Danny Boy kalimba tabs

For a 17-key kalimba tuned to C major. This tab is the whole Londonderry Air: 92 notes on 13 tines, from G4 up to E6.

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

newellabs.com/play/kalimba/tabs/danny/

Number tab

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

Letter notes

B₄C₅D₅E₅D₅E₅A₅G₅E₅D₅C₅A₄C₅E₅F₅G₅A₅G₅E₅C₅E₅D₅B₄C₅D₅E₅D₅E₅A₅G₅E₅D₅C₅A₄G₄A₄B₄C₅D₅E₅F₅E₅D₅C₅D₅C₅G₅A₅B₅C₆B₅B₅A₅G₅E₅G₅E₅C₅G₅A₅B₅C₆B₅B₅A₅G₅E₅D₅G₅G₅G₅E₆D₆D₆C₆A₅C₆G₅E₅C₅B₄C₅D₅E₅A₅G₅E₅D₅C₅A₄B₄C₅

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 7 1̇ 2̇ 3̇ 2̇ 3̇ 6̇ 5̇ (B4 C5 D5 E5 D5 E5 A5 G5).
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

The melody is the Londonderry Air, a traditional Irish tune printed in 1855. Frederic Weatherly fitted his words “Danny Boy” to it in 1913. The melody is in the public domain.

About this tab

What it covers. The whole Londonderry Air (16 bars), as an instrumental tune; the 1913 “Danny Boy” song print differs slightly in bars 6 and 9.
Key. C major (engraved in E-flat major).
Simplified. One sharpened passing note (G sharp here) in bar 6 is played as G.
Source. Transcribed from Wikipedia score of the Londonderry Air (melody).

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