Hot Cross Buns kalimba tabs
For a 17-key kalimba tuned to C major. 17 notes on 3 tines, from C4 up to E4.
Play along on the online kalimba Play it in G major
Number tab
Letter notes
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 3 2 1 3 2 1 1 1 (E4 D4 C4 E4 D4 C4 C4 C4).
- 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
An old English street cry that became a nursery rhyme. It uses only three notes, so it is often the very first song people learn. The melody is in the public domain.
More kalimba tabs
Easy first songs
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- Mary Had a Little Lamb
- Hot Cross Buns
- Alle meine Entchen (All My Little Ducklings)
- Happy Birthday
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- London Bridge Is Falling Down
- Old MacDonald Had a Farm
- Frère Jacques
- Au Clair de la Lune