2-OCTAVE Blue Pufferfish 24 Key Flat Soundboard Chromatic Kalimba

 Details:

• Brand: Chill Angels
• Series: 2-OCTAVE
• Style: Blue Pufferfish
• Kalimba Materials: Rubber Wood and Premium Steel.
• Weight: 420g
• Flatboard Dimensions: 160x125x18mm Solid Wood Flat Soundboard
• Your Kalimba Order comes with:
• Tuning Reference Card
• Stickers (number notation)
• 1 Tuning Hammer
• 1 Tuning Pliers
• 2 Thumb Protectors
• 1 Instrument Wipe-cloth
• 1 Black Drawstring Fabric Bag (Dust-cover)
• 1 Grey Instrument Case (Impact Protection)
• Instrument Case details:
• The case is made with EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate) that is BPA free and does not contain chlorides, heavy metals, phenols, latex and other toxic substances. It is  "rubber-like" in flexibility and resistant to stress cracks, perfect for impact absorption.
• The case is water-resistant, but it is not waterproof in the zipper areas.
• Case Dimensions: 197x153x67mm
• Number of Keys: 24. All tuned to different notes with no repeats.
• Range: A3 to A5, Chromatic from A3 to A5 minus A#3.
• Layout Copyright: Seren Koo. All rights reserved. Once you have learned 2-OCTAVE's layout, you will be able to transfer your playing skills to all other Chill Angels Kalimba layouts (25/34/36 key) with a fairly small learning curve.
• Amazon USA Available. To be updated with new pictures soon.

Easy and Lightweight

Our 2-OCTAVE Kalimba is a very relaxing Kalimba to play. It is our smallest and lightest, Kalimba, making it suitable for petite hands, including the hands of children as young as 5-years-old. At the same time it is suitable for beginners with big hands, because it has the widest tine spacing among all Chill Angels Kalimbas, making it easier for people with huge thumbs.

Regular 17 and 21 Key Kalimba tines are spaced 6mm apart. CLASSIC tines are spaced 6.5mm apart. ECO tines are spaced 7mm apart and 2-OCTAVE tines are spaced 7.5mm apart. The wider spacing between the keys makes it more forgiving for beginners, resulting in less mistakes when playing compared to closer distances which would require your thumb positions to be more precise.

This tine spacing also an advantage when attempting to play at a faster tempo. Check out Flight of the Bumblebee on the 2-OCTAVE Kalimba, recorded plainly on an android phone. Seren finds it hard to play accurately at this speed on other Kalimbas, and the increase of tine spacing of just 0.5mm to 1mm on the 2-OCTAVE Kalimba makes a huge difference to her. 

Glissandos continue to be smooth and easy. Check out 'One Summer's Day' with 6 tips on musical expression on our 2-OCTAVE Kalimba. Although the range is smaller on this easy and lightweight Kalimba, it does not stifle musical expression.

The core of each tine (the keys of the Kalimba) is made of Maganese-Alloy-Elastic-Steel with two to three layers of Steel Plating. The result is the balanced crystal sound that Chill Angels is known for.

Maintenance

Dust-Cover: It is recommended that your Kalimba is kept covered in the black thin drawstring cloth bag whenever it is unused, to keep the Kalimba in optimal condition. It prevents the accumulation of dust and dirt while the Kalimba is resting. The Instrument Wipe-cloth can be used to clean any oils or perspiration from the instrument after practice.

Impact-Protection: If the Kalimba is in a place where it may be knocked over by people or pets, place the Kalimba in the grey Instrument Case, so that it is well-cushioned against accidental impact and scratches. Seren has children at home, and she returns her Kalimbas to their Instrument Cases after use every day.

Crush-Protection: In situations where your Kalimba may face harder forces, such as compaction during international travel, more protection can be used. Place the Kalimba into the grey Instrument Case for cushioning, then place it into another box of your choice for crush-protection, such as a cardboard box or a large plastic salad box. If the airport/airlines allow it, it is safest to hand carry your Kalimba.

Rust-Protection: You can use WD-40 to provide rust protection for the metal components of your Kalimba. Spray any metal part, and wipe off the excess. WD-40 is not corrosive and will not harm the wood. We use WD-40 when assembling the instrument too.

Thumbnail-Protection: Your nails are now an essential part of your instrument, just like drum sticks for a drummer. Feel free to use the silicone thumb protectors, if you need help reminding yourself not to use your thumbnails in your daily life. Seren wore it until she changed her habits to use her fingernails instead of her thumbnails for daily chores.  Remove the protectors when you practice the Kalimba.

Tuning: Your Kalimba has been tuned before sending it to you. If it loses its accuracy, check out 9-year-old Kylie's video for tips on how to tune your Chill Angels Kalimba. Most people are curious about the pliers. The pliers are used to lower the pitch for tines in the bottom layer. It is also used when you need to change tines one day, for any brand of Kalimba.

Related Blog Posts:

(1) How to improve your dexterity to play the Kalimba at high speeds, such as Flight of the Bumblebee (coming soon)

(2) Stickers, Permanent Marker or blank tines, which is better for beginners to the chromatic Kalimba? (coming soon)