Kalimba is a brand of musical instruments which are played by inserting the metal ball at one end into a slit in the wooden body of the instrument. The most common form of the instrument found in most Western countries is a xylophone, a set of wooden bars with a metal ball on a dowel. Unlike most traditional instruments, the sound of a xylophone is produced by hitting the wooden bars with a mallet rather than plucking or rubbing them. Kalimba is a brand of musical instruments which are played by inserting the metal ball at one end into a slit in the wooden body of the instrument. The most common form of the instrument found in most Western countries is a xylophone, a set of wooden bars with a metal ball on a dowel. Unlike most traditional instruments, the sound of a xylophone is produced by hitting the wooden bars with a mallet rather than plucking or rubbing them.