Every year for the Geeks Corner Geekmas/Christmas episode in recent years, I have challenged myself to learn a new instrument for a segment in the show. Through the years, this has led to some interesting experiences as I’ve picked up some random instruments. This includes a Melodica, Ukulele, Accordion, Venova, and others. This year, I ended up trying something completely different, a Kalimba.
The Kalimba is an interesting instrument that finds its origins in Africa. Originally, it was an instrument made completely of wood. This would probably have been bamboo, rattan, or even palm blades. This version of the instrument would have been found on the West Coast of Africa near Cameroon about 3,000 years ago. Fast forward to a mere 1,300 years ago and in Zambezi a version of the instrument that is more similar to what is played today was created. This is when the metal strips were first found associated with the instrument.
The instrument has an absolutely beautiful tone. As one plucks the strips, they make different notes that have an almost music box like quality. As I’m writing this and thinking about how a music box works, this makes a lot of sense. The result, however, is a lovely and calming sound that really surprised me. I think I expected it to be a little harsher in tone, however it is not. Yes, it is percussive but I imagine one could make an album of it and it would definitely be great for relaxing or even falling asleep.
For this year’s Geeks Corner Geekmas episode, I found myself learning the Kalimba and also the Irish Tin Whistle in a day. The Tin Whistle had been sitting around for awhile and originally had a different purpose but after hearing the sound of the Kalimba, I decided they would pair nicely. Also have hearing the sound of the Kalimba, I decided that Silent Night should be the song that was included in this year’s episode. Generally the show has a bigger musical number but, this just seemed appropriate.
As mentioned before, I did have just one day to learn to play the Kalimba. Amazon is fast, but not quite fast enough and that led to some scrambling. Of course, I hadn’t decided on the Irish Tin Whistle until playing the Kalimba so, things got interesting. The easiest part was the addition of the Melodica. The main reason? I just love it. I think it is one of the most fun instruments that I have! So, here is the rendition of Silent Night that was on this year’s Geeks Corner Geekmas episode. I hope you enjoy it. There is very little editing done to it as I started recording it at about 1:00 PM for an 8:30 PM live show (this segment was pre-recorded). I then threw it into Adobe Premiere, cropped in the videos, throw a background behind it, and added a little reverb as the studio sound just felt too dead to me. I hope you enjoy this version of Silent Night!
What other songs would you like to hear done with a Kalimba? Have you heard of this instrument before? Have you played it? Share your thoughts, comments, and ideas in the comments below!
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