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There are endless variations on these tunings.  For example, when I play
“Black is the Color” in D minor (aeolian mode), I tune the high note down
from F to E because that note appears in the melody and the high F does not.
When I play “Are Ye Sleepin’ Maggie?” in G minor (aeolian mode), I tune the
high note up from Eb to F because that note appears in the melody.

Note that to change the entire scale, only two prongs an octave apart must be
retuned.  The tunings above are listed in a logical sequence that requires
a minimum of retuning.  The second tuning, F major, is my standard tuning.

When tuning the kalimba you will need a high-tech tuning implement stronger
than your thumbs.  I recommend using a coin.  A nickel or two-pence is about
the right size.  Sometimes certain prongs will not have the proper resonance,
sounding instead with a buzz or a thud.  Moving the end of the prong slightly
to one side or the other usually solves the problem.  Do not worry if the
prongs become asymmetrical.  It is the tone that matters, not the appearance.

Due to the alternating pattern of the kalimba, notes an octave apart are on
opposite sides of the instrument.  This means that if you hit a high note on
one side and a low note on the other side, the notes will probably harmonize.
The tune is played on the higher notes of the instrument, and I do not always
know what notes my lower thumb will hit.  At other times I am consciously
playing two-note chords.  Some are more difficult because the notes of the
chord are on the same side of the instrument.  In this case I play the notes
one after another to imply the chord rather than play it directly.

Choosing the best tuning is not as complicated as it seems.  If I wish to
play a specific traditional tune, I ask two questions.  What mode is it in,
and what is the highest note?  If the tune has more than a diatonic (seven-
note) scale it cannot be played on the kalimba.  If it is in a traditional
mode, I think of the highest note in terms of Italian syllables.  For
example, “Someone Remembers” is set, with some variations, to a traditional
Irish tune called “Éamonn a’ Chnoic,” or “Ned of the Hills.”  The tune is in
the ionian mode, and the high note is “do.”  Needing to incorporate this
note, I developed the D ionian tuning expressly for this song, and it has
become one of my favorites.  “Ca’ the Yowes,” a traditional tune associated
with Robert Burns, is in a minor mode, in a hexatonic scale, lacking the
sixth note that distinguishes between aeolian and dorian modes.  The G minor
hexatonic tuning is perfectly suited for this tune.

All examples given above are on “Both Sides of the Ocean.”  The first two
minutes of each tune are available on MP3 files at http://www.cdbaby.com/rhp1


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