Frère Jacques kalimba tabs
For a 17-key kalimba tuned to C major. 32 notes on 7 tines, from G4 up to A5.
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 1̇ 2̇ 3̇ 1̇ 1̇ 2̇ 3̇ 1̇ (C5 D5 E5 C5 C5 D5 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
An 18th-century French round, known in English as “Are You Sleeping?”. It works as a round: each new player starts two bars later. The melody is in the public domain.
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- Old MacDonald Had a Farm
- Frère Jacques
- Au Clair de la Lune