Harpika

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Designed in 2022 by blending a harp and a kalimba, the harpika is an incredibly easy-to-play string instrument with a mesmerising tone. At about 20 cm (8 in) long, its biggest advantage is portability, so you can bring it anywhere and play a song whenever the moment strikes.

Harpika instrument
Bleu Harpika instrument bleu
Bois Harpika instrument bois
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Harpika instrument

£119

£109
Harpika 17 strings
Bleu Harpika 17 cordes bleu
Bois Harpika 17 cordes bois
Marron Harpika 17 cordes marron
Noir Harpika 17 cordes noir
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17-String Harpika

£119
Harpika stand

Harpika Stand

£19
Harpika tuner

Harpika Tuner

£29
Harpika strings

Harpika Strings

£19
Cherry and Walnut Wood Chromatic harpika

Chromatic harpika

£169
Rosewood and Maple Wooden harpika

Wooden Harpika

£119
Acrylic harpika
Baleine Harpika acrylique 17 cordes baleine
Chat Harpika acrylique 17 cordes chat
Faon Harpika acrylique 17 cordes faon

Acrylic Harpika

£139
Pouch Harpika case

Harpika Case

£9
Harpika tuning key

Harpika Tuning Key

£9
Harpika plectrum

Harpika Plectrum

£5
Harpika booklet

Harpika Booklet

£5

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What is a harpika?

A brown harpika held in both hands

The harpika is a plucked-string instrument from the Middle East. It is actually a combination of two other musical instruments, namely the kalimba and the harp. The harpika consists of a number of strings that the musician plucks and sets vibrating with both thumbs to produce sound. Each string corresponds to a single note, much like a piano.

The harpika may be built with—or without—a sound box to amplify the volume, while others rely on the natural resonance of the frame. The metal strings run parallel to each other, connecting on one end to the soundboard at the bottom of the instrument and on the other end to pegs or tuning mechanisms at the top. These parts let you increase or decrease string tension to change the pitch each string produces.

What kind of sounds does this stringed instrument produce?

The sounds produced by this stringed instrument are very reminiscent of a zither. They’re exotic, gentle, and deeply relaxing.

Watch the video alongside this text to get a clear sense of what the instrument can do.

Harpika video thumbnail

The harpika is a very recent instrument, invented in 2022 by an Iranian instrument maker.

On 14 March 2022, the company "Kalimba of Iran," which makes and sells kalimbas, posted a video on its Instagram account to introduce an innovative instrument: the harpika. It was reportedly imagined by Masoud Shemirani and developed by Kalimba of Iran. Alongside the kalimba, the arjan harp—an Iranian harp—also inspired the harpika’s design. Since then, this new instrument has been steadily gaining popularity thanks to the beautiful tones it produces.

While the overall appearance of the harpika is largely reminiscent of a harp due to its many stretched strings, the connection to the kalimba isn’t always obvious at first glance.

In fact, the link becomes clear when you look at the note layout. A 17-string harpika has exactly the same notes as a 17-tine kalimba, which means any song you can play on a kalimba can also be played on a harpika. It’s a great way to explore a fresh sound world while keeping familiar musical landmarks.

It’s for all these reasons that Masoud Shemirani chose the name Harpika, simply blending the words harp and kalimba.

The harpika is tuned like any other stringed instrument, and it’s fairly straightforward. First, you will need a tuner. This small electronic device listens to the sounds produced by the instrument and displays the note being played. Once your tuner is in listening mode, find a quiet place where no background noise will disturb you. Then select a single string on the harpika. The note that string is supposed to play is indicated on the upper part of the soundboard.

Play the note and check the tuner’s display. If the note matches the one indicated on the soundboard, you’re good to move on to the next string. If the note displayed doesn’t match the expected note, use the tuning key provided with the harpika to tighten or loosen the peg on which the string is attached.

Tightening raises the pitch, while loosening lowers it. Take care not to tighten too much, as this can break a string. Once you’ve made the adjustment, test the string again until you reach the desired note. Finally, repeat this process for all the strings on the instrument.

Yes, the 17-string harpika has exactly the same notes in the same positions as a 17-tine kalimba. The only difference is that the harpika has strings, and the kalimba has metal tines.

That’s why we recommend buying our book of 50 kalimba sheet music arrangements with your harpika.