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Old MacDonald Had a Farm kalimba tabs

For a 17-key kalimba tuned to C major. 59 notes on 5 tines, from G4 up to E5.

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

newellabs.com/play/kalimba/tabs/macdonald/

Number tab

The number tab read aloud, group by group. “High” stands for one dot above the number and “very high” for two.

  1. high 1, high 1, high 1, 5.
  2. 6, 6, 5.
  3. high 3, high 3, high 2, high 2.
  4. high 1, 5.
  5. high 1, high 1, high 1, 5.
  6. 6, 6, 5.
  7. high 3, high 3, high 2, high 2.
  8. high 1, 5, 5.
  9. high 1, high 1, high 1, 5, 5.
  10. high 1, high 1, high 1.
  11. high 1, high 1, high 1, high 1, high 1, high 1.
  12. high 1, high 1, high 1, high 1, high 1, high 1.
  13. high 1, high 1, high 1, 5.
  14. 6, 6, 5.
  15. high 3, high 3, high 2, high 2.
  16. high 1.

Letter notes

C5C5C5G4A4A4G4E5E5D5D5C5G4C5C5C5G4A4A4G4E5E5D5D5C5G4G4C5C5C5G4G4C5C5C5C5C5C5C5C5C5C5C5C5C5C5C5C5C5C5G4A4A4G4E5E5D5D5C5

Tines you need

3•1•652•

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 C scale, 1 (C) to 7 (B), and each dot above a number means one octave higher; the tab shows which tine to play, not how long to hold it. Each numbered group is one bar of music, or more than one where a note lasts across a bar line.

How to read kalimba tabs

About the song

A traditional children’s song. Repeat the middle part with a new animal for each verse. The melody is in the public domain.

Also in The Complete Kalimba Songbook, our book with every note’s length marked.

More easy first songs

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