Collection: Kalimba

WHAT IS A KALIMBA?
Small  African instrument , the Kalimba , also called " piano thumb", is composed of a body on which are fixed steel blades, that are to be touched with the thumbs in order to produce sounds.

its learning is quick and easy, and does not require any knowledge of music. (A bit of practice, and the trick is done:)
Its small size allows it to stay in a handbag, it can follow you everywhere!

Kalimba is an excellent music therapy tool, it pleases babies, calms children and adults, helps reduce stress and anxiety.
Smell the odor of wood, feel the soothing vibrations of kalimba when you play it, and let the sound of his voice relax you.

Poopoopidoo offers different wood species to find the one that speaks to you the most. We advise you to take the time to listen to each instrument before making your choice, because each material has its own sound. We make sure before sending that the kalimbas are tuned and that there is no mute touch.
All instruments have been selected for their quality of manufacture and sound, so you won’t be disappointed.
You will find in the products we offer, quality instruments made in China, as well as instruments handmade by our care in our workshop located in Charente, France!

WHAT KIND OF KALIMBA MUST I CHOSE?

FLAT : FLAT are the thinner ones . They are solid, low to medium volume, suitable for the smallest hands and for beginners. Usable from 3 years old for models 8 keys, 4 years for models 17 keys.

HOLLOW: They are equipped with a resonance box, a bit like guitars.  The sound sustain is lesser compared with  FLAT kalimbas, but their volume is much higher, which makes it possible to be heard better in a noisy environment. The holes allow to play using a "wah wah" effect. Thicker than the flat, they are more suitable for teenagers and adults.

Among these two types are two kinds of kalimba: 
Diatonic kalimba, with only one row of keys (with the exception of kalimba 20 seed keys which have two rows) usually represent the white notes of a piano keyboard.
Simple to start playing but in case of half tone in a musical piece , it will be necessary to change the tuning of a key which can be quite annoying in the long term, and a possible risk of not haviing enough keys on some pieces if half tones are numerous!

Chromatic kalimba, which have two rows of keys, a row equivalent to the white notes of a piano keyboard, a row equivalent to the black notes of the piano. So you have complete range, and possibility to play larger varieties of music. You no longer run out of notes, and the "ear" composition is simpler. These kalimba are suitable for beginners as well as experienced musicians, depending on the type of tuning chosen.

What does the sound look like?
Watch the following video, played on a chromatic kalimba!