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Online Kalimba
Play a 17-key kalimba in C on your phone or computer, with the number notation on each tine, easy songs to play along with, and recording to WAV or MIDI.
Online Kalimba: The kalimba is laid out like the common 17-key thumb piano in C: the longest tine in the middle is middle C, and the notes alternate outwards, left and right, up to E6. Each tine shows its number, 1 for C to 7 for B, with a dot for each octave up, the notation most kalimba songbooks use. The sound is synthesized: a pure tone with the short metallic overtone of a struck tine. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
- Category
- Everyday tools
- Runs
- In your browser
- Cost
- Free · no sign-up
- Availability
- Ready to use
Runs entirely in your browser
Songs to play
Numbers are the notes of the scale, 1 for C up to 7 for B; a ° means the octave above. Each tune is traditional or long out of copyright.
A 17-key kalimba in C: the long middle tine is the lowest note, and the notes alternate outwards to the left and right. Keyboard: Z to M play 1 to 7, A to J the octave above, and Q, W, E the top three.
Playing a thumb piano
A kalimba is held in both hands and played with the thumbs, flicking the tines downwards near their tips. Its ancestors, such as the mbira of Zimbabwe, have been played in southern Africa for centuries; the modern kalimba with its Western scale became widely known in the 20th century.
Because the notes alternate sides, scales and simple tunes move from thumb to thumb. Start with the songs here, slowly, and keep a steady pulse with the metronome.
From numbers to staff notation
The numbers are the scale degrees of C major, so 1 3 5 is a C major chord, C E G. To see where the same notes sit on a keyboard, play them on the online piano with note names turned on.
How to use it
- Tap the tines, or use the keyboard: Z to M for the low octave, A to J for the middle, and Q to E for the top.
- Pick a song and follow its numbers, tapping each number to hear it.
- Record your playing and download it.
Privacy & limitations
Everything plays in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I read kalimba numbers?
1 to 7 are the notes C D E F G A B. A dot or degree mark above a number, shown here as °, means the same note an octave higher, and two marks two octaves higher. Songs are written as a line of numbers to play in order.
Why are the tines in that order?
Kalimbas alternate notes left and right from the long middle tine, so the thumbs share the work and neighbouring scale notes sit on opposite sides. On a 17-key kalimba in C, 1 is in the middle, 2 to its right, 3 to its left, and so on.
Are the songs free to use?
Yes. They are traditional tunes or compositions long in the public domain, such as Beethoven's Ode to Joy.
Can I tune a real kalimba with this?
You can compare by ear, but a tuner that listens is more accurate. The guitar tuner's chromatic mode shows the note and how many cents sharp or flat a tine is.
Free tool · runs in your browser · no account required