The Holly and the Ivy Kalimba Tabs (17-Key)

The Holly and the Ivy kalimba tabs

For a 17-key kalimba tuned to C major. This tab is the verse and the refrain: 60 notes on 8 tines, from G4 up to A5.

newellabs.com/play/kalimba/tabs/holly/

Number tab

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

Letter notes

C₅C₅C₅C₅A₅G₅E₅C₅C₅C₅C₅A₅G₅G₅F₅E₅D₅C₅E₅E₅A₄A₄G₄C₅D₅E₅F₅E₅D₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅A₅G₅E₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅A₅G₅G₅F₅E₅D₅C₅E₅A₄A₄G₄C₅D₅E₅F₅E₅D₅C₅

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 1̇ 1̇ 1̇ 1̇ 6̇ 5̇ 3̇ 1̇ (C5 C5 C5 C5 A5 G5 E5 C5).
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

A traditional English carol. This tune was collected by Cecil Sharp in Chipping Campden and published in 1911. The melody is in the public domain.

About this tab

What it covers. Verse and refrain (“The rising of the sun...”).
Key. C major (engraved in G major).
Source. Transcribed from Wikipedia score (melody).