Kalimba: Difference between revisions

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<h2>IMPORTED REVISION FROM WIKISPACES</h2>
{{Wikipedia|Mbira}}
This is an imported revision from Wikispaces. The revision metadata is included below for reference:<br>
The '''kalimba''', a modern version of the [[African]] '''mbira''', is an instrument that is small, cheap and easy to retune, and hence another good candidate as a gateway to microtonal music. Retuning is apparently common practice among the traditional mbira masters in Africa - see e.g. [https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/makemicromusic/topicId_11002.html#11005 this article] by [[Joseph Monzo]] on the MakeMicroMusic yahoo forum.
: This revision was by author [[User:hstraub|hstraub]] and made on <tt>2009-11-05 10:40:26 UTC</tt>.<br>
: The original revision id was <tt>100429515</tt>.<br>
: The revision comment was: <tt></tt><br>
The revision contents are below, presented both in the original Wikispaces Wikitext format, and in HTML exactly as Wikispaces rendered it.<br>
<h4>Original Wikitext content:</h4>
<div style="width:100%; max-height:400pt; overflow:auto; background-color:#f8f9fa; border: 1px solid #eaecf0; padding:0em"><pre style="margin:0px;border:none;background:none;word-wrap:break-word;white-space: pre-wrap ! important" class="old-revision-html">[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalimba|Wikipedia articvle on Kalimba]]


The african-origin Kalimba/Mbira is another instrument that is small and cheap and easy to retune, and hence another good candidate as a gateway instrument to microtonal music. Retuning is apparently common practice among the traditional Mbira masters in Africa - see e.g. [[http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/MakeMicroMusic/message/11005|the following article]] by Joe Monzo on the MakeMicroMusic yahoo forum.
== Kalimbas used in microtonal music ==
Several members of the Yahoo tuning forums have used kalimbas for microtonal music:


Several members of the Yahoo tuning forums have used kalimbas for microtonal music. See, e.g.:
* [https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning/topicId_78054.html#78060 http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/tuning/message/78060] (Kalimba tuned to [[OverToneSeries|harmonic series]], [[George_Secor|George D. Secor]])
* [https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning/topicId_78106.html#78106 http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/tuning/message/78106] (Kalimba tuned to [[Mavila#Mavila|Mavila]] pentatonic, <span style="">[[Petr_Pařízek|Petr Pařízek]]</span>)


[[http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/tuning/message/78060]] (Kalimba tuned to harmonic series, George D. Secor)
There are YouTube videos of microtonal kalimba music:  
[[http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/tuning/message/78106]] (Kalimba tuned to Mavila pentatonic, &lt;span class="email"&gt;Petr Pařízek&lt;/span&gt;)
[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRnAHx-7Ef4]] (Jacob Barton playing Kalimba at the Untwelve event on the 31.07.2008)


Kalimba-type instruments can also be developed further. Here is an example of a Kalimba with pitch bends!
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRnAHx-7Ef4 ([[Jacob_Barton|Jacob Barton]] playing kalimba at the [http://www.untwelve.org UnTwelve] event on the 31.07.2008)
[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcuAk5UY5g8]]</pre></div>
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJd5DLtbtgk ([[Aaron_Krister_Johnson|Aaron Krister Johnson]] of [http://www.untwelve.org UnTwelve] playing his composition "Queen of Hearts")
<h4>Original HTML content:</h4>
 
<div style="width:100%; max-height:400pt; overflow:auto; background-color:#f8f9fa; border: 1px solid #eaecf0; padding:0em"><pre style="margin:0px;border:none;background:none;word-wrap:break-word;width:200%;white-space: pre-wrap ! important" class="old-revision-html">&lt;html&gt;&lt;head&gt;&lt;title&gt;kalimba (mbira)&lt;/title&gt;&lt;/head&gt;&lt;body&gt;&lt;a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalimba" rel="nofollow"&gt;Wikipedia articvle on Kalimba&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
[[Sevish]] has produced several tracks with microtonal kalimba:
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Fuschiamarine]]
The african-origin Kalimba/Mbira is another instrument that is small and cheap and easy to retune, and hence another good candidate as a gateway instrument to microtonal music. Retuning is apparently common practice among the traditional Mbira masters in Africa - see e.g. &lt;a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/MakeMicroMusic/message/11005" rel="nofollow"&gt;the following article&lt;/a&gt; by Joe Monzo on the MakeMicroMusic yahoo forum.&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://sevish.bandcamp.com/track/kalimba-practice-2012 Kalimba Practice 2012]
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[I Won't Forget]]
Several members of the Yahoo tuning forums have used kalimbas for microtonal music. See, e.g.:&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Marooned at Home]]
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sea Poem]]
&lt;a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/tuning/message/78060" rel="nofollow"&gt;http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/tuning/message/78060&lt;/a&gt; (Kalimba tuned to harmonic series, George D. Secor)&lt;br /&gt;
* [[You Tell Me]]
&lt;a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/tuning/message/78106" rel="nofollow"&gt;http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/tuning/message/78106&lt;/a&gt; (Kalimba tuned to Mavila pentatonic, &lt;span class="email"&gt;Petr Pařízek&lt;/span&gt;)&lt;br /&gt;
 
&lt;a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRnAHx-7Ef4" rel="nofollow"&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRnAHx-7Ef4&lt;/a&gt; (Jacob Barton playing Kalimba at the Untwelve event on the 31.07.2008)&lt;br /&gt;
Other microtonal kalimba/mbira references:
&lt;br /&gt;
 
Kalimba-type instruments can also be developed further. Here is an example of a Kalimba with pitch bends!&lt;br /&gt;
* http://bp.b0b.com/2016/01/tuning-a-kalimba-to-bp/ (Tuning a kalimba to the [[Bohlen–Pierce scale]])
&lt;a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcuAk5UY5g8" rel="nofollow"&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcuAk5UY5g8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/body&gt;&lt;/html&gt;</pre></div>
* A kalimba in Bohlen–Pierce tuning is also used in [http://georghajdu.de/compositions/just-her-jester-gesture/ Just Her – Jester – Gesture] and [http://georghajdu.de/burning-petrol/ Burning Petrol], compositions by [[Georg_Hajdu|Georg Hajdu]].
* [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YcuAk5UY5g8 Kalimba with pitch bends]
 
=== Array mbira ===
The [http://www.arraymbira.com array mbira] is a xenharmonic instrument designed and built by [[Bill Wesley]]. Wesley's description:
 
''The 1 - 29 harmonics are tuned into the 15 five octave courses on the players right, and  the 1 - 29 subharmonics are tuned into the 15 octave courses on the players left.''
 
''C1 is the harmonic "1" and D#6 the subharmonic "1". The 12 octave courses in the center, 6 harmonic and 6 subharmonic, form a rough chromatic series of 12 notes or "pitch classes" with this capacity being unique to choosing the minor third difference between the harmonic 1 and subharmonic 1. The exact ratio used for the minor third difference between the harmonic 1 and subharmonic 1 pitch classes is 13/11.''
 
''Pitch shifting effects pedals are controlled by a stereo-out foot-actuated expression pedal for added pitch shift effects which pedals also provide unique tones for the tines.''
 
Wesley produced the following diagrams of the instrument's layout:
<gallery>
BillWesleyKeyboardLeft.jpg|The left half of the instrument.
BillWesleyKeyboardRight.jpg|The right half of the instrument.
</gallery>
 
== Reference material on Mbira ==
* Paul F. Berliner, [http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo3644709.html The Soul of Mbira], University of Chicago Press, 1993.
* L. E. McNeil, S. Mitran, [https://www.academia.edu/2847668/Vibrational_frequencies_and_tuning_of_the_African_mbira Vibrational Frequencies and Tunings of the African Mbira], Journal of the Acoustical Society of America<span style="">, 2008.</span>
 
[[Category:African music]]
[[Category:Instruments]]
{{Todo|cultural expertise}}

Latest revision as of 18:02, 27 December 2025

English Wikipedia has an article on:

The kalimba, a modern version of the African mbira, is an instrument that is small, cheap and easy to retune, and hence another good candidate as a gateway to microtonal music. Retuning is apparently common practice among the traditional mbira masters in Africa - see e.g. this article by Joseph Monzo on the MakeMicroMusic yahoo forum.

Kalimbas used in microtonal music

Several members of the Yahoo tuning forums have used kalimbas for microtonal music:

There are YouTube videos of microtonal kalimba music:

Sevish has produced several tracks with microtonal kalimba:

Other microtonal kalimba/mbira references:

Array mbira

The array mbira is a xenharmonic instrument designed and built by Bill Wesley. Wesley's description:

The 1 - 29 harmonics are tuned into the 15 five octave courses on the players right, and the 1 - 29 subharmonics are tuned into the 15 octave courses on the players left.

C1 is the harmonic "1" and D#6 the subharmonic "1". The 12 octave courses in the center, 6 harmonic and 6 subharmonic, form a rough chromatic series of 12 notes or "pitch classes" with this capacity being unique to choosing the minor third difference between the harmonic 1 and subharmonic 1. The exact ratio used for the minor third difference between the harmonic 1 and subharmonic 1 pitch classes is 13/11.

Pitch shifting effects pedals are controlled by a stereo-out foot-actuated expression pedal for added pitch shift effects which pedals also provide unique tones for the tines.

Wesley produced the following diagrams of the instrument's layout:

  • The left half of the instrument.
    The left half of the instrument.
  • The right half of the instrument.
    The right half of the instrument.

Reference material on Mbira

Retrieved from "https://en.xen.wiki/index.php?title=Kalimba&oldid=220068"