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Hokema - B17 C-Major

Original price $149.00 - Original price $149.00
Original price
$149.00
$149.00 - $149.00
Current price $149.00
  • 17 Tines precisely tuned to c-major suitable for playing countless popular tunes.
  • The B17 c-major is ideal for improvisation and intuitive playing.
  • Solid resonance corpus of American cherry wood
  • A large number of well know songs can be played
  • Ergonomically formed tines for easy playing with the thumb
  • size 6.9"x 7"x 1.6" 

Kalimbas are metal-tined instruments which originated in southern Africa and which can be found there in countless variations.

Our Kalimba B17 C-major is meticulously hand-crafted out of solid American black cherry wood. The surfaces is treated and polished with natural oils and waxes. The B17 is ideal for improvisation and intuitive playing.
 

Scale C-major: c d e f g a h C D E F G A H C

A C-major scale consist of  7 notes. The 17 note Kalimba has 2 sets of C with an octave in-between plus another C an octave higher.

If you look at the Diagram in the second Ocatve the numbers are given a dot to distinguish them. so 1. 2. 3. and so on. IN the third octave, the three highest notes of our Kalimba we use the:  after the number.  1: 2: 3:.

 

 

 Playing the scale of C-major:

Start with the middle, longest tine and with your right thumb pluck it, alternating with your left thumb, thus working your way to the outer tines. You will hear the C major scale played over two and a third octave.

In the tablature the notes for the left hand are at the top and for the right hand at the bottom. The tablature is shown directly above the notation. 

This kind of Kalimba tablature is used by Conny Sommer in his tutorials about the B17.

For the sake of clarity we have marked the tines with two different kind of markings.

The single horizontal line on three of the tines indicates the keynote of the C-major tuning. the low , the middle and the high C. The double crossbar indicates the tone H. This allows the player to visually orientate themselves with larger number of tines.

We include a booklet with the purchase of the B17 that gives you some song samples and shows you a couple of playing techniques.

We also made a video to show you how to work with the included magnets to mark the chords when you are playing. 

    Customer Reviews

    Based on 9 reviews
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    S
    Scott B.
    Sweet Sound

    My first experience with a Hokema Kalimba was at the gift shop of the Music Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ. I was blown away by the big, beautiful sound of those instruments, but I wasn’t ready to plunk down $200 for it.

    Fast forward, I read about the Twin Kalimba and was encouraged by a review that suggested it was great for events. This particular person, evidently a musician like me, gave out ten of these during his shows and was thrilled by how the audience members enjoyed the experience.

    So, given these two experiences, I had high hopes for the twin.

    It is a sweet sounding instrument, but the sound is very quiet. The wood is solid so it doesn’t resonate like its higher priced solo cousins (that feature a resonator) or traditional kalimbas that have found holes.

    So, I’m a little underwhelmed by the sound, but it’s still a great concept. Perhaps it will be fine and dandy when I share it with audiences. Let’s see!

    E
    Elena B.
    Beautiful sound

    It’s my first Kalimba and I absolutely love how it sounds, such a magical instrument

    D
    Dianna L.N.
    Hokema B9 Kalimba Aria

    I was pleased with customer service & by the work ethic that this company has. This is my first kalimba that I have ever owned. It is easy to make pretty little melodies & pairs well with the chime of the same key, but admittedly the kalimba sounds louder & sweeter when held & played so it works better when these instruments are played by 2 people. Overall I was pleased with my purchase.

    A
    Amanda O.
    Tiny kalimba

    I absolutely live my magical little instrument. It travels with me for elemental magic on demand

    E
    Emily S.G.
    Fun and super easy to play

    I love how easy it is to just pick up and play. My anxiety lessened until I found myself in a meditative space. It happens every time I pick it up. Ended up purchasing a few more for friends. We play together and none of us has had lessons!

    All about Hokema

    Peter and Hugo Hokema | weplaywelltogether

    Hokema Kalimbas is now run by the second generation with Peter's son Hugo Hokema at the helm of this family-run business. Today, Hokema has 9 employees has become one of the world's leading manufacturer of beautiful and easy-to-play kalimbas in various models worldwide. 

    Read more!