Retuning or retuning - no problem

Have you been playing your Kalimba or Sansula for a while now and are wondering what other possibilities the instrument offers you? Don't let your Kalimba or Sansula gather dust in the closet. By retuning or retuning your instrument, you can immerse yourself in new worlds of sound. We'll show you how to go about tuning your Kalimba or Sansula.

Kalimba and Sansula: thanks to tuning, you won't get bored. Whether you're a professional or a layman, many Sansula or Kalimba players will at some point ask themselves whether they can get more out of the instrument. Rest assured: your instrument will give you unimagined joy! Give your Kalimba B9 or your 9-tone Sansula a new, different tuning with the Tune-O-Gram. This diagram shows the pitches and lengths of the individual reeds graphically. This makes the necessary tuning steps easy to understand. This system is specially adapted to tuning Kalimbas and Sansulas. We'll explain how it works and what you should pay attention to.

What do I get out of tuning my Kalimba or Sansula? When tuning the Kalimba B9 or the 9-tone Sansula, each reed is individually brought to the exact pitch needed to create a different tuning. With the changed tones, you can try out many new pieces and accompany different instruments.

But tuning the Kalimba or Sansula is also important to maintain the original tuning. If you play a lot, the reeds can get out of place, meaning their sound is no longer completely pure. Your ear can hear that something is no longer sounding quite harmonious. So it's never a bad idea to check it regularly with a tuner. And if your instrument has been lying around for a long time and has perhaps been exposed to fluctuations in temperature or humidity, it's also a good idea to check the tuning.

Who does Kalimba and Sansula tuning? Like players of string instruments, you can learn how to tune or retune your Kalimba or Sansula. This way you can enjoy your instrument for a long time and always have full control over the sound. You can tune your Kalimba or Sansula yourself. All you need is a few tools and a little patience.

Tuning for Kalimba and Sansulas - this is how it works:

Tools: To tune your Kalimba or Sansula, you will need an electronic tuner and a light hammer (50 grams). We recommend using a tuning iron as a tool. This reduces the risk of damaging the instrument by hitting the wrong hammer.

Select target tuning: Decide which new tuning your Kalimba B9 or your 9-tone Sansula should receive through tuning. The following are possible:

⇢ A major
⇢ A minor 7
⇢ Akebono
⇢ Beautiful E
⇢ blues chord
⇢ C minor pentatonic
⇢ D major
⇢ G major
⇢ Heavenly A
⇢ Hijaz
⇢ Pygmy
⇢ Sunflower

or back to the A minor factory tuning:

⇢ A minor


Procedure: Switch on your tuner and first make sure that “440Hz” is shown on the display. If not, set this beforehand. Now pluck the tongue number 1 on the very left. The needle of the tuner will strike and show “0”. The note name “A” will appear on the display.

Please note: In the factory tuning (A minor) the identical note A is played twice (tongues 1 and 4). Therefore, dampen the other reed by gently holding your finger on it while you pluck the actual reed. Otherwise the tuner will be confused.

Now use the Tune-O-Gram you have chosen as your guide. The new tuning is visually recorded on it, so that you can easily "retune" it. The target tuning is shown at the top, and the factory default tuning is shown below. Below this, the respective jumps that you have to make with the hammer and tuning iron are noted. Tune each individual reed with careful hammer blows until the desired tone is displayed on the tuner.

If you hit it from the plucked side, the tone will be higher. If you hit it from above, from the bridge side, the tone will be lower.

Attention: Even if it is tempting, never loosen the screws on the holding bridge and only work with sensitive hammer blows. Once you have worked your way through all the reeds, your Kalimba or Sansula has been successfully retuned. Enjoy the new creative possibilities!