Overtone Kalimbas - 3 new musical instruments & principles behind

Here we have 3 kalimba instruments with their overtones tuned to 2 octaves, 1 octave + a 5th, and 1 octave above the fundamental tone. It is shown how bending the tine lowers the overtone. A follow-up from the previous video • Kalimba tines: Modifyi... . My longest video so far, but you can find a summary at the end 13:24. No reverb added in this recording. BTW I get the spring steel wire from conrad.nl (or .de).

[@old_fatwrinkly2163]

Your inventiveness and willingness to share never ceases to amaze me. The chromatic kalimba I bought from you some time ago gets played every day. Thank you.

[@MeasuredWorkshop]

Excellent work as always! I'm always impressed and inspired by your work! I think I'm going to have to make an octave-tuned kalimba with this method, it sounds so unique and pure. Thanks for all the work you do!

[@tonginstruments]

Thanks, I remember your kalimbatone, very nice. Also did some overtone tuning there?

[@arenotdiy7280]

Wow! This is a great video, full to the brim with content. The idea of tuning the harmonics of your instrument really reminds me of the old Hammond organs, and you even got it to sound sort of like one, as well as like a steel drum! I must do this now :)

[@patriclouis2135]

The overtone at 1 octave is my favorite.... great sound

[@billwesley]

Your work is important and your playing beautiful, I hope acoustic scientists and creative artists are watching.Thanks again.

[@puppetpatti]

Super interesting! Beautiful sounds!

[@NGHmusic]

idk if its just the video, but the lower bass notes sounded better on the 1 and a 5th octave. I really love the low notes on this instrument, so cool.

[@igorcruzz]

The 1 octave overtone kalimba has the most beautiful kalimba sound that i've heard in times, you make a awesome work in these instruments, I wanted could build one of this for me ;-;

[@tonginstruments]

Thanks, I am going to continue with the overtone instruments: get the tuning more stable, and the layout easier to play. So one day I can offer it to musicians.

[@derekkatwijk]

@@tonginstruments How far are you with this? :)

[@tonginstruments]

@@derekkatwijk Heb al wat geexperimenteerd om de tongetjes meer op een lijn te krijgen, maar het klinkt nog niet 100%. Back to the drawing board...

[@Merlincat007]

The 1 octave sounds a bit more like a steel drum than any kalimba I've ever heard! Really cool. I think the 2 octave overtone is my favorite though.

[@element433]

Thank you for making these videos they are wonderful and full of very useful information. The nearly 90 degrees kalimba nearly sounds like an electric piano. Thank you for sharing.

[@777fiddlekrazy]

Absolutely beautiful!! *******My favorite is the one octave up overtone!!*******

[@kraftistbumerang]

amazing technique. Generous and gentle sharing of knowledge and experience. I am really impressed. Thank you. The 1 octave overtone was the one that impressed me the most. I guess i could listen one hour more that one octave overtoned kalimba.

[@DwightNewton]

Very nice sounds and interesting research. I had no idea bending the tines would have that effect. Brilliant.

[@rongpockle]

I love what you are doing here. I made a vibraphone a few years ago and had an interesting time tuning the overtones. I notice there are a few people asking about buying them. I think the amount of work hand building them would be prohibitive but there are ways around that (my job involves sourcing industrial quantities of things I design and build). There are wire factories that will precisely bend large numbers of wire shapes with a programmable machine. You could also get the wooden parts laser cut in just about any quantity you wanted. You could offer your kalimbas as a kit. Then you wouldn’t have to assemble the pre-made parts but it would be easy for someone buying one to do so.

[@tonginstruments]

Thanks, this is actually very interesting for me, cause I have been thinking about ways to speed up the production. A lot of the building requires precision actions and adjustments, so not sure if a kit is feasible for many customers.

[@rongpockle]

@@tonginstruments I’m always happy to help with production suggestions for a lovely instrument like this. First step would be doing CAD drawings of the parts you need to make the instrument. Sometimes a bit of redesign to suit larger production volumes is useful. Like making your bridge out of a solid shape rather than angle. Processes like laser cutting also make it easy to do things like rounded shapes for your soundbox. I also wondered if you’d experimented with different materials for your wires. Like spring steel vs mild steel.

[@AoR882]

Wow! This is very informative. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge.

[@AoR882]

I would like to ask. Is the wire made of spring steel also or just an ordinary wire?

[@shamardaniel4819]

Oh my god.. Your work is honestly revolutionary for kalimbas!😁

[@ghegozi]

Great job of research & experimentation!! Keep it up!

[@alpesta]

One of the most beautiful things in physics, thank you for the good explanation. :)

[@freshbeatz1413]

This actually sounds really good! You make a lot of really good instruments. You could make a lot of money selling these, I'd even buy one.

[@tonginstruments]

Thanks! But still somebody has to make them...

[@cameronwinn5242]

This is amazing! ❤❤

[@sound.workshop]

your design is so efficient. I really love it

[@lieciorodriguez]

Great ! Thanks

[@billwesley]

I like the sound of two octaves and a fifth plus the sound of one octave the best. A lot of people would treasure the one octave sound, you should market this.

[@TuniPanea]

very nice! Thanks a lot for sharing ;)

[@Diego_Occhipinti]

Beautiful

[@gillesdelahaie8377]

👍Génial ! J’aime beaucoup votre travail qui demande du temps, de la patience, des études approfondies sur le son et les harmoniques, et du talent d’inventeur et de bon bricoleur… Bravo ! Merci pour cette vidéo que j’ai enregistrée, afin de la regarder encore si j’ai un jour besoin de vos idées pour construire un instrument. Bien à vous. Gilles.👍✌️

[@carlpeberdy9086]

Thank you, it is very inspiring.

[@HarmonieZvuku-harfy-kalimby]

Hey there! This is a great research! Instruments sound really good and Im saying this as a man who made almost 1 thousand kalimbas :) I really like your video. I researched just tuning overtone to three octaves as you saw in my video and it makes some kind of heavenly sound but I also like yours! I really do! And if I wouldnt be making harps I would immediately start researching these ones :) Thank you very much for sharing, its a lot of work not just instruments but video also! Tomas

[@tonginstruments]

Thanks Thomas, I saw and enjoyed your kalimbas. Great that you're also applying overtone tuning

[@HarmonieZvuku-harfy-kalimby]

@@tonginstruments thanks. Yes! Iam overtone enthusiastic. I can tune them in lamela, in aluminium tube, wooden bar and even in ceramics! =D

[@muhrvis]

Remarkable. These produce wonderful music!

[@JTranDung]

oh my God! you are an expert

[@Thallishman]

I really enjoyed to listen to this. Both the sounds and the experiments/research you did. It so interesting to chance the timbre with the Overtones. The oct+5th sound like a "Rhodes Thumb piano. The octave version rings like a vibraphone. What you show here could be interesting for non chromatic kalimbas: chords tones in a lower bed, with tuned overtones, and melody tones on higher row, which remain fundamental. (or "chord"/overtone tines and the left thumb, melody on right).

[@Thallishman]

Also, these tinner tines seem to sustain more.

[@Thallishman]

13:05 you could use it with an pickup and an guitar amplifyer and have urself an rock 'n roll kalimba ;)

[@tonginstruments]

yes the wire tines have a bit more sustain than the flat ones

[@tonginstruments]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYLKnot-jZqGn8k

[@CommonQuirk]

This is amazing

[@arturomomo]

Beautiful and really clear explanation as always! Why wires? for better sound or easier construction?

[@tonginstruments]

The wires are much easier and quicker to bend and manipulate. Also when bended they have a better sustain than flat tines.

[@ryanjackson5437]

What type of wire do you use? Beautiful! Would love to see the whole process of making one! Including the box. Thank you for sharing!

[@ultimateukulele3586]

@@ryanjackson5437 agreed, would love to know where you source your materials

[@moshibass]

I think this is so amazing. Thank you for sharing this! Question - is there any reverb added to these recordings, or is that sympathetic resonance from the other tines? The one octave tuning especially sounds so spacious and dreamlike.

[@tonginstruments]

In this recording I did not use ANY reverb - just a little EQ and volume control. Especially the 1 octave instrument has lots of resonance from its self - the low tones stimulate the ones one octave higher. I was also surprised by the resulting sound.

[@moshibass]

@@tonginstruments That is so cool. To me that makes the one octave tuning really special. It doesn't sound like any kalimba I've ever heard. Keep up the good work, your instruments are fascinating.

[@nuagejuice3848]

This was incredibly interesting ! Thank you so much

[@biniou24]

This is really fascinating. Thank you !

[@soundofheaven6643]

more clip about this great instrument please,

[@auralarchipelago]

Fantastic! What kind of tool to you use to bend he wire so precisely? I'm sorry if the answer is obvious - I have zero experience making things with my hands (but have played kalimba for 10+ years and have often found myself frustrated with the overtones.)

[@tonginstruments]

It is basically 2 nails next to each other in a piece of hardwood :)

[@ankhkalimba]

👏👏👏👏👏👏 g r e a t !!!👀 good sound~~ 🤍~🕊

[@NGHmusic]

14:10 never gets old, how does that sound so rich?

[@modulatethecarrier]

This is so interesting!

[@rrozinak]

Could you please make a video explanation how you made it step by step? I'd like to make my own but not sure how to measure, bend and tune the tines precisely.

[@tonginstruments]

Like I replied to a similar request: that's a lot of work but I'll keep it in mind.

[@fartwrangler]

@@tonginstruments It's probably less work than hand-filing 36 rectangular holes in a z-bracket. :)

[@yatsoosh]

Beautiful instruments with a richer sound than traditional kalimbas. I would like to try building a similar one. I understand that the bending angle primarily influences the overtone interval. Is the ratio between the bent and straight sections of the wire based on specific proportions, or is it mostly a matter of trial and error? Does bending the tongue to facilitate playing also affect tuning? Even if you don't have time or desire to answer these questions, I appreciate the inspiration.

[@yatsoosh]

OK. I'have got partly your answer in the comment below Thanks! The only unclear part is the ratio between straight and bent section.

[@josesouza9820]

Thank you for the video! May I ask who plays the instrument? Where can it be bought? What repertoire is available for the instrument and is regularly performed?

[@tonginstruments]

thanks. I'd be happy to answer your questions via email: info (at) tonginstruments (dot) com

[@shamardaniel4819]

Fellow maker here!! What do you use for your tines? Love your work!!

[@tonginstruments]

For these instruments I use the round spring tempered steel wire, which I get from conrad.nl (or .de I guess they operated in many European countries) I use 1,8 1,5 and 1,2 mm thickness. Thanks!

[@thomwd]

The kalimba sounds great with the tuned overtones! Do you think the same logic would apply for a solid body kalimba? Would the same angles yield the same result?

[@tonginstruments]

Sure, why not?

[@stefanbruch1118]

Very interesting, very good sounding! What diameter is the spring steel wire you used? Are they all the same?

[@tonginstruments]

thanks; it's 1.5 mm for most tines, 1.8 for the bass octave

[@vidraevrazijska8330]

Wow, that's very interesting. I have a question: What is that L-shaped wooden structure bolted down at the top edge of your kalimbas? And what is the thickness of the plywood you are using for the resonator box? I'm interested in building bass kalimba for myself and the bass quality of your overtone kalimba instrument is stunning!

[@tonginstruments]

The 2 slats of wood at the edge of the soundboard are where the soundboard is held down to the rest of the box, with screws. These being prototypes, I didn't use glue as I would in a normal instrument. On the rest of the edges, the soundboard just rests on a strip of rubber, so it can vibrate freely. Helps to get more volume out of the instruments. I use 6mm plywood for the soundboard, 18 mm for the sides. Would love to see your instruments when they are ready!

[@latorrefazionemusic]

Hallo! Your experiments, creations and explainations are very interesting and perfectly done, i thank you and encourage you to keep going on with your work! I would really love to have a version of your kalimba with the overtones tuned at 1 octave. My goal is to amplify it through a guitar amp to use it in a band context: can you tell me if it's possible to purchase only the block with the tines without the resonance box? Would an electromagnetic pickup still work and capture the sound without the box? I'm imagining a small version of your instrument intended for live playing on stage, but i'm not expert enough to tell if it's possible. Hoping you will find the time to answer, i have to thank you very much already for your time and dedication

[@tonginstruments]

Hi, you can reach me here: info(at) tonginstruments.com

[@amsluis]

Can you apply this principle to wood, as in a tongue drum? Either through making an angled tongue, or perhaps by making cuts half way down the tongue? I plan to create a tongue drum soon and am hoping to have some control over the overtones.

[@tonginstruments]

For wood, bending is not really an option. Instead I have worked with a inner tongue technique. See my videos of the bamboo marimbula: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zn2bapqpjN99gtE and kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYu1coZ9bZWSeKc

[@woodmonzter]

Great viedo! Thank you very much for sharing these cool insights. I wonder if you could bend the tines even more to get the overtone down to identity. Additionally that would deliver a round end which is nicely soft to be played and no need to prepare the open end any more. Tried already that or maybe will ...?

[@tonginstruments]

Yes one might think the overtone continues going down & down, but in practise the outer 'bended' part of the tine starts to vibrate independently, with a fixed pitch. You can get a flat paperclip-like tine that way that is tunable to an octave or a 5th.

[@RadekMacak]

This is awesome mister!Does the tines need to be hardened or is already done from shop?

[@tonginstruments]

I get spring steel wire, so it's ready to be used

[@RadekMacak]

@@tonginstruments Thanks for sharing your knowledge.There is such a grate thing in the world with overtones.

[@derekkatwijk]

Wow echt te gek! Ben benieuwd of dit ook te maken is op een originele kalabas. Heb je daar evt. ervaring mee?

[@tonginstruments]

Het zou moeten werken op een kalebas. Mischien iets minder tonen. En de tongetjes steken dan op een andere manier eruit, dus je moet wat expermineteren om het makkelijk speelbaar te maken.

[@derekkatwijk]

@@tonginstruments bedankt voor je antwoord! Zou ik evt. tegen vergoeding langs kunnen komen in je werkplaats om aan de slag te gaan en van je te leren?

Whaouuuuu 🤩💖 Where can I buy it???

[@Merlincat007]

You can buy at least similar chromatic kalimbas from Tong Instruments online! That's this guy.

[@thomaseibl9038]

Awesome knowledge and work! Do you sell these? As a piano player i am really interested in that beautiful array! :)

[@tonginstruments]

Thanks; this is still pretty experimental but I'd love to make these available to musicians. Maybe see if they can be optimized a bit more - they are not as easy to play as my regular chromatic kalimba, and require more tuning.

[@thomaseibl9038]

@@tonginstruments i would be instantly down for that!! Love making instruments myself, but mainly flutes and stuff. But yeah, let me know :) keep on the good work! Greetings from Germany

[@tonginstruments]

@@thomaseibl9038 I'd be happy to talk about the possibilities; feel free to send me an email or something!

[@thomaseibl9038]

Sry for the delay, i will send an email 😊 I am still interested 😅

[@4estral]

Amazing video! When making chromatic tines, do you first tune the length with the finger bend already in place? Does bending the middle for an overtone change the base original tuning at all (requiring re-tuning?)

[@tonginstruments]

I measure the length with the bend already in place, although the bend tip adds a little extra mass, so t does lower the tone a bit.

[@ghegozi]

The soundboard arrangement is very unusual, but it sounds great nonetheless. You clamp one corner and hold down the opposite with adehesive paper, is it correct? Also, it looks like there is some kind of bracing or reinforcement underneath the soundboard; do you use a specific design to strengthen the soundboard and/or tune it (like in string instruments)?

[@tonginstruments]

Yes it is a floating soundboard (supported on a strip of rubber). One corner is not rubber but hardwood, so a fixated connection there. And the thin soundboard is reinforced so it is stiffer; gives less dampening. Similar to a guitar, where you glue braces to the soundboard. But my braces are ~45 mm high!

[@ghegozi]

@@tonginstruments one more question about the tines: you bend them halfway of the free vibrating length; does it mean INCLUDING the plucking bent section, or without it?

[@tonginstruments]

@@ghegozi yes I include the bent end

[@nicholaschoi6763]

Did you make those brackets? If not, where did you buy them? Also, I love your work!!

[@tonginstruments]

the brackets for the prototype? yes, handmade from aluminium L-profile. Drilled out the holes and filed them rectangularly

[@dajarimakena8613]

👑🎼🔥💯🔥🎼👑

[@kmschneider]

What thickness wire are you using?

[@tonginstruments]

I mostly use 1.5 mm thickness. For the bass octave 1.8 mm, and for the top half octave 1.2mm (gives a little better sustain but detunes a little quicker)

[@polkusin]

Would be interesting to hear a chromatic one with the overtone tuned to 2 octaves and a third! Is it possible to tune 7-limit harmonics like this?

[@tonginstruments]

yes the 3rds sound interesting, but would limit you a bit in your music: imagine the overtone tuned to a major 3rd, and playing a minor one... In theory you are free to tune to any ratio (over a range of 2+ oct) In practise... it depends on sensitive ears and manual control when adjusting. Also I found the high notes (& overtones) need some stretching in their tuning, so the tuning becomes intuitive - and sometimes frustrating.

[@fartwrangler]

Judging by your results, you could also stop the bend a a point between those you chose, and emphasize some of the more interesting overtones, like the 7th, 9th, or the 11th. Have you also experimented with trying to bring put the non-harmonic overtones of flat tongues (rather than round wire)? After bending and tuning, do you temper the tines, to preserve the bend? Or does that change the overtones?

[@tonginstruments]

True, you can get all the overtones between a 5th and 3 octaves, depending on how much you bend the tines. But I focused on clear (harmonic) overtones like 1 octave, octave+5th and 2 octaves, because they help to clearly define the overall tone. One difficulty with flat tongues is, when they are bend, they lose some sustain. Round wire has a definite advantege in that respect.

[@blockflute]

Is the setup with octave + 3rd playable, or it creates spectral clashes? The last two setups sound very nice and soft. The 5th is like some kind of a soft plucked instrument. I imagine the 1 octave sounds great acoustically when you're in the space, I think I like it the best.

[@tonginstruments]

I would have to try! Maybe a bit limited musically, compared to the 5th and 1 octave tunings. Hope to find some time to try out

[@blockflute]

@@tonginstruments I'm following in case you post anything. It's cool that you're experimenting with this, it really elevates the instrument.

[@wigwagstudios2474]

would love to hear 1:09 as a full kalimba

[@Chago0831]

I wonder, is it possible to not have an overtone at all? Or mute it somehow? Awesome videos by the way!

[@tonginstruments]

With a kalimba tine, there is always an overtone: they come with the different vibrational modes of a cantilever beam (as it is called technically). But you can mute the overtone somewhat by dampening the tine at its antinode, at about 50% of its freely vibrating length (for the first and major overtone)

[@Chago0831]

@@tonginstruments thank you so much for the response! And alright I'll take that into account

[@WoodCat]

Is dit je fulltime baan of doe je dit als hobbie? Ik ben pas begonnen met tong drums maken.

[@WoodCat]

Prachtige instrumenten trouwens.

[@tonginstruments]

Leuke tongdrum maak je! Ik probeer inderdaad van mijn hobbie mijn baan te maken; de kalimbas lopen best goed maar het is veel werk...

[@WoodCat]

@@tonginstruments Thanks! Ik hoop dat het je lukt, ze klinken super.

[@najeyrifai293]

does the exact position of the bend effect the overtone?

[@tonginstruments]

It has to be at (about) 50% of the freely vibrating length, otherwise the overtone is not so much affected

[@JTranDung]

can u make a clock's bell lock like ODO clock please. i want to to learn from u guy.

[@tonginstruments]

?? what's that

[@imsacookie5773]

Tonginstruments,What steel is that?

[@psybaba3urgum]

Spring steel wire.