Battle Hymn of the Republic kalimba tabs

For a 17-key kalimba tuned to C major. This tab is one verse and the chorus: 81 notes on 8 tines, from E4 up to E5.

Play along on the online kalimba Play it on a kalimba in G

newellabs.com/play/kalimba/tabs/battlehymn/

Number tab

The number tab read aloud, one sentence per group. “High” stands for one dot above the number and “very high” for two. 5, 5. 5, 5, 5, 4, 3, 5, high 1, high 2. high 3, high 3, high 3, high 2, high 1, high 1, 7. 6, 6, 6, 7, high 1, 7, high 1, 6. 5, 6, 5, 3, 5, 5, 5. 5, 5, 5, 4, 3, 5, high 1, high 2. high 3, high 3, high 3, high 2, high 1, high 1. high 2, high 2, high 1, 7. high 1. 5, 4, 3, 5, high 1, high 2. high 3, high 1. 6, 7, high 1, 7, high 1, 6. 5, 3. 5, 4, 3, 5, high 1, high 2. high 3, high 1, high 1. high 2, high 2, high 1, 7. high 1.

Letter notes

G₄G₄G₄G₄G₄F₄E₄G₄C₅D₅E₅E₅E₅D₅C₅C₅B₄A₄A₄A₄B₄C₅B₄C₅A₄G₄A₄G₄E₄G₄G₄G₄G₄G₄G₄F₄E₄G₄C₅D₅E₅E₅E₅D₅C₅C₅D₅D₅C₅B₄C₅G₄F₄E₄G₄C₅D₅E₅C₅A₄B₄C₅B₄C₅A₄G₄E₄G₄F₄E₄G₄C₅D₅E₅C₅C₅D₅D₅C₅B₄C₅

Tines you need

The long tine in the middle is 1 (C4). Notes climb outward, alternating left and right, so neighbours on the same side are two steps apart.

How to read this tab

Numbers are steps of the scale. 1 is C, 2 is D, up to 7 for B. A dot above a number means one octave higher; two dots, two octaves higher. The song starts 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 5 (G4 G4 G4 G4 G4 F4 E4 G4).
Gaps mark bars. Each group is one bar of music. The tab shows which tine to play, not how long to hold it; press Listen on the play-along page to hear the rhythm.
Other kalimbas. On an 8-, 10- or 21-key kalimba in C the numbers mean the same notes, as long as the tines you need are there.

About the song

Julia Ward Howe wrote the words in 1861 to the tune of the marching song “John Brown’s Body”. The melody is in the public domain.

About this tab

What it covers. One verse and the chorus, the top voice of the four-part setting; rests are folded into the note before.
Key. C major (printed in B-flat major; moved up a whole step).
Source. Transcribed from The Blue Book of Favorite Songs (Hall & McCreary, Chicago, 1928), pp. 12-13, “Battle Hymn of the Republic” (Julia Ward Howe / William Steffe), top voice.

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