This virtual version brings feel of real thumb piano to your browser.
Playable either using the keys of your computer keyboard or tapping out the sounds on its ‘tines’ with your mouse, the instrument is made to feel natural and responsive. Glide across several of the tines to make them sing as one for some shimmering sweeps or simply tap each note individually.
How to Play the Virtual Kalimba
In terms of keys, this instrument is tuned to C with seventeen tines laid out across the board. There is also one very long tine in the middle which is used to sound the lowest note on the instrument, C4. The other notes increases in pitch on both sides, alternating between higher and lower notes. This follows pattern of a genuine kalimba which gives your thumbs something to naturaly alternate when playing. In addition, the note C has been marked in gold. This visually helps you find where you should be on the scale and help avoid losing your way amongst all of the tines.
It’s easy enough to play on a touch screen or with a mouse. Just touch the very end of a tine and it’ll be plucked. Or you can click and drag along the tips which produce a kind of sweeping arpeggio sound. On a touch screen device, you can also try using multiple fingers, playing double stops or even chord. It works exactly like you’d expect on real-world instrument.
Alternatively, for a more tactile experience, the widget accepts keyboard input too. The number keys represents the first ten tines, starting with one and ending with zero. The following notes are mapped from left-to-right across the letter keys: Q, W, E, R, T, Y, U. With this setup, you’re able to play through a melody quite easily and no longer need to target any particular visual element.
Below the instrument is several controls that will add to your experience. The Twinkle button plays an easier melody for those who are new to it. The Amazing Grace button fires up a demo sequence. This plays the famous melody. As you can hear, it also gives you an idea of how notes bounce from one side of board to the other. The Shimmer sweep button sweeps across all seventeen tines with a ripple effect. Here, you hear just how far instrument can reach and see sparkle effect of a sustained glide.
The Echo button turns a reverb effect on or off. When turned on, it adds a slight delay to every note, making the sound more atmospheric and bigger. Use it for slower, more reflective phrases. Turn it off for a drier, crisper sound that articulates faster passages nicely.
On the far right side, there’s the volume slider. Use that one to turn down the sound if it’s too loud than you. Or use it to blend the kalimba into background music.
The Fullscreen button expands the widget to fill your screen. Push that one and the widget will expand across your screen. That way, you’ll have more space to view tines (and read the note names). It’s especially helpful when viewing on small screens. It is also helpful if you just want to minimize distractions so you can focus on playing.
The last button is the Help button. Clicking that button opens up a quick reference guide explaining, in great detail, layout and keyboard shortcuts of the instrument. When you’re ready to focus and start playing, you could of turned off this guide.
Explore the layout of the instrument to see how it handles harmony. Often the tines is spaced in musical thirds from each other instead of simple steps apart. Sweet, consonant chords can be produced by plucking two adjacent tines together. On a keyboard, press two keys at once. If you have a touch device, tap two tines together with separate fingers. Explore gently and the instrument will reward.
The demo sequences are not merely things to listen to. Note carefully what happens when the Amazing Grace melody is played and you will pick up the phrasing and rhythm. See if you can play it back yourself on mouse or keyboard.
Below the instrument, there’s a readout area that shows the note you’ve just played and its frequency. That’s a great place to learn where all of tines are tuned. If you’re new to music theory, it’s particularly useful. If you don’t know how this particular moddern model is tuned, it’s useful too. Match up which key is on your keyboard to the note by using the readout. Once you get used to it, turn off the readout so you can concentrate on feeling the music rather than reading it.
So whether you want some relaxation playing around with rhythm and melody, or simply like trying something different, the virtual kalimba offers a place to do that. Tap the tines and pluck a couple of them. Turn the echo down/up to your preference, and enjoy the sound filling your room.
When you’re ready, it’s ready for you to play.