are amplified because the air in the box vibrates more strongly at the frequencies of those notes. When you cover the holes (two on the back too), the air in the box resonates at different frequencies - ie, an analog wah-wah effect from 1000 year old African technology!
Wow!
umbalaba 2 weeks ago
Love this. Most people don't seem to realize that the banjo started out as an african instrument if im not mistaken and you can't get much more non african than that now.
auntbecky 1 month ago
what a nice song !
I'm interested in kalimbas,i'm going to buy one from ebay.
I'd love if you'd make a video of sigur ros-hoppipolla,I think that song would sound great on kalimba! (:
kiiiksas 2 months ago
I love this rhythm, just wonderful man.
itworkss 4 months ago
That... is awesome.
elvickRULES 6 months ago
que bonito que suena
escritorproscrito 8 months ago
People who didn't paly calimba can not talk anything or press dislike button. Calimba is instrument with big soul :)
dbbification 9 months ago
I like the dance you do there.
But really, if my dad didn't go off on a tangent about having too many instruments, I'd totally get one of these. Quite a unique sound. :D
maygan62697 11 months ago
oooooooo, quiero una kalimba
shiru666666 1 year ago
It is very interesting this video and all that I have found here. I never even knew what kalimba really is. Nice video.
MozartHeir 1 year ago
4 users are deaf or have no souls
MarcoTUV 1 year ago 6
Some people are offended that that kalimba can play music besides traditional African music, but thanks for the vote of support! -Mark
kalimbamagic 1 year ago 6
@kalimbamagic im wondering how this lovely performance can have negative votes but im sure most came from jealous ppl Actlually i favorited your vid man
thank you so much for sharing your vids
MarcoTUV 1 year ago
@kalimbamagic
This version actually has a distinct African flavour. I think that instruments shouldn't be reserved to play a certain type of music. Any instrument is a source of creativity, not a source of constraint.
Keep up the good work! :)
knullbamse 11 months ago 6
K, I totally agree, thanks for the comment! -Mark
kalimbamagic 11 months ago 2
I love this video. It is amazing in pretty much every way, and when it kicks in around 0:23 I am blown away. Fantastic. I think I know what I am buying for Christmas!
scooter28t 1 year ago
awesomely done
RayFeelaveR 1 year ago
Mark, how is it that you slide over the tines so easily? (you do what I'm referring to a few times starting around 1:00 ) do you use your nail? Mine tends to catch on the sides of the tines when I try that. Do you just do it very lightly? Are your fingertips ever involved in your playing?
I'm sorry if the question is confusing, but I'd appreciate any help. :)
xxIreneCaffeine 1 year ago
This is a glissando - first, thumb nails help, It is a learned technique, the main thing is to know how far to go and where to stop. Maybe file your nail? Imagine surfing over the waves - ie, tilt one side down, and move in the opposite direction. If you go to the Kalimbamagic website, in the upper left corner is a search window - search for glassando and you can learn more about it.
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
@kalimbamagic Oh! I think I understand now. Do you tilt your nail to face the direction you're moving? I had been doing it the other way around, with the bottom of my thumb leading, so the underside of my nail would clip the tines as I passed over them. Thank you so much! And thanks for telling me the technical term. :)
xxIreneCaffeine 1 year ago
what size is this? at least what size do you think? small medium or large? i think i will invest in a kalimba soom ;-)
randomandkool 1 year ago
This is the Hugh Tracey Treble Kalimba. People with smaller hands tend to prefer this to the ALTO Kalimba.
The ALTO kalimba's box is 8 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches, and the TREBLE's box is slightly smaller: 7 x 5 x 1.25 inches. Even though the Alto is larger, the Treble has more tines: 17 to the Alto's 15. The Treble's tines are 4mm wide, and the Alto's are 5mm wide, so you can fit 17 Treble tines into a space narrower than the Alto's 15 Tines. -Mark
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
is it a cover? who's the real singer/band?
JacobEmily1 1 year ago
John Lennon of The Beatles, nowhere man? -mark
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
@kalimbamagic i know the song off course, but it doesn't sound the same.
JacobEmily1 1 year ago
Well, it is performed without vocal, and arranged on a kalimba. But the core melody should sound the same. You don't hear it?
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
Awesome!
charnk 1 year ago
Ok, I've got it now. The bridge wasn't in the right place, so I've moved it towards the top of the tines. I didn't know I could do that but i knew my kalimba looked different from all the others I've seen online. Managed to tune it with a chromatic tuner in a matter of minutes. Just need to learn how to play it now! I've already added Kalimba Magic to my favourites so I'll be looking in on you regularly now.
bodgebailey 1 year ago
I bought a second hand HT kalimba recently but I'm recently struggling to get it tuned. It's got 17 tines so I thought it was a treble kalimba, but the longest tines on mine reach nowhere near the sound hole like yours.
bodgebailey 1 year ago
B,
What note does the longest tine play? You can see a tuning chart at my KalimbaMagic website - look on the left for "How to Play the Kalimba" and then go to "Treble"
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
Gooooooooooooooooood *-*
SMvideosBR 1 year ago
c'est merveilleux mec ^^
brunowaro 1 year ago
I have launched on my kalimba journey with a nice HT Kalimba. You are great! What modifications did you make? Thanks
mandolinman58 1 year ago
If you search the internet for Bb Treble Kalimba you can read all about the details. three tines per octave have been flattened by 1/2 step from standard Treble tuning, I scraped off the paint from 5 tines, and then repainted 6 other tines - all of this make the Bb Treble "look and feel" like an Alto kalimba (but with an extra high note on each side). BUT it sounds like a Treble, with its high, clear voice.
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
This might sound daft, but is that instrument easy to learn/play?
annie482000 1 year ago
Its complicated to explain.
If you have piano ingrained in your mind, it is hard.
If you can accept that high notes are on both the far right and left, it isn't hard.
I am one of the better players, BUT I also write many things out in tablature so other people can learn to play what i play.
If you are interested, visit my site Kalimba Magic and look at the Learn To Play Kalimba section. -Mark
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
I am Amazed
fyx13579 1 year ago
beautiful
popomczowzow 1 year ago
African GameBoy FTW!!!
eddyMx 1 year ago
@eddyMx LMFAO....
blueblazinfox 1 year ago
Does anyone know Yoshis Island for Snes? It sounds like the End Musik :D
MrApfeltaschentuch 1 year ago
@MrApfeltaschentuch i know right? i love that game T_T
blueblazinfox 1 year ago
i want one of these.does anyone know where I can find an inexpensive one?
kiloelo 1 year ago
Ah, if only it were that easy! This one is the Original Hugh Tracey Kalimba from Africa, and it costs over $100 (I sell the Hugh Tracey kalimbas at my web store) - if you go on eBay, you may find used HTs for $30 or $40, but you will also find several kalimbas that LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THIS ONE, but are Mid East Ethnic kalimbas (made in Pakistan) and cost $30 and are absolutely unplayable. Basically, you get what you pay for, unless you are very lucky or very good. -Mark
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
@kalimbamagic
hey!
do you maybe know where to buy good kalimba in London??? :) thank you!
Airiann1 1 year ago
beautiful playing! thanks again for the 12 note catania gourd u sold me! it's so nice and it plays really well! - kim
kakak00l 1 year ago
thanks for putting a smile on my face, beautiful sound.
greetings from germany.
MrBassSlapp 1 year ago
Ahh sorry but I forgot to ask more question I had! Umm are kalimbas loud? I mean I don't like to use pickups... Would I be able to use a mic instead?
crazycrazyV 1 year ago
They hold up fine against one or two acoustic guitars - ESPECIALLY the treble, which seems to cut above the guitars with its slightly higher range.
If you play with an acoustic band, micing the kalimba in a live amplified setting works. If you play with loud bass and drums, you might not be able to get a loud enough signal through the mic without feeding back. -M
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
Ahh beautiful-- It's vids like these that inspire me to get a kalimba!! Ahh, but I'll have to wait till Christmas... :( Aha, btw I know you modified your kalimba to Bb or something like that, that just means you tuned it down right? I mean, this and all of the other songs you have posted can still be played on an unmodified kalimba right? Ahh sorry, but I just feel so inspired by your vids to pick up a kalimba! As soon as I get one this will definitely be the first song I learn, because of you:)
crazycrazyV 1 year ago
To get to Bb, I gave it Bb, Eb, and F# -> F --- which puts the root note in the bass. This is set up just like an ALTO, except it is in a different key, and it has two extra tines one on either side at the top. SO it reads ALTO tablature, but can do a few things the alto cannot as it goes higher. I have tablature for NowhereMan for ALTO, TREBLE, and Bb Treble. -M
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
@kalimbamagic ahh you have tabs for treble to then!! :) aha yaay because I was planning on getting the treble but without modifying it. thanks so much!!
crazycrazyV 1 year ago
BEAUTIFUL =D Did you make this? And I do want the tabs.
SirLovestain 1 year ago
this is really sick, can you send the tabs to me? i would love to learn it
timstruffert 1 year ago
Send me your email address and I will send you the tablature as an attachment. -Mark
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
excellent très jolie
Pierreetcharlotte 1 year ago
how loud are they? like, how far away can you hear it?
MountainQueen 1 year ago
Dear Queen,
The Hugh Tracey Treble Kalimba (this model) has a high clear tone that carries well. Two days ago I did a performance at the Oro Valley branch library, and 60 kids and adults were present in a large meeting room, and I performed without amplification, and as nobody complained, I assume everyone heard the music. The Treble is well matched in volume to play with a hard-strummed acoustic guitar. -Mark
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
i love it
lola511e 1 year ago
WOW! how long have yo been playing. I just received onelast week. I hope I'll become this good.
SimplyZeal 1 year ago
Awesome!!!
Icequeenxxx 1 year ago
"Hugh Tracy " Kalimba.. So the white man has appropriated one more thing from the black man. Do not pay him $100, make your own, as we do in Africa... It is not that hard. I know because I made some in my life...
papanzinga 1 year ago
Papa, they are made in South Africa in a company with both black and white men and women. MOST kalimbas now sold are made in Pakistan, Brazil, US. The Hugh Tracey kalimba is made in Africa. SO when someone pays $100 for a HT kalimba, the money supports black and white Africans.
BTW, on my web site I do show people how to make their own kalimbas, but the HT kalimbas are way better than any that I have made. The HT Kalimba was the first one to be exported from Africa, it has a good history.
kalimbamagic 1 year ago 9
How much do these things usually cost?
jambi880 1 year ago
This one - the Hugh Tracey Kalimba - runs a bit over $100. There are inexpensive Pakistani copies of these ones that run about $30, but I can't make them make music - they are getting better, but I don't think they've caught up yet. There are smaller instruments made by Steve Catania (8 and 12 notes) that cost $35 - $75 - they are pretty good. -Mark
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
@kalimbamagic OK. Thanks for the reply.
jambi880 1 year ago
ok. THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
fess04 1 year ago
you are amazing!! i have one but i can't play it all that well. this song is adorable
EmiOfTheCentury 1 year ago
ahhh,,,that tune makes me smile :) in felt someone like to shoot some love arrows...did i mentioned cupid? <3
albertarussia 1 year ago
Outstanding. Would you play Music Box Dancer please?
SomeDumbDesertDude 1 year ago
I have played that song like once - I will try t play it a bit more and see if it doesn't get filmed. -MH
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
i like the clips i was wonderin why u have some notes a different color?
mccormick1145 1 year ago
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mccormick1145 1 year ago
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mccormick1145 1 year ago
very nice sweet sound
774n 1 year ago
i like your dance movements :D
saraheartyou 1 year ago
Nice work. where did you get your thumb piano from and how much was it?
Ali
alilacey 1 year ago
awesome, you're really good!
Jorickhoofd 1 year ago
Sounds like a Rhodes piano. Basically they both work on the same principal. The Rhodes has different length tines as well.
deerfish3000 1 year ago
thats not a bird house its a kalimba
reignfyrfli 1 year ago
wow, that bird house sounds amazing!
Rael0505 1 year ago 42
@Rael0505 LOL
TheTumboos 1 year ago
I have been plucking away at my kalimba for 35 years .
I never sounded that good !!!
Well payed !!!
cobbingman 1 year ago
wooa!! very nice clip my friend!!
hey! i was wondering......
where i can buy a kalimba like that! i want to play thah piece too!!
very cool video!! :)
chendolandia 1 year ago
Chen,
Send me your email address and I'll send you the tablature for Nowhere Man - I have it for Alto, Treble, and Bb Treble (this video is of the Bb Treble, my own little invention made by transforming a Treble to feel like an Alto). To get a kalimba, search on the internet for Kalimba Magic - and if you use the coupon code CAT09 at checkout you will get 10% off. -Mark
kalimbamagic 1 year ago
this video just made my day
rocksthedean 2 years ago
great song and amazing playing,very funny.
How can I make this instrument by myself?
it seems to me easy to make...
zkl82 2 years ago
@zkl82 kalimbas were made with anything that can vibrate, thats all i know :D
saraheartyou 1 year ago
cool
yudiweb 2 years ago
I was wondering if the tone of a kalimba gets better with age. I know a guitars tone can become better with age depending on the wood and the temperature setting its in.
raekwik11 2 years ago
Awesome. So cool. I wish I could play a kalimba, but my nails split and break so easily, it'd be a nightmare to try. :(
MorsmordreMaiden 2 years ago
omg that was so freakin cool!!!!!!!!!
hina9292 2 years ago
great piece
visnevskiscom 2 years ago
muuuuito bom
amanita1000 2 years ago
great playing ,...! I am a Cigar Box Guitar builder and just learned what a karimba was yesterday... you have inspired me to start building one and learn to play... Thanks man!
mezzy1968 2 years ago
A kid recently handed me an eight tine kalimba not knowing what it was. I tuned it up and played around with it, and thought of this performance. I guess I'm saying this stuck with me, kudos pal..
MuteR 2 years ago
do you have your thumbnails grown out to play?
organist121893 2 years ago
Yes - I paint them with superglue when I have lots of gigs, so they don't break or wear down -Mark
kalimbamagic 2 years ago
thanks i'll keep that in mind. i'm learning kalimba
organist121893 2 years ago
superglue? eek! doesn't that hurt to take off? beautiful sound from your kalimba. i'm researching to buy one. there's only one retailer in the state of illinois that sells them, hopefully i can stop by to pick one up! i'm excited!
dtulua 2 years ago
I don't take it off - it wears off. -M
kalimbamagic 2 years ago
deeeeyaaaam... that's some wear and tear for ya. but.... what's music without a little sacrifice. lol... i love this video!
dtulua 2 years ago
Was Earth, Wind & Fire one of your inspirations to learn the Kalimba?
klwewf 2 years ago
Mark what can i say???,you are the best, is deeply beautiful and inspiring everything you do with the kalimbas, now I want one of these beauties, your music is a blessing, thank you!
TheRodrigoaquino 2 years ago
Hi, first I would like to say you are a very good Kalimba player. I have a question, I am trying to create a Kalimba for a school project thats due this friday, can you give me any suggestions on what type of material i can use for the keys of the Kalimba, I am looking at the rake prongs but I am afraid that it is too flemsy and that it won't make a loud enough sound. Thanks
Angemon3396 2 years ago
Sure, rake tines should be good. Street sweeper brushes are made of more slender metal tines, they work well.
Will send you a link to some info about building kalimbas. -Mark
kalimbamagic 2 years ago
Great work , 5***** !!
Now, interestingly I think I am going to make one of these for my dad this Christmas, think you could send me that information as well?
crazyhapi 2 years ago
hello mark
could I have the link as well? I am trying to build one too just for fun
thank you!
koojean 2 years ago
very nice work
rogerd1955 2 years ago
fantastic is this kalimba with electric pick up? which book has no where man?
Midget4Eva123 2 years ago
Nowhere Man is in No Book - but I give the tablature away attached to emails.
This is an old treble, made before they started putting pickups in them. It is the Bb Treble. It does come with an optional pickup. -MH
kalimbamagic 2 years ago
on se croirait presque en Afrique ! mais juste presque... Bravo quand même ! joli !
jazzman78190 2 years ago
really cool man. Good job.
enyajustice 2 years ago
are the tabs useful if its the only one in the world tuned in this way ò_Ó ???? xDDDD
Qwonks 2 years ago
Two answers - I have translated the tablature to work for the Alto and the standard Treble.
===================================
And since making this video, I have sold about 100 of the Bb Treble kalimbas, so it is no longer the only one of its kind in the world. -Mark
kalimbamagic 2 years ago
wait...are you still selling this kind of Kalimba?
xXpezcoolXx 2 years ago
Yes!
kalimbamagic 2 years ago
how much are you selling them?
xXpezcoolXx 2 years ago
They are 110, or 122 with the electric pickup.
kalimbamagic 2 years ago
wow, i want one now! lol. That's amazing and great choice of tune! :-) x
ruth7784 2 years ago
cool, it almost sounds like a guitar strumming in some parts!
PinkTorpedo11 2 years ago
Great playing! That wah-wah effect w/ the soundhole is amazing!
unnaturaltragedy 2 years ago 2
that was great, I need to learn how to play the kalimba
tstorm004 2 years ago 2
Hey Mark! Thanks for the book and the sample keys. I'm putting the finish on my 4th kalimba (one alto, 3 eight-note diatonics in various keys) and hope to finish a pentatonic in the next day or so. I'm going through keys like popcorn! I'll order some more books and maybe 15' of key material. I'm not sure I know when to use 3mm vs 5 mm, stiff vs floppy though.
a0e0roberts 2 years ago
Floppy is for lower notes, stiff is for higher notes. Narrow vs wide? The wide might be louder. Certainly if you wanted to make a smaller kalimba, or have more tines, the narrow would be good. -M
kalimbamagic 2 years ago
Comment removed
Eckie1 2 years ago
what are those stint iron? where I can find to build one myself?
ilretaggio2 2 years ago
thats the problem...those are hardened steel plates...what I will try: make some plates of different length than put into a fire until they are red and put them fast into the water or oil...thats how it is made
313EDO 2 years ago
whoo this makes me happy!
arjantjeee 2 years ago
This must take you forever to memorize? I dont know if I could even attempt to memorize which little things to push down.
Really beautiful though!
Joeyv415 2 years ago
i just love this sound xDD
aznriceball95 2 years ago
I love how this has the feel of a music box, which is one of my favorite kinds of musical sounds. I wish I had been raised to play something beautiful like this instrument.
SakuraSamael 2 years ago
Then again, you can always learn now. -Mark
kalimbamagic 2 years ago
The awesome song coupled with how he bounces up and down with the song makes this so fun to watch.
asianphobia 2 years ago
WOW your really good. I just bought one yestarday and cant wait to be able to play well
evon53704 2 years ago
wow! im amazed...how is it modified? i don't know much about them, i just love their sound...haha!!
peace
wilko2409 2 years ago
I put it into a different tuning with the root in the bass - just like the Alto kalimba - and also scraped off the paint on 5 previously painted tines, and then painted 6 other tines, so that it "looks and feels" like an Alto kalimba (ie, the Alto is meine Muttersprache, but this one is more angelic).
kalimbamagic 2 years ago
i have that exact one i dont know how to play anything tho thats how i came across this but beautiful you have now made up my mind to learn how to play it :)
taylorppmac7 2 years ago
u were dancinggg!!!! XD that was awesome!!!! i wish i could do that ^_^
metalxhead94 2 years ago
I remember this on the movie, this would of fit in perfectly with there voices, I think any way...
buminachair 2 years ago
Beautiful.
Great idea.
CaptainPillowMusic 2 years ago
That was magic man.... well done!!
MARTINBENITO 2 years ago
love the interest you show to replies Kalimbamagic, I was actually born in the Congo in the 50's, but the times I reffered to in the memories are in Kinshasa in the 70's, we had a guard (sinzili) in the yard all night long, and some of them would play the kalimba (mbira) and the melodies were continuous .I would then run out and listen them play around a bonefire for hours.Cheers Luc
abl78 2 years ago
Wow - that sounds enchanting!
kalimbamagic 2 years ago
very nicely done, great melody too! reminds me when I lived in Africa. those sounds were pretty common in the neighborhoods and always attracted my interest.
abl78 2 years ago
Where and when were you in Africa? In many places, the kalimbas have died out, so I am interested in your memories and your experience! -Mark
kalimbamagic 2 years ago
Is the kalimba an easy instrument to learn and play? It looks incredibly fun, not to mention it produces a beautiful sound! the harmonies between notes are amazing! I play the piano, so I was wondering if I'd have an advantage at learning and where I should begin?
gnomeater 2 years ago
It is easy to make nice music, and hard to master.
Will send you an email with a web link to a learning page.
kalimbamagic 2 years ago
is there such thing as a bass Kalimba? but these sound wonderful, i wanna get a few for my school and use them with the choir lol
Fer3ss 2 years ago
Yes - Cloud Nine Marimbula is my favorite. Also, there are a few people who post Marimula videos on YouTube I believe. I'd love to hear a choir with kalimbas! -Mark
kalimbamagic 2 years ago
lol maybe you could ship a couple to my school, and i will advertise them for you :D haha, 1st i would have to rewire my brain into thinking the center is low and left and right are high notes lol
Fer3ss 2 years ago
you rule
BassManCrenshaw 3 years ago
wow thats so beautiful
musikTECH 3 years ago
I would like the tab.
LightGraffiti 3 years ago
Ok, you are really too cool, I'm subscribing now.
BellyRubProductions 3 years ago
hi this is james faulkner. Ive been playing my 12 note kalimba i found in my uncles attic for about a year now and im fairly decent. I was looking on kalimbamagic site and about to order an alto or tremble and some begginer books and cds. What books and type would you suggest I buy as a novice to that style kalimba
jross8998 3 years ago
I am a big fan of the Alto as a beginner's instrument - my Alto was my favorite kalimba for about 18 or 20 years - and now I love this Bb Treble best (it is a Treble that has been repainted and retuned to behave as if it were an Alto). The Alto has 15 notes, and will be a mild stretch from the 12 note... but it has 2 full octaves, which really takes you to a new set of musical possibilities.
Best of luck! -Mark
kalimbamagic 3 years ago
On your site you said you like to play with your wife as well.
Have you ever thought of posting a joint play video? That would be astonishing.
fireseed23 3 years ago
I will work on that!
kalimbamagic 3 years ago
i would very much like the tab for this song, if you would so oblige me :)
x127819x 3 years ago
Hello - send me an email at mark (at) kalimbamagic (dot) com and I'll send you the tablature as an attachment.
kalimbamagic 3 years ago
hey, this is awesome!!
I love this song. What kind of instrument is this? i like the sound very much.
Keep on
Pseikokatze 3 years ago
are you available for birthday parties?
willashland 3 years ago
Where?
kalimbamagic 3 years ago
wow very very good
koolandy 3 years ago
i had a cheap one once but it broke.. that one looks pro. great great performance!
kukrinja 3 years ago
very nice! you should do "she's a rainbow" by the stones
myxomatosized 3 years ago
I really love the sound of this beautiful instrument though I've never owned. I hear the hugh tracy kalimbas are the best and most exspensive and very easy to tune. There are so many to choose from. Some have from eight to seventeen keys and come in a range of treble and bass. I've done a little research on them, but I'm not sure which one is best for a beginner like myself. Can you tell me which ones I should start out with
roz3657 3 years ago
I recommend the Alto for beginners, unless they are very young (8 or 11 or 12 notes), have small hands (treble), want a more ethnic sound (karimba or pentatonic), or want something that is easier and always beautiful (Sansula). -Mark
kalimbamagic 3 years ago
where do you get kalimbas from? you inspire me to get one
kazukun8 3 years ago 4
I import kalimbas from Africa, Germany, and Pennsylvania (OK, maybe that isn't importing) and sell them from my Kalimba Magic web site.
I only sell musical instruments that I myself am proud to play at performances.
kalimbamagic 3 years ago
Very Nice.For some reason makes me want to travel the world and open up a list of possibilities i could do.Thanks for the listen,and keep up the good work.
SuperMeows 3 years ago 5
WOW! If I wrote down a list of goals for my music to accomplish, I never would have thought of your words, yet, perhaps this could be one of the highest things my music could achieve - to open up the possibilities of the world to someone!
kalimbamagic 3 years ago
How much does a Kalimba cost?
BassFreak7 3 years ago
Prices vary. The ones I play run $35 to $240, this one is available for about a hundred. They are one of the great joys of my life. -M
kalimbamagic 3 years ago
VERY NICE DUDE !
Tell me one thing .. What's the Hole for ? To make vibrations in the sound ?
thank you !
Mathewss1 3 years ago
The sound you hear is mostly a blend of vibrations from the surface of the wood and vibrations of the air in the resonating chamber. The air chamber has a broad resonance - there are several notes in the midrange that are amplified because the air in the box vibrates more strongly at the frequencies of those notes. When you cover the holes (two on the back too), the air in the box resonates at different frequencies - ie, an analog wah-wah effect from 1000 year old African technology!
kalimbamagic 3 years ago
so nice!
fwin13 3 years ago
omg you have lots of skill,amazing keep it up.
hilloty 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
cyber? check out muh profile and msg me on MSN!! w
MAROONPHEONIX 3 years ago
Absolutely the most pleasant and soothing song i have ever heard. I'm a metalhead and that put a smile on my face. Kudos to you.
kemuksigak 3 years ago