Have you seen Kalimba with some many extended linear tines? Or have you saw a Kalimba which have tines at the back? They are called the Chromatic Kalimba, while the regular or more common are the Diatonic Kalimba.
Diatonic
First, let us discuss give a quick introduction for diatonic scale. Diatonic refers to the musical elements derived from the modes and transpositions of the “white note scale” C–D–E–F–G–A–B. Since we often use piano tablature or the notes, we can use it here as well to easily compare them. Diatonic notes are the white keys we can see in piano. We can also said that they are simply the “Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do”. They be one octave, two or more octave. With this diatonic Kalimba scale setup, it makes playing very easily. However it’s difficult or impossible to play complex songs with key or notes beyond the diatonic scale.
Chromatic
Now, let’s proceed with Chromatic Scale or the twelve-tone scale, is the musical scale with twelve pitches, each a semitone above or below its adjacent pitches. They are the notes which have accidentals or the flats and sharp. To simplify, they are the black keys in the piano. The would normally be between the major scale. This fix the problem in diatonic kalimba to make complex songs be playable. Chromatic Kalimba normally has the diatonic keys at the front and chromatic keys at the back. There are also new types where in the kalimba tines are linear and layered, and looked like piano, having the 2nd layer the chromatic keys.
Exceptions
A kalimba which have tuned in Key of G have an F#. But the type of scale this Kalimba plays are the same with the white piano notes, hence still considered a diatonic. Even it has sharp as long as it played the diatonic scale, it is still a diatonic Kalimba.
Wrap Up
To end this in simple comparison, Diatonic scale are the white piano keys while the Chromatic scale are the black piano keys.
