The kalimba has a great sound and an ancient history. The best kalimba is unique because it is a ritual instrument of African peoples that is still used in rituals and ceremonies today and has managed to merge into mass production and modern culture. Kalimba is one of the few musical instruments that are easy to learn and do not require any special training to play. With just a couple of hours of practice, you can easily compose a simple and truly soothing melody. The instrument usually consists of two main parts: the body and the keys or tines. What is the best kalimba to buy? The body of the kalimba can be of two types hollow (resonating) kalimba and flat (board) kalimba. The shape and material can be as bizarre as you can imagine. Mbira (another name for kalimba) is made from different types of wood or other more exotic materials such as turtle shells, pumpkin, or coconut. Surely, the original one is a handmade kalimba. To extract the cleanest and perfect sound, the tines are usually made of metal, but you can find versions of kalimbas with tines made of wood or bamboo. Typically, the low sounds are on the central part of the keys and the higher sounds are located on the right and left. Kalimbas can vary in scale and tonality depending on the number and length of the keys installed. Small kalimbas have a bright and dreamy sound that is reminiscent of the sound of music boxes, while a larger size thumb piano sounds fuller and richer. The sound is also influenced by the tuning of the instrument and the sound scale, which depends on the number of records installed. Today you can find kalimbas with removable keys, which allows you to change the tone of the instrument according to your own needs. What number of tines of a kalimba is the best? The golden standard for tines in the best kalimba is 17. It is commonly believed to be just the right amount to reach the needed high and low notes. However, it mostly depends on the player and purposes, you can find kalimbas with 21 tines to get more tines with higher notes to reach. Or you are free to look for 8-10 tines instrument that is popular among kids and musicians who only partially use it. So, it is up to you! What wood is best for a kalimba? The best wood for kalimba is a Mahogany tree. However, initially, it was a type of African tree that is now protected, so acacia, bamboo, koa, maple are the most popular choices for the best kalimba. It is important to search for the videos of how kalimba made from each tree sounds, if you are a professional musician or if it is an essential detail for you. So, check out the list of 9 best kalimbas to buy!