The main reason the 8-Note Kalimba is great to learn on is that it shares all of the layout features with the bigger Alto and Treble Kalimbas, but it only has a few notes – just enough for you to get the principles without being overwhelmed. Everything you learn here can be fully transferred to the bigger Alto or Treble kalimbas. With fewer tines, this kalimba tilts the odds in favor of success. It is sized for young hands, but I actually have a few in my arsenal of instruments. I also have 25 of these set aside for working with children and adults when I give a large kalimba presentation. So, while they are basic instruments that are easy to learn on, they are still good instruments and anyone can play one. Nowadays, there are at least two other makers of instruments I would call sansulas: Meinl makes a 9-note sansula copy, and now the Hands On Drums people are making the kalimbula which is a sanctioned version of the sansula with genuine Hokema hardware. And truth be told, I have created 9-note sansulas on Catania and Goshen 8-note bodies. You can create your own sansula too. And, because they all can play the same sansula music, I would call them all sansulas. I do like the sound, feel, and appearance of the Sansula Deluxe over the Sansula Renaissance – but the goatskin head may not be preferred by vegetarians. The goat skin of the deluxe also responds to changes in humidity. The Goshen 8-Note Box Kalimba has the same basic tuning, except every note is a whole step higher, putting it in D major. You can still use the same 8-Note books, but if you listen to the CD, you cannot play along as it is in a different key. Read more F Major

What we thought of as the standard sansula tuning is just one of many tunings. There are literally millions of possible tunings on a 9-note sansula, and who knows how many of those would sound fantastic? The important thing is that each tuning sounds different and plays different music. So this broadens the definition of what a sansula is even further. Fitted with a robust and durable Remo (USA) synthetic drum skin, which makes it moisture resistant and therefore holds rich tones even in damp conditions But if your home is located in a region of the world with a dry climate, and your Deluxe Sansula develops the nasty beating of the A and the A# (A# is the same as Bb), there is a simple solution: add moisture to the goatskin membrane. When you play the Sansula, you don’t really need to worry about which notes you are playing – you just twiddle your thumbs and out comes enchanting, mystical music. The flip side of this: if you try to make your Sansula play a song you know such as “Home on the Range” or “Happy Birthday,” you will likely have difficulties. Get the Heart-17 for those songs… the Sansula plays its own music… organic, intuitive, ambient and spontaneous.The Sansula can be played in the energy field of clients for 1-2-1 Sound Healing and in Group Sound Baths & it is also great for self-care! The Sansula is one of the most beautiful sounding kalimbas on the planet. It represents a confluence of superfine German engineered kalimba tines and metal pieces, a wonderful tuning and note layout that make it very easy to play, and the rich deep “wah wah” sound that is easily made with its frame drum. As such, the Sansula has very broad appeal – musical novices and inexperienced kalimba players can have great fun with the Sansula, but it can also hold the interest of experienced players, especially when one considers the alternative tunings, which are not quite as easy to make wonderful music on, but are significantly more capable. In addition, there are great books available for standard Sansula tuning as well as two alternative tunings – books that are worthy of these amazing instruments. The Renaissance Sansula has the basic Sansula kalimba mounted on a frame drum with a Remo synthetic drum skin. I don’t recommend that you actually slap the skin of the drum – it is not made for this, and its sole purpose is the augment the Sansula’s resonance. This Remo membrane is much more resilient than the original paper skin (which we do not carry because it breaks too easily), but you still need to be careful with it. You should get an instant answer on whether your application has been successful, though in some rare cases Klarna or V12 may need to look at the application in more detail. Pure magic, the New Age Sansula is a delight to play. Perhaps the most beautiful sounding kalimba, and with nine notes it is not so complex…the challenge here is to get sonic diversity through alternative tunings, and we have lots of great tunings for the Sansula.

The Hitzazkiar tuning is a Persian scale similar to the Middle Eastern tuning. Look at the right side – C E G B – these are the same notes as the standard tuning, but the notes on the left side are all one half-step above the notes on the right side. Questions? The Standard Sansula (which Kalimba Magic no longer carries) sounds good but has the considerable flaw that, when the instrument is dropped from a height of 1 meter or more, its paper-thin membrane will break. So – it is a great tool for someone who wants to make mind-blowingly beautiful music with the very cool wah-wah effect, but doesn’t want to put in the effort to learn complex music. If you have a Deluxe Sansula in a dry climate that is acting up on its low notes, do try this technique. But in the demonstration video below, I bypass the tightening and untightening and just show how to apply moisture to the goatskin. The reason for this: I have noticed that if I loosen the tension more than the “factory setting,” I can make the instrument sound much worse. So frankly, I would not even mess with the hex wrench or the tension.If you do live in a very humid environment, I recommend dipping a Q-tip in mineral oil and lightly coating your instrument’s tines. After letting it sit for an hour, wipe off the oil. I cannot say that this will entirely prevent the tines from rusting, but I would bet that you will get more rust-free years than if you don’t do it. Most people don’t hear much difference between the Renaissance Sansula and the Deluxe Sansula. I find the Deluxe Sansula to have a darker sound that I like better. The Deluxe Sansula is similar to the Renaissance Sansula, but its membrane is made of goat skin. This one costs a bit more and is more robust – I’ve seen one drop from 5 feet and survive just fine. The Sansula tuning is based on the Japanese Ake Bono scale, but it skips a note. Here we have reproduced the C minor Ake Bono scale, without skipping any notes. This is a great scale, and playing it can transport you to another continent. The best way to understand the magic of the Sansula, and to get a feel for what the different tunings sound like, is to watch some Sansula videos.