Kalimba, Natural (B9)

Hokema makes some of the best Kalimbas out there in terms of materials, craftmanship, and tone quality. The B9 is no exception – this is solid German engineering translated into a precision musical instrument. The tines are more substantial than on other Kalimbas I have played, and they all produce a very similar volume and sustain, which is not an easy feat to achieve (most Kalimbas sound warm and full at the low end and then taper into a tinny “plink” towards the top end). The hardwood body feels very nice in hand, and the vibrations it passes through create a very pleasant tactile feedback when playing. The B9 is tuned to a-minor, which produces a lovely flow of tones. This scale is not as “obviously happy” as c-major or g-major. It carries more nuance and depth, and leans heavily towards meditative, calming, and relaxing sounds. The nine tines of the B9 provide a careful selection of notes (A’ - C’ - C - A’ - A - F - E - E’ - H’). These will all harmonize with each other, with the only exception being the H’, which can create a bit of tension when played with the C and A notes. This is similar to a well-tuned wind chime. Two tines (1 and 4) are tuned to A’, giving you that same note on both the lower and the upper level of the tines. The limited number of 8 notes in total (as the A’ is included twice) means that you will not be able to play your favorite pop songs or children’s tunes, simply because you will quickly run into “missing” notes. This is not what this instrument is intended for, though. Hokema’s B11 (g-major) and B17 (c-major), or any of the other 17-tine Kalimbas out there are much better for that. The B9 absolutely shines, however, when it comes to accessibility and intuitive play to create calming and relaxing harmonies and melodies. The limited scale makes it so easy to play, and pretty much impossible to create anything but very pleasing sounds and melodies from this little gem. Pretty much anybody can play this Kalimba, even the completely inexperienced or musically illiterate can pick this up and play good sounding music without any learning curve or instructions required. A child can play the B9 intuitively and experience the ability to create harmonious notes and melodies, encouraging musical exploration and experimentation. But it is also a great entry into the wonderful world of Kalimba music for adults, and a very unique instrument for stress-free improvisation in the hands of more experienced musicians. And because it is a very soothing scale, it is a fantastic tool for meditation, for calming stress or anxiety, and for playing improvised lullabies.

Not your average kalimba. This is very well-made and has beautiful tone.

I just received the Hokema Kalimba B9 in the mail. It arrived in perfect condition and is a nice new instrument. It looks great, feels good in my hands, and sounds beautiful right out of the box. I'm looking forward to playing it more. I would give it 5 stars but two of the 9 notes are the exact same note, same octave. Sort of makes it a B8 in effect. I've loved playing my Kalimba B5 and wanted one with more notes. Neither one came with a tuning instrument or instructions, which I wouldn't expect since it supposedly comes from the company already tuned. I hope that in the future, Hokema will consider including instructions for tuning in the instrument box. Yes, I'm aware that there are websites and videos how to tune, blah blah blah. It would be a nice touch to have a little manual to help out the musicians and beginners who have invested in a new instrument. In the meantime, I'll look up the instructions and enjoy my new instruments. I would recommend Hokema Kalimbas to friends, family members, and anyone curious enough to try one out. They are easy to play, sound beautiful, and are a peaceful way to relax. Put your smart phone down and pick up a Hokema Kalimba. You'll be glad you did!

I have other Kalimbas, but this one is my new favorite. Lovely sweet sound, like fairy music. I use it for sound baths, as an etherial way to begin and/or end it. And some evenings in front of a roaring fire, I play it as my meditation practice. It's delightful!

It's amazing! The wood it's soft and the metal pieces don't hurt the fingers. And the sound! The sound it's amazing, amazing resonance, amazing tunes. Gorgeous instrument!

Beautiful tone. This is a musical instrument. It is not a toy. I start every morning by playing a little....just to start the day with beautiful and relaxing sounds I create myself.

Beautiful sound! Feels good in the hands. Amplified effect if you lay it on something like a table, or even a pillow. Wonderful.

Exquisite .:.

Die Hokema Kalimba B9 ist ein echtes Schmuckstück! Sie wurde in Deutschland handgefertigt und die Qualität merkt man sofort. Das Holz fühlt sich angenehm an, die Klangzungen sind perfekt gestimmt, und der Ton ist warm und harmonisch. Ich habe die Kalimba verschenkt, und sie kam super an! Sie ist leicht zu spielen, selbst für Anfänger, und eignet sich perfekt zum Entspannen oder als kleines musikalisches Hobby. Der Klang ist erstaunlich klar für die kompakte Größe. Wer eine hochwertige Kalimba sucht, wird hier nicht enttäuscht – absolute Kaufempfehlung!

Boyfriend loves it I bought it for his birthday he’s a musician so and I had run out of ideas on what to get him this thing sounds beautiful and the quality of the wood is perfect, it really doesn’t require much skill to play so isn’t one of those commitment gifts.

Chi è un estimatore dellla leggendaria band degli Earth Wind & Fire, conosce già la Kalimba dato che l'hanno resa celebre nei loro LP come i Beatles, a suo tempo, resero celebre il Sitar. Chi invece ancora non la conosce, beh! Ascolti uno dei loro dischi per sentire quanto spettacolare e suggestivo è questo strumento. :-) La Kalimba in esame è costruita dalla Hokema, un'azienda tedesca specializzata nella costruzione di questo strumento che vanta una realizzazione di ottima fattura e grande sonorità. Ne esistono diversi modelli di varie dimensioni; tra quelle "tascabili" questa, accordata in b9, è quella che preferisco rispetto ai modelli accordati in b5 (fa minore) e quelle in b11 o b7. E' comunque uno strumento facilmente accordabile in varie tonalità ed è sufficiente recarsi sul sito della Hokema per trovare le istruzioni per le varie accordature. Il volume è buono è la base in legno vibra restituendo un'ottima sonorità (Se viene appoggiata su un ripiano in legno come un tavolo, aumenterà il volume). Si tratta di uno strumento molto istintivo e non serve certo conoscere la musica per poterlo suonare. E' ovviamente adatto a tutti i musicisti ma anche a chi semplicemente ha bisogno di uno scacciapensieri. Molto rilassante e in grado di risvegliare l'ispirazione, lo trovo molto più utile, terapeutico, e ludico di mezz'ora trascorsa a bruciare cellule cerebrali con pokemon go, whatsapp o faccialibro. :-) In vendita esistono Kalimba a prezzi modiici, ma in tutta sincerità, visto il prezzo non esorbitante, consiglio di affidarsi a un prodotto di qualità testata come questo della Hokema. Non ve ne pentirete. PRO Qualità costruttiva Sonorità Prezzo adeguato CONTRO Direi nessuno

La entrega fue en la fecha indicada, todo correcto y bien empaquetado. Pero lo mejor es la calidad del instrumento en sí, ¡suena de maravilla! Tiene una resonancia fantástica y con tan sólo improvisar tocando varias teclas salen melodías muy agradables. La madera es sólida y agradable al tacto. Se nota la vibración en las manos cuando tocas y si además lo colocas en una superficie de madera se amplifica su sonido bastante. Sinceramente, no me separo de esta pequeña joya, es muy relajante hacer música con esta kalimba. Estoy muy contenta con la compra.

J'ai écouté sa sonorité sue un autre site avant de l'acheter ici, c'est hyper mélodieux, je suis très satisfaite