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The kalimba is one of the most beautiful musical instruments in the world and best of all, it’s very easy to learn to play. It only takes a few minutes, and you can start creating your song. Although there are kalimbas of different types, it is best to opt for the 17-note kalimba, and it must be tuned to C since most tutorials on YouTube are done through a kalimba tuned to C. Anyway, you can always customize the tuning, but it’s a bit tedious to do so. The good news is that kalimbas don’t tend to go out of tune often, and it can take months or even a year before you must adjust the tuning slightly.
After watching dozens of videos on YouTube, I concluded that LingTing makes the second-best kalimba in the world, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. The only brand that could deliver even better sound was HOKEMA, a German company with an interesting history. However, their best kalimbas can easily exceed $200 and there won’t be any noticeable difference in sound. It should be noted that this is just my perception, and I am referring to flat kalimbas and not hollow kalimbas, which offer a louder sound, but certainly, flat kalimbas have a more relaxing sound.
LingTing LT-K17A
One of the things I love most about this kalimba is how great it is to play. The first time I used it I just played the notes randomly and all I could hear was relaxing. I’ve seen a lot of comments about how weak the sound could be, but I honestly think those comments are a bit exaggerated. If there is no loud outside noise, you can enjoy relaxing sounds without any inconvenience. Can use the kalimba outdoors and it will sound just as good as it would inside your home.
Although this kalimba doesn’t have the notes engraved like others, it does include stickers that you can place on each key. I know a lot of people don’t want to use them because of how great the Kalimba looks without any stickers, but it can be confusing if you’re trying to learn a song from the internet. So, I would recommend anyone to use them and after a few months of getting acquainted, they probably won’t even be necessary, and you probably won’t need to keep watching tutorials on YouTube because of how easy it is to get a song out of the ear.
It’s also a bit heavier than others, and perhaps that’s one of the reasons why it sounds better than other kalimbas. From the first time I got my hands on it, I felt it was of quality, probably due to the use of solid African Padauk wood, a type of exotic wood. Something that also surprised me is the box it comes in; it looks so stylish. The LingTing LT-K17A kalimba includes a lot of accessories (including a hard case), plus instructions with some easy-to-learn songs. It’s a bit of an expensive kalimba compared to other brands, but I’m sure you’ll be surprised at how relaxing it is to play.
