AID TO CHOOSE A KALIMBA

HELP IN CHOOSING A KALIMBA

I) DIATONIC OR CHROMATIC?

• lightweight, everyone can play it, even children.
• easy to use, from a young age.
• lots of choice (with sound box, without sound box, in a wide range of different materials!)
• less visually impressive than a chromatic color which can sometimes be a little scary (wrongly)

• no semitone (black piano keys) which means that if in a piece you have a semitone wandering around, you will have to retune a key to get the right note. And if you do sessions where you play several pieces, unless you have several instruments it can quickly become a real headache!
• a fairly limited number of keys for those who really want to have fun (yes, we sometimes end up getting stuck even with 21 keys , because of the missing half tones!)
• 3/4 of the time diatonic players end up feeling the need to switch to chromatic, finding themselves with one or more diatonics that are no longer needed on their hands.
• frustrating for people who are already musicians!!!!!

• evolving instrument: beginners will focus on the row of tones, and add the semitones little by little, when the need arises or when they feel ready
• Economic. Certainly when purchasing a chromatic is more expensive than a diatonic, because the instrument is more complete and the possibilities are much greater. But you avoid buying too many instruments (believe me, we quickly end up with a nice collection) which in the end will no longer all be played. a beautiful waste and not always easy to sell!
• There are no more tuning changes to make! That's the huge plus. All your semi tones are there and just waiting for your fingers to sing! it's very useful!
• depending on the type of tuning and the placement of the keys , the playing possibilities are varied, there are several, which leaves a lot of choice!
• a very wide variety of timbres and tunings to suit all ears

• The price. it is more expensive than a diatonic. in the trade, the price of diatonics varies (for a quality instrument) from 50 to 120€, diatonics range from 100 to 500€ for a kalimba with a resonance box! at poopoopidoo we are on a range between 100 and 150€ on kalimba with a full soundboard, and in this case, in the long term, it remains much more economical than the diatonic.
• it weighs more
• This can scare some people because the abundance of keys makes the instrument visually impressive.
   

II)CHOOSE THE RIGHT SOUND AND THE RIGHT TUNING

Choosing a kalimba can raise a number of questions that we will try to answer here! We will mainly focus on chromatics, but diatonic will also be approached sparingly.

Most brands today only tune in C and B. This is the norm.

Brands therefore often tend to have a “margin of error” where notes can be harsh or even downright silent. It costs less to replace the instrument of a dissatisfied customer than to waste time finding the perfect tuning for each piece of wood, when kalimba are manufactured by large companies, because the instruments come out of warehouses by the hundreds.

Regarding the non-redundant mode on a Chromatic kalimba , the reason is more technical: the keys sold commercially are not long enough to lower the tuning lower than in B.

It is important to know that the lower the tuning, the longer the keys , the longer the sounds last over time (therefore more beautiful highs!)

FIND THE RIGHT TUNING ACCORDING TO NEEDS
Budding musicians who go for C kalimba without looking further sometimes miss out on a choice more suited to their needs...

CHOICE BY USE:
If you just want to play with scores or play alone, if you want to use it for musical therapeutic use or for relaxation, the redundant or non-redundant modes can both be suitable, so choose the one that suits you best and carefully select the tone and tuning, according to your health and your mentality (further in the article)

If you want to create your own covers from your hearing, without sheet music support, or play with other instruments, a C tuning is recommended, it is the simplest for this use.

To compose, those who already have musical background, those who want the most complete instrument possible, non-redundant tuning is recommended for its wider range. Those who want the most quickly acquired instrument should look to redundant kalimba .

The other selection criterion is your mental state, your state of health, because certain tunings and certain timbres may be better suited than others. ( of course there are always some exceptions, I'm speaking as a general rule)
The choice of the timbre of an instrument can therefore greatly influence the sensation of music, and have effects on your state of mind.
These observations come from my personal observation and discussions over the last 3 years with clients I have met physically.

Optimistic personality, without stress/anxiety, neuro-typical, and/or People who do not hear bass sounds : generally this type of public goes for all types of timbres , with a small preference for bright/crystalline instruments , see sometimes metallic , like a music box or a chime, with all the tuning possibilities.
C and B are appreciated by people with partial deafness who will hear the high notes better, and will sometimes need a sound box (if your instrument does not have a sound box, placing the instrument flat on a closed shoebox will amplify the sound.)

Diatonic

• india
• opal

chromatic

• Blossoms at night
• India
• Borealis
• Spectra
• mt Doom

Anxiety disorder/stress : on the contrary, these people will often prefer more heat, more softness, more vibration, no metallic timbre, and a clear sound. In short, a search for a little cocoon of reassurance. The highs will tend to be aggressive, they can generate anxiety.
Generally the more severe the anxiety is, the lower the tuning , the warmer the instrument
G , F# F ou E  for redundant kalimba, 
B ou Bb for non redundant,
B ou A in 17K , or 21K for the bass tones
SUGGESTION :
Diatonic

• Me(LL)ow
• oceania 
• Maui
• Traveler  merisier, its little size make it a perfect companion to fight anxiety, since it fits in the handbag or a coat's pocket

Chromatic

• Opal
• Maui
• hestia
• breath
• borealis si la personne recherche un cristallin non agressif!

Neuroatypical people (ASD, ADHD, etc.) or with neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's type) the search for sensations and gentle stimuli is generally the same as with anxious people because these disorders are often accompanied by anxiety. There is also hypersensitivity, which can be tactile, or auditive. An instrument with a poorly adapted tone can cause stress, physical discomfort and sometimes even distress or disgust.

 

TSA/autisme

In redundant chromatic, people with autism spectrum disorder go 98% towards F#. Why? F# is a tuning that is a bass, but remains bright without being aggressive. This gives vibrant, warm kalimbas and at the same time with a positive spirit. Some kalimbas like Hestia can also have their little effect in F

non-redundant chromatic kalimba: B in 34K, Bb in 37K, not above.
A for 17K, or kalimbas in 21K since they have low sounds.
SUGGESTION 
Diatonic

• Me(LL)ow
• Maui

chromatic

• hestia en F 
• breath
• maui
• opal 

ADHD/ADHD in general this audience will prefer a tuning between G and F in chromatic, Unfortunately this disorder is very often accompanied with anxiety, so we will avoid the use of C as much as possible.
The E is often too low for ADHD who like to have a little bit of shine in their sound.

B and Bb  chromatic not redundant
G F# F in chromatic redundant
B in diatonic. IF there is strong anxiety, go down to A or prefer a 21K for the bass.

For the timbre, A bright but little or no metallic sound, with a little warmess, "balanced" timbres. neuro atypical people like to find a certain sound balance and great depth in their instruments.
MODEL SUGGESTION:

diatonic

• traveler
• Me(LL)ow

Chromatic

• -Breath
• Opal
• Maui
• Borealis
• Spectra (bass only id not can be a little too bold)
• blossoms at night
• Mt doom could suit excpet on deppressive state.

DEPRESSION
the choice in the depressive state is difficult because one can go through periods of better and worse. An instrument between crystal and warm could be a good alternative, with a positive spirit always, but a cocooning side with reassuring bass.
In the tunings we will rather choose a median tuning, neither aggressive nor too low, like the G in redundant and the B in non-redundant.
IN diatonic the B is suggested, but it is better to have 21K to allow the person to have the possibility of having more warmth if necessary.
SUGGESTED MODEL:
diatonic

• mellow 21
• oceania 21

Chromatic

• breath 
• opal
• maui
• borealis

Play music for babies
Little ones like crystal clear sounds without a metallic appearance and hear the highs better; they also need good sound projection so they don't have to play in their ears. I suggest a tuning in A (17K) a 21K diatonic or a non-redundant chromatic in A, G, or B so that the kalimba fits all babies
MODEL SUGGESTION:
-Me(LL)ow 17 and 21
-Opal
-Borealis
-Blossoms at night
-India 17K

For a person suffering from hyperacusis , they do not need a metallic timbre or crystalline lenses , they need roundness, softness and a low sound volume, therefore no resonance box . The tunings chosen are ALWAYS F or low E.
in diatonic, we will choose an instrument with a wood and metal support system - the wood acts a bit like a felt pad, it lowers the sound projection and erases excess of metallics, or an instrument with an all-metal system with a tuning similar to the chromatic (F or low E)
SUGGESTED MODEL:

• Opal 
• Hestia ( pour les hyperacousies très fortes)

Diatonic 

• traveler 17 oak
• oceania 21

What agreement to offer, in case of doubt?
A G or an F# . you are therefore right in the middle of the tuning range, impossible to go wrong, it corresponds to a large majority of the population!

IF you need more help with your choice, do not hesitate to send us an email! :)