Virtual Kalimba Online with 17 Keys
This virtual kalimba has the 17 tines (the metal keys) of the most common model, tuned to C major from C4 to E6 and laid out like the real instrument: the lowest tine sits in the center and the notes climb, alternating left and right. Each tine shows the number used in kalimba tabs, with the octave dots, or the note name.
How to use it
- Tap the tines with your fingers. Slide your finger across them for an arpeggio, as if sweeping your thumb across the kalimba.
- On a computer, Z X C V B N M play 1 to 7 with no dot, Q W E R T Y U play 1 to 7 with one dot and I O P play 1, 2 and 3 with two dots.
- Under Key labels, switch the tab numbers to note names (C D E or Do Re Mi) or to the computer keyboard shortcuts.
- Press Record, play, and press it again to stop. Then use Play, Download MIDI, Download WAV or Share.
Help and explanations
Use it to play and to read tabs before you have the instrument in hand, or to check a song when you're away from your kalimba. The sound is generated on your device with nothing to download, and you can record, play it back, download MIDI or WAV and send the link to someone.
How to read kalimba tabs
In number tabs, 1 is C, 2 is D, 3 is E, 4 is F, 5 is G, 6 is A and 7 is B. A number with no dot is the low octave (C4 to B4), with one dot above it's the middle octave (C5 to B5) and with two dots it's one of the three highest tines (C6, D6 and E6). Some tabs use a small circle or an apostrophe instead of the dot, and others write letter names (C D E): the idea is the same.
On the tines, the notes climb in a zigzag: 1 in the center, 2 to the left, 3 to the right, 4 to the left and so on. That's why a scale on the kalimba is played by alternating thumbs.
Notes of a 17-key kalimba
From left to right: D6, B5, G5, E5, C5, A4, F4, D4, C4, E4, G4, B4, D5, F5, A5, C6 and E6. Since it only has the natural notes of C major, songs in other keys have to be transposed, or the kalimba retuned with the tuning hammer.
The MIDI file you download uses the General MIDI Kalimba instrument (no. 109), so it sounds like a kalimba in MuseScore or your music software too.
Tips
- Pluck with your nail or the tip of your thumb, from top to bottom: on a real kalimba, the attack changes the tone a lot.
- Three tines side by side, each one skipping a note of the scale, make a chord: 1 3 5 is C major, 5 7 2̇ is G major and 6 1̇ 3̇ is A minor.
- To tune your kalimba, use the kalimba tuner tine by tine, plucking each one with the same attack.
- Use the Chord or scale mode to see which tines belong to a chord before you play it.
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of a 17-key kalimba?
In C major, from C4 to E6: C, D, E, F, G, A and B over two octaves, plus C6, D6 and E6. In tine order, from left to right: D6, B5, G5, E5, C5, A4, F4, D4, C4, E4, G4, B4, D5, F5, A5, C6 and E6.
What do the dots above the numbers mean?
They show the octave. No dot is the lowest octave, one dot is the middle octave and two dots are the three highest notes. A 1 with one dot, for example, is C5.
How do I play the virtual kalimba on a computer keyboard?
Z X C V B N M play notes 1 to 7 with no dot, Q W E R T Y U play 1 to 7 with one dot and I O P play 1, 2 and 3 with two dots. Choose Computer keyboard shortcuts under Key labels to see the letter on each tine.
How do I start playing the kalimba as a beginner?
Start with the scale: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1̇, alternating thumbs from the center outward. Then play simple public-domain tunes like Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: 1 1 5 5 6 6 5, 4 4 3 3 2 2 1, or Ode to Joy: 3 3 4 5 5 4 3 2, 1 1 2 3 3 2 2.
Can I tune my kalimba with this page?
This page plays reference notes, but to measure tuning use the chromatic tuner: pluck a tine, read the note and the cents, and tap gently with the tuning hammer. Pushing the tine toward the bridge (shorter vibrating part) raises the note; pulling it toward you (longer) lowers it.
Can I record and send what I played?
Yes. Press Record, play and stop. The Share link carries the notes in the address, and the MIDI and WAV buttons download the file to your device.