We now carry two larger kalimbas that one might refer to as "keyboard kalimbas". This is because the metal tines are organized into diatonic scales arranged so triads are next to each other, allowing one to easily play chords and accompany songs. Both instruments come with small colored chord magnets that can be placed above the tines to remind a player which chords to play. These kalimbas are ideal for musicians who wish to add something special to their soundtracks or accompany singing. They can also be played intuitively like all our instruments, but with more notes to choose from there are more note combinations that are both harmonious and dissonant. It does take practice to create compositions or learn songs, but it's good to know you can also pick these up just to mess around on and have fun making gorgeous sounds.  

B15 Kalimba:

The B15 Kalimba (brand new!) differs in that it has 2 rows of tines, with the bottom row being thicker - producing lower tones. It has 2 fewer notes than the B17 as the thicker tines take up more space. What's special about this kalimba is how easy it is to create nice-sounding chords because of the layering of the two rows where two complimentary notes can easily be struck at the same time.  *G-Major is its default tuning. 

B17 Kalimba:

The B17 Kalimba has 17 tines (2 more tines than the B15) and all of them are on the same plane side by side. These tines are all thin so the notes are higher in range. Because they're closer together, it's easy to slide your thumb upward to create lovely glissandos (a series of notes that blend into one another). It's also easier on this instrument to visually see triads of notes next to each other when playing song chords. This kalimba comes tuned to *C-Major.

*Like all our kalimbas in the Hokema line, these kalimbas can be retuned to alternate scales using our handy tuning tool!