Old MacDonald Had a Farm Kalimba Tabs (17-Key)

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.

Number tab

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C₅C₅C₅G₄A₄A₄G₄E₅E₅D₅D₅C₅G₄C₅C₅C₅G₄A₄A₄G₄E₅E₅D₅D₅C₅G₄G₄C₅C₅C₅G₄G₄C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅C₅G₄A₄A₄G₄E₅E₅D₅D₅C₅

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.

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 5 6 6 5 3̇ (C5 C5 C5 G4 A4 A4 G4 E5).
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.

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