Thank You!! I have been wanting to make one and the simplicity of this is what I was looking for. I only have basic tools (and wiper blades for spring steel was a great idea. I just ran across a couple yesterday!) and not a lot of money. Your kalimba had a nice sound for it's simplicity. I am so excited and on my way to the hardware store!
all instruments with plucked metal tines are part of the lamellophone family and go by many names, kalimba, mbira, sanza, likembe and of course thumb piano.
Thank you!!!! Im looking for a tutorial to make on quarantine and all had hard to find stuff but yours is great!! I have the required materials around the house.
this is so cool!!! the first time i saw one was in a neat little store and I wanted it so bad but it was like 250 dollars or somthing, and lets just say I did not want it that bad... So now im going to try and make one, and im going to try and make a cigar box gitar :)
There is an 80's skateboard movie called "the Search for Animal Chin" that had this exact same sounding instrument played throughout the movie. Check it out it's cool!
Was the copper pipe used 1/2" pipe? Can't tell from your description. This kalimba really has a good sound to it. Wish you had stated how long the tines were though. They look to be about 5" in length, each, but I am only guessing. Thanks for sharing the video.
Instead of buying windshield wiper blades you can buy a spool of fish tape, from a someplace like home depot, and then cut the fish tape into short pieces o use as metal tines. This is not an untested idea, I have made kalimba tines this way and it works well. It is probably cheaper than windshield wiper blades too.
From taking the spring steel from the windscreen wiper, to the finished product, what did you have to do to achieve the prongs? just simply cut the length up?
How do you tune that it's awesome! I have no money to bye my own and this video rocks! So please tell me how i can tune it cause I've got every thing I need.
You tune it by sliding the keys up and down. a shorter key will make a higher note than a longer key. I use a tuner on my computer that can detect the sound frequency from the microphone, and i use a online resource that tells me what frequency makes the note i want.
This sounds lovely, but his instructions are sadly not detailed enough. So many people ask How long are the tines? How do you tune it? WhY doesn't he tell us. He also points to the blades with his hand when he mentions the tin snips. Such a shame he doesn't tell us these things.
Thank You!! I have been wanting to make one and the simplicity of this is what I was looking for. I only have basic tools (and wiper blades for spring steel was a great idea. I just ran across a couple yesterday!) and not a lot of money. Your kalimba had a nice sound for it's simplicity. I am so excited and on my way to the hardware store!
Spring steel from windshield wipers?! Great tip, thank you!!
Looks and sounds great - good job!
I was surprised on how nice it sounds....🎶
Well he did tune it
all instruments with plucked metal tines are part of the lamellophone family and go by many names, kalimba, mbira, sanza, likembe and of course thumb piano.
Well that was impressive! Good playing too.
Ooh pentatonic! The sound it makes is very nice.
Yep, The best part about a pentatonic scale is there is no wrong notes, everything combines nicely! D3,F3, G3, A3, C4, D4, F4.. and so on.
Might be my favorite "how to" video of all time. All that info in 2 minutes, hell yeah
I came here on a google search and watched this whole video and didn't realize this was you until I accidentally clicked on it a second time.
Awesome! Sounds great!
You sent me here.
Hermann Kateri He was here first.
Appreciating the use of the word “Mbira”🔥
Thank you!!!! Im looking for a tutorial to make on quarantine and all had hard to find stuff but yours is great!! I have the required materials around the house.
That looks and sounds beutiful.
it sounds great you should see the Zimbabwean artistes playing it
Oh, I have one made from a coconut shell, I thought it was called a kalimba
Amiibo Cell Neat :) thats the first kind i saw.
***** favorite instrument next to an eastman, love your work, You've inspired me to make some pewter nick knacks as well.
There all of the same family they look and sound similar and most of the names are very close.
***** Oh, cool stuff. Cool instrument.
Mee too
this is so cool!!! the first time i saw one was in a neat little store and I wanted it so bad but it was like 250 dollars or somthing, and lets just say I did not want it that bad... So now im going to try and make one, and im going to try and make a cigar box gitar :)
I'd buy that. Great work.
I need this in my life
There is an 80's skateboard movie called "the Search for Animal Chin" that had this exact same sounding instrument played throughout the movie. Check it out it's cool!
1:35 Here we see the lion in its natural habitat
Great work, I love the tuning of this one and I'm making one this weekend for a college project. Would you mind telling me what tuning is each tine?
awesome!!! youre very lucky! you can make this things!
This is awesome!
this shit is hypnotizing cool instrument
cool i like the sound
how long do the pieces of metal have to be to make those sounds?
The mbiras or kalimbas I've seen have the big resonator hole further down, so you can slide your thumb in and out of it to create a vibrato effect.
I vote you do this video again. it would be interesting to see your take on it now
this guy's voice is gentle af! especially his "there" at the end
that's cool. it sounds really nice. i mean no disrespect when i say its almost like the hippie version of a Gameboy :D
Minecraft music Haggstrom
Your good at Mbira
very cool thanks for the info preciate it
That sounds amazing
holy shit that sounds amazing
this is great! gonna try and make one
Was the copper pipe used 1/2" pipe? Can't tell from your description. This kalimba really has a good sound to it. Wish you had stated how long the tines were though. They look to be about 5" in length, each, but I am only guessing. Thanks for sharing the video.
The full length doesn't matter as much as you can still tune the C key to E'' if you tried
That sounds awesome :D nice work :)
Thanks it was a lot of fun to make, tuning it was a P.I.T.A though!
***** Man, it's already hard enough to tune my violin or guitar... But this...
I made an mbira in school!
Great sound but those keys look sharp - any ideas for better keys?
Freddy Freebottom
I've made one of these using spring steel from street sweeper brushes. You can take a dremel to the edges to round them out
1:40 Jazzzzzz
The best
That is technically a Kalimba.
Instead of buying windshield wiper blades you can buy a spool of fish tape, from a someplace like home depot, and then cut the fish tape into short pieces o use as metal tines. This is not an untested idea, I have made kalimba tines this way and it works well. It is probably cheaper than windshield wiper blades too.
supper
From taking the spring steel from the windscreen wiper, to the finished product, what did you have to do to achieve the prongs? just simply cut the length up?
I'm no expert but I imagine "just cutting" it would leave sharp edges. I'd round it off with a file.
Interested in licensing a different video of yours (the one with the fresnel lens) for a TV show. Can you please check your direct messages? Thanks!
i need two make one
How do you tune that it's awesome! I have no money to bye my own and this video rocks! So please tell me how i can tune it cause I've got every thing I need.
You tune it by sliding the keys up and down. a shorter key will make a higher note than a longer key.
I use a tuner on my computer that can detect the sound frequency from the microphone, and i use a online resource that tells me what frequency makes the note i want.
+TheBackyardScientist what's the song at 1:26 I realise it from somewhere but I don't know what it is o_O
where can i get the top peice?
i thknk he created a new instrumint
+Roger Blakley *sigh*...
amazing
can I ask how many tines you got out of the windshield wiper blades? how long is the spring steel?
This sounds lovely, but his instructions are sadly not detailed enough. So many people ask How long are the tines? How do you tune it? WhY doesn't he tell us. He also points to the blades with his hand when he mentions the tin snips. Such a shame he doesn't tell us these things.
what was the spring steel used for again? if I'm not mistaken its for the keys but please reassure me
it sounds dreamy somehow
It's in penthatonic scale!
How do you know how long to cut the spring steel?
How do you figure out the length of the keys?
I have a instrument very similar to this.
it reminds me of an ocarina from zelda
I would think that an ocarina would remind you of Ocarina of Time.
i only played link to the past, there was an ocarina in that too
How do you tune it?
only the length of tabs from the horizontal bridge to the bottom matters. adjust the length of tab but hitting it upwards or downwards.
I made an mbira in school
Friend, wonder what the addition of a couple of sounding pegs like a violin has would do to your tone?
…..RVM45
But where did you get the actual metal pieces that you play on?
can you please do a giveaway of this plzZ man plzzzzz 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Thank you for calling it's origin name. It's pronounced "Birah"
Love it. Im going to try. Check my video.
Make it yourself thanks to woodprix plans. I think it's the best way to learn how to build it in the cheapest way.
Pronounced "m-beer-a", just barely pronouncing the "m"
...this is kalimba, not mbira, but good idea, like
it's the same thing
im sorry but this was not the best help ;-;
I had one of these with cardboard box and Bobby pins
UPDATE IT , JUST DO IT VALVE