About Keylimba
Keylimba is a virtual kalimba you play with your computer keyboard. The ten letters along the top row, Q through P, each pluck one tine of a wooden thumb piano, and the notes come from recordings of a real kalimba.
Hold Space and everything plays one octave higher. Left Shift runs a built-in looper that cycles through record, play and stop, so you can lay down a phrase and play over the top of it. Right Shift opens and closes the menu.
It's a sound toy rather than a game, with nothing to win, and a visit can be as short as a few seconds of plinking or as long as you like. Each tine shows its key letter and a number for its note. You can play Keylimba online here in your browser.
How to Play Keylimba
- Click inside the game window so it picks up your keys.
- Press Q, W, E, R, T, Y, U, I, O and P to play the ten notes.
- Hold Space while you play to go one octave up.
- Tap Left Shift to cycle the looper through record, play and stop.
- Press Right Shift to open or close the menu.
What to Expect in Keylimba
Keylimba is soft, plinky and easy to like. With every note laid out along a single row of keys, finding a pleasant tune takes very little time, and the looper makes it easy to build a small layered piece.
There's also a separate phone version of Keylimba, made for playing with your thumbs, that has been updated more than this browser build. The browser version is the quick way to try it on a computer.
Tips for Keylimba
- Start on Y, the longest tine in the middle, marked 1, and work outward from there.
- Use the numbers on the tines to follow simple kalimba number tabs, which map straight onto the keys.
- Record a short, slow loop first, then play a melody over it.
- Hold Space for a few notes at a time rather than a whole phrase to get more range from one row of keys.
- Play Keylimba free with headphones for the clearest sound from the recorded tines.
Who Made Keylimba
Keylimba was made by dvdfu, who released it on itch.io. It's built in Unity, with audio work done in Audacity. FunClicker embeds the creator's own version so you can play it here without downloading anything. We did not make the game, and the credit for its design, code, and art belongs to its creator. You can find the original on the Keylimba page on itch.io.
FAQ
Is Keylimba free?
Yes. Keylimba is free to play here in your browser, with nothing to download and no account to make. Click inside the game window and press any key from Q to P to hear a note. There's nothing to set up first, so you can start making music the moment it loads.
How do you play Keylimba?
Press Q, W, E, R, T, Y, U, I, O and P to pluck the ten tines of the kalimba. Hold Space to play everything one octave higher. Tap Left Shift to cycle the looper through record, play and stop, and press Right Shift to open or close the menu. Click inside the game window first.
Is there a goal in Keylimba?
No. Keylimba is a musical toy, not a game with levels or a score. The point is to play: pick out a melody, record a loop and layer notes over it, or just tap around until something sounds nice. You can spend a few seconds with it or a long stretch, whatever suits you.
Who made Keylimba?
Keylimba was made by dvdfu and released on itch.io. It's built in Unity, and the notes are recordings of a real kalimba, with audio work done in Audacity. FunClicker embeds the creator's own version so you can play it here, and the credit for its design, sounds and code belongs to dvdfu.
Can I play Keylimba on a Chromebook or phone?
A Chromebook works well, since this version of Keylimba runs in a browser tab and uses the keyboard. This browser build is made for keys, so it's not the right choice for a phone. There's a separate phone version of Keylimba designed for playing with your thumbs if you'd rather play on a touch screen.
Is Keylimba unblocked at school?
Keylimba only needs a browser tab, so there's nothing to install. Whether it opens on a school or work network depends on that network's filters, which we do not control. If it loads on your connection, it plays the same as anywhere else. Headphones are a good idea in a shared room.
What is a kalimba?
A kalimba is a small thumb piano: a wooden body with a row of thin metal tines that you pluck with your thumbs. It has a soft, bell-like sound. Keylimba recreates one on screen using recordings of a real kalimba, mapping each tine to a key from Q to P on your keyboard.
How does the looper in Keylimba work?
Press Left Shift to start recording, then play a phrase. Press it again to play the recording back on repeat, and once more to stop it. While the loop plays, you can add a new melody over the top. It's a simple way to build a layered tune in Keylimba without any extra tools.
