How to PLAY KALIMBA (tips and techniques)

[@injectmewithyourlove]

I've just ordered a kalimba, it hasn't arrived yet but I'm very excited eek

[@LCkalimba]

That’s exciting. Welcome to the Kalimba Community. Hope you will get it soon and have a great time playing it. Feel free to check out my other tutorial on how to read Kalimba Tabs. Hope it will be helpful for you. 😆

[@injectmewithyourlove]

@@LCkalimba Thank you!

[@samule723]

Same to

[@jarelyely6882]

SAME

[@ukalistaxd9464]

Omg!!! me too

[@valaerysg6314]

flatboard kalimba players trying to accomplish the wah-wah effect: *shakes kalimba up & down aggressively*

[@linglong4045]

Val G omg thank you for the advice I was just searching on how to make the wah wah effect cause I have a flat board Kalimba 😂👌

[@valaerysg6314]

@@linglong4045 no worries :)

[@natureandme5831]

That's why I can't buy a flat one Until now (I still regret it)

[@hanna-jx3vc]

i dont even own a kalimba why am i here

[@LCkalimba]

There are Kalimba apps you can download to play 😆

[@brrsoap]

hanna same-

[@ImBlueDaBaDeeDaBaDaa]

Because you dream of playing it. Join us. Join. Us.

[@alyhkrsh]

same

[@miadavies3911]

@@ImBlueDaBaDeeDaBaDaa lel

[@erenebrucoskun2965]

I am a new kalimba user and although I am playing with the piano for more than 30 years this is so different..I am lucky that I have found you.Now I am beginning to study..Million thanks.

[@LCkalimba]

Glad this is helpful for you. Since you have experience playing the piano, you could also play some of the piano songs on the kalimba too. 😃

[@vienejericdaniellemanalo2148]

I feel like I'm on online class oml😂 jk I just ordered my kalimba and im very excited🥰 thank youuu

[@LCkalimba]

Haha... I hope the “online class” is helpful for you. 😂 What kalimba did you get?

[@SilktheSiren]

Just ordered mines can't wait 💃🎶

[@LCkalimba]

IndigoEyez13 👏🏼 Yay! That’s exciting. Which Kalimba did you get?

[@brandysumtime]

Thank you. I really enjoyed the lesson. You go slow And take time to explain things. I will definitely subscribe and hope to learn to play this thing eventually.

[@PeanutSpring3]

I just got a kalimba, and I feel this is mostly self explanatory, but I was surprised to see the wah wah and vibrato effects! I didn't even realize there was a hole in the back! I think my fingers just naturally covered them up! XD And I didn't even think to cover the front hole

[@toddlarson6846]

Thank you. This was very helpful.

[@Alcorelore]

Why am I watching this even tho I'm an artist and my kalimba hasn't even arrived yet but-uh....pretty worth it 😆!

[@rachelteoh8133]

I just ordered a kalimba... Can't wait to learn

[@LCkalimba]

Welcome to the Kalimba Community! What kind of Kalimba did you get? 😃

[@conniemartin9150]

Thank you. You give one of the best demonstrations on how to use the thumbs on the kalimba! You teach well!

[@irishflutegirl9022]

This is the sweetest little thing to play hymns on . I ordered one today ☺️

[@LCkalimba]

Yeah, welcome to the kalimba community. What kalimba are you getting? 😊

[@KIMJONGUNHATER]

I just found out about kalimba’s and I’m starting to love them lol

[@LCkalimba]

Chainß Glad you did, Kalimba is such a fun instrument to play. Love the sound of it ❤️

[@ImBlueDaBaDeeDaBaDaa]

Thank you for this video! I just got my beautiful blue Kalimba yesterday, and this really helped! 💙

[@LCkalimba]

Glad it’s helpful for you. Seems like you really like blue. That match with your name too. Hope you have fun learning kalimba. 😆

[@ImBlueDaBaDeeDaBaDaa]

LC kalimba I do love my blue, lmao 😂 Lots of love! 💙

[@姸姸-l6r]

Wow this actually helps me a lot,i am just wondering how to play really thanks

[@abib1487]

whoa,wah wah ,I learned new techniques thanks to you.

[@VitorHugo-sj6wb]

Thanks! helped a lot!

[@marieladomingo6068]

Learned something new again. Cool!

[@goldenJibaku]

Excellent! ❤

[@srishtichakraborty5994]

So well portrayed. Thank you so much for the help.

[@AlbiNiigataOuen]

1:47 速く弾いてはいけないということですか？速く弾こうとすると、「ズッ」という音がするから

[@Angya_Channel]

Thank you for this video!

[@lifespanwellnessbeauty-60i64]

I bought thumb picks from Propik. Much more comfortable than trying to play with your thumbs only.

[@LCkalimba]

I never try thumb picks. I am fine with playing with my thumbs though. For people who don’t have much nails, I think using thumb picks would be a good choice.

[@zuchilolotha7458]

I just bought a kalimba and it was very helpful

[@Miniflower25]

Thank you so much I have seen so many videos but no one said that clearly..Ur's is excellent ,, can u make more videos to teach kalimba

[@lioraluna4104]

I've never heard of that instrument before until my aunt bought me a kalimba for my bday now. Now im obsessed with it and.. wow thank you for that, althought I'm already pretty familiar with it, I learned a lot! I can't stop using the whawhaoohh (lmao) effect *~* great video! ^o^

[@LCkalimba]

Glad you can learn something new from my video. Hope you have fun playing more songs on your kalimba 😆

[@vinayakhegde1044]

Okiie senpai I start from today wish me luck 😊😊🧒

[@LCkalimba]

Good luck on your Kalimba journey! ☺️

[@camille_bchn]

Omg thanks for traduction 🤩, i’m french and this is very helpful !

[@LCkalimba]

Camille I just used auto translate. It’s not perfect, but glad it’s helpful for you. 😆

[@유유아이]

Thank you 😊 I had a hard time to play without vibration. So its because I always use only my nails .

[@johanna2030]

Thank you 💙

[@jazzie2967]

I need help! My high G and A are stiff. I already tried several methods such as paper and moving the tines around but none work out! :"((

[@LCkalimba]

I have heard other people try to lower the tune of their Kalimba from C to B, and worked for them. However, I haven’t tried this method myself yet, so I am not sure it that would work. Maybe you can give that a try.

[@trapsinc3017]

My first one arrives in a few hours

[@pepperbreeze2]

my dad is gonna get me a kalimba thank you

[@LCkalimba]

Yay, that’s exciting! Hope you will enjoy playing the Kalimba. ☺️

[@pepperbreeze2]

@@LCkalimba thank you i enjoyed this its helping me

[@h2.4.28]

I had cut my nails before I bought the kalimba. When I bought it, I can't wait for my nails to grow Haha!

[@alicecao8113]

When playing kalimba, should I memorize the placement of the keys (to play the kalimba while looking at the tabs/notes at all times) or should I memorize the tabs/notes for different songs instead (to look at the kalimba while playing without going back and forth to the tab/notes)? I've been playing the kalimba while looking at both the keys and tabs/notes at the same time, and it's a bit difficult to play smoothly.

[@LCkalimba]

I usually try to remember the notes of the song, and then play on the kalimba as I am familiar with notes on the kalimba.

[@alicecao8113]

@@LCkalimba Thanks for the tip!

[@SilverxWingx]

It's so nice to put names to things xD I just ordered my first kalimba and I was watching some cover videos and I kept seeing people play 2 and 3 notes together, it's nice to know that it actually has a name! Thank you so much for the wonderful video, I'm gonna go watch your how to read tabs one one now XD

[@LCkalimba]

Glad I hear that you found it to be helpful. XD

[@Whats1st]

Nice tutorial sis👍😊

[@jackdasnaccproductions8437]

I’m thinking of getting one because KZbin is telling me to. I also play violin so I guess I’m keeping all my nails short but my thumbs lol

[@LCkalimba]

It’s an easy and fun instrument to learn. I usually cut all my nails short and leaving my thumbs with 2-3mm long nails. 😆

[@lionel5786]

thank you

[@byisdead]

Awesome, I learned a lot, just need to order my Kalimba 😁

[@LCkalimba]

Glad this is helpful. Which Kalimba you plan to get? 😆

[@byisdead]

LC Kalimba planning to get a Gecko one, I think it’s good for beginners. Am watching your other videos as well.🙂

[@LCkalimba]

I don’t own any Gecko Kalimba, but i heard good reviews about it. Are you getting a hollow one or flat board one?

[@byisdead]

Was actually thinking of getting a hollow one originally, and most recommend Gecko. What would you recommend though? 🙂

[@LCkalimba]

By Decena It really depends on what you prefer. Personally I like the sound on flat board Kalimba more as it’s not as loud and the sound is more even across tines. Hollow Kalimba has a louder and deeper sound to it, lowest notes tend to be louder than higher notes. You can also do wah wah effect on it easily; whereas the flat board Kalimba is harder to do. Gecko and LingTing are both popular options for beginner. One more thing, do you live in a hot and dry place? If so, be aware of the type wood you choose. Some wood like Acacia could get crack easier due to dry and hot climates. I am thinking to make a video about my Kalimbas collection, not sure if people want to watch or not 😆

[@elisabethelchami7527]

when I pluck the tines, my nails wear out. I don't know if this will stop with time, the more I use nail strengthener. My nails are about 1.5 mm long, I try to shape them into circle, but my thumb is wide. So with short nails, I accidentally hit more than one tine at a time. Any tips for me?

[@noorinoora2627]

Want to ask are we suppos to close the back hole all time or its ok to keep open?

[@LCkalimba]

Hi there, it's okay to just keep the hole open. It really depends what you prefer. You can try it with the hole open and without, then decide which one you prefer. However, if you want to create the vibrato effect or wah wah effect, that's when you cover and uncover the hole. Some people like to add wah wah effect at the end of their song. You can be creative on which part of the song you want to add those effect, or you could play a whole song without adding any. I hope this answered your question.

[@divy.jotkulbhaskar3318]

This is good i like it

[@leekim8915]

Can you explain to me why there are like strips stickers on your tines?

[@LCkalimba]

It helps to identify the notes easier. The one with stickers are C4, A4, B4, G5, and A5, so when you see the stickers, you know right away what those notes are, and that can help you figure out the notes next to them as well. I hope this answered your question.

[@emmaerickson4707]

I asked my dad for a Kalimba I can’t wait to see if I get one

[@LCkalimba]

I hope your dad will let to u get one. Kalimba is such an easy and fun instrument to learn 😆

[@ruthlessrays9761]

Where did you buy your kalimba?

[@LCkalimba]

The one in the video, I got it from Amazon. I also got another one from April Yang’s store on AliExpress.

[@nadjafegele7565]

I got my kalimba 1 week ago and have already mislearned to play with my nails only 😓 > add the video to my new playlist 'Kalimba'

[@LCkalimba]

Hope this video can be helpful for you ☺️

[@connorjibben3277]

i don’t have long enough nails😭😂

[@LCkalimba]

You don’t need to have very long nails, just 2 mm for your thumbs would be good. Some people use Alaska pik. If you don’t want to your nails, you can try that. Personally I like to use my nails.

[@Lola-bg1nz]

𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

[@awesomespoon11]

If you have shorter nails, you can still play using the tip of your thumb, but it won’t be as loud and your thumbs will start to hurt after a while. If you don’t like growing your nails I recommend thumb picks which basically cover your thumb so you don’t get sore.

[@Mireillka]

If I really like how kalimba sounds with my nails filed to zero, will my thumbs get used to it and stop hurting? Or is that exactly the reason people keep the nails? I can even to Glissando but I'm suffering xD

[@LCkalimba]

As your fingers develop calluses, I think then it would got better. With glissando, i think it would be harder to do with no nails. 😆

[@jamiebucal3437]

Can’t do the glissando because the tines of my Kalimba are very hard and stiff. :((

[@LCkalimba]

How long have you been playing the kalimba?

[@fujoshi1019]

Hi I’m a new owner and a beginner, just a quick question If I’m going to play the Kalimba do I need to cover the Holes at the back? Please Answer me😢

[@LCkalimba]

Not necessary. It really depends on you. Some people don’t do that at all. Some people like to do that for the last part of the song. If you want to add wah wah effect to certain part of the song, feel free do it, or not do it at all. Hope this answered your question.

[@fujoshi1019]

LC kalimba when you’re playing your Kalimba do you cover the holes?

[@LCkalimba]

Fujoshi 101 I don’t as I like to play with my board Kalimba more, which doesn’t have hole.

[@ayasabiliii7393]

Her: Whichever way make you comfortable Me: Have an index in the back and the other on the side :3

[@LCkalimba]

Haha... How long have you been playing kalimba?

[@rehnaanliker6972]

Thank honestly a very helpful video

[@beetlejuice3637]

I'm gonna buy myself a kalimba for Christmas for myself lol.

[@LCkalimba]

That would be a nice gift to get. 😉

[@Lola-bg1nz]

ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ how can I do the glissando technique if I have very short nails? ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

[@LCkalimba]

Animal Love It’s harder to do the glissando when you don’t have nails. I usually try to leave 2mm long nails just on my thumbs. Some people use *Alaska Pic* to play though. You can try that if you don’t want to grow nails on your thumbs.

[@buttercupbaby8298]

Hello

[@LCkalimba]

Hi 🙋🏻‍♀️

[@taehunscocksucker6355]

I am imagining my tablet as a kalimba 😅😅😅cuz I don’t have one.....but I will have one....soon ig

[@LCkalimba]

There are Kalimba apps you can download to play. Hope you will get one soon. 😆

[@p0rTal_]

I always bite or „rip“ off my thumbnails. I really want to let them grow but it is so hard for me :(. Because of that, it’s really hard for me to play the kalimba

[@LCkalimba]

Amy Anastasija Mehlhorn Some people use external tool like Alaska Pik, maybe something you can look into if it’s hard for you to grow nails.

[@minachow2127]

MY NAILS OR SHORT THO. DOES THAT MEAN I CAN'T PLAY IT :(((((

[@LCkalimba]

Not really. You can try to use thumb picks to play it.

[@minachow2127]

@@LCkalimba okay!

[@mmm7442]

I don’t even have a kalimba and am sitting here with a bunch of school assignments in front of me, what am I doing here-

[@LCkalimba]

There are kalimba apps you can download to play on the phone 😆

[@mmm7442]

LC kalimba ah, thank you!

[@geumsoonkim1350]

Like👍🌹🌹🌹

[@adrijadas9282]

Can I learn kalimba on KZbin?

[@LCkalimba]

Yes, Kalimba is not too hard to learn. There are a lot of tutorials on KZbin that you can watch to learn.

[@adrijadas9282]

Thank u so much for replying...I want to ask you one more question...I don't know which Kalimba is the best and what is the actual price of a Kalimba...if you guide me I will be grateful to you...

[@LCkalimba]

I think the one you like is the best one 😆 really though, depends on what you like. Hollow Kalimba has deeper and louder sound (some might have issue with the higher notes of dead tines), you can look into LingTing or Gecko brand if you want a hollow one, seems like they have decent reviews. Flat board Kalimba tend to has less issue with the high notes. The sound is less loud than hollow Kalimba and has a more sweet tone to it. LingTing, Gecko, Hluru and Kimi brands are more of the popular one people get. Kimi is the acrylic/transparent one. I don’t own one, but people say it’s more heavy. The brand Hugh Tracey is more on the pricey side, but seems to be good quality as well. In term of price, it depends on your budget. Kalimba can really range from $17 to $100+. Unbranded could be good, but there’s a risk of the sound not being as good. LingTing, Gecko, Hluru are some of the more well known brands people get. I hope this helps.

[@adrijadas9282]

Thank u so much for replying...this will really help me a lot!This thank you is really very small in front of your help...😊😊😊

[@griptester44]

Frick the kalimba I ordered dont have holes.

[@LCkalimba]

Personally I like board kalimba a bit more than Kalimba with holes 😆

[@bluetwo2946]

me who just cut my nails: 😖

[@gyulakis-varday8943]

Just a humble reamark, if you don't mind. I find your video well informative, however, the background music is crap. Why any music other than the one displayed in the video? It1s so disappointing.

[@LCkalimba]

Thank you for your feedback. This was one of the first couple videos I made. Though it was not bad at the time, and the music was free to use lol. I actually wish didn’t include the background music, but it’s too late to change that. 😅

[@Jillydisco]

why am i bouncing while watching this

[@LCkalimba]

Maybe KZbin tells you to learn a new instrument? 😆

[@zealdyno7923]

When I just clip my nails. Bruh hate myself 😑💔

[@LCkalimba]

Zeal Dyno You can still play the Kalimba, just easier to play glissando when have nails, shouldn’t take too long to grow the nails again 😆

[@zealdyno7923]

I just starting to learn how to play and your channel is a good help. 👌❤️

[@LCkalimba]

Zeal Dyno Glad you find my channel helpful. Kalimba is an easy instrument to learn. I love the sound of it. Hope you have a great time playing it. ☺️

[@rnscn2549]

My nails are almost non-existent😔

[@LCkalimba]

Hmm, you could try Alaska pik.

[@runelledelacruz1214]

Is she Japanese?🤔

[@LCkalimba]

John Runelle A. Dela Cruz Nah, I am Chinese 😆

[@runelledelacruz1214]

@@LCkalimba 😯😁

[@itsjustsara7694]

🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢

[@LCkalimba]

???

[@sh4iv]

What?