The previous reviewer is right. I’ve made my own kalimbas or thumb pianos from things around the house – they aren’t that hard to make. But this is a good price for a kalimba with a good sound and simple number of keys.

The rewards from playing this instrument are phenomenal when just played with for an hour or two. It seems like it would be a waste of time, but it isn’t. You’d be amazed at how fast an hour goes by while plucking the keys in singles and in pairs. The angels will indeed sing you into a much more relaxed and contemplative mood.

Whether you play in the morning to set you at ease before going to work, or play before bed time to set you in the right mood for dreaming, this “toy” is a very powerful mood altering drug. Use it in excess, safely, knowing that the only harm it might do you is sore thumbs and the occasional cracked thumbnail. The benefits are endless.

Eight keys is a minimum. More is better. But any number of 8 or more keys should give you at least one scale to play with.

Aim for a medium pluck – not too hard, and not too soft. Hard makes for harsh noise, but medium plucking will not wear you out and will produce a nice sound. Play the keys beside each other together for variety, or in quick succession as your thumbnail falls off one then the other. It’s a fun instrument to experiment with. Have fun getting high on sound and your imagination.

We ordered this for our 17 year old son with Down Syndrome, who loves music, dancing, and musicals. It makes beautiful sound, and upon opening it, I was able to pluck out a tune, and I don’t play an instrument. This is a great tool for Occupational Therapy hand/finger strengthening. Our son really enjoys it, and is subtly developing strength and skills needed for fine motor activities like handwriting, while gaining an appreciation for the beautiful and soothing sound that it produces. Definitely worth the money. Very reasonable priced.

I really didn’t know what to expect, i had never heard of a thumb piano before. My girlfriend got me this for Christmas and i am loving it! It has the sound of an angels voice. No such thing as waking up on the wrong side of the bed anymore…try it out in the morning.