We Three Kings Kalimba Tabs (17-Key)

We Three Kings kalimba tabs

For a 17-key kalimba tuned to C major. This tab is the verse and the refrain: 62 notes on 8 tines, from G4 up to G5.

newellabs.com/play/kalimba/tabs/threekings/

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 3, high 2. high 1, 6. 7, high 1, 7. 6. high 3, high 2. high 1, 6. 7, high 1, 7. 6. high 1, high 1. high 2, high 2. high 3, high 3. high 5, high 4, high 3. high 2, high 3, high 2. high 1, 7. 6. 7, high 2. high 1, high 1. high 1, 5. high 1, 6. high 1. high 1, high 1. high 1, 5. high 1, 6. high 1. high 1, high 1. high 2, high 3. high 4, high 3. high 2, high 3. high 1, high 1. high 1, 5. high 1, 6. high 1.

Letter notes

E₅D₅C₅A₄B₄C₅B₄A₄E₅D₅C₅A₄B₄C₅B₄A₄C₅C₅D₅D₅E₅E₅G₅F₅E₅D₅E₅D₅C₅B₄A₄B₄D₅C₅C₅C₅G₄C₅A₄C₅C₅C₅C₅G₄C₅A₄C₅C₅C₅D₅E₅F₅E₅D₅E₅C₅C₅C₅G₄C₅A₄C₅

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 3̇ 2̇ 1̇ 6 7 1̇ 7 6 (E5 D5 C5 A4 B4 C5 B4 A4).
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

Written by John Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857 and published in 1863. The verse is in a minor key and the refrain turns to major. The melody is in the public domain.

About this tab

What it covers. Verse and the “O star of wonder” refrain.
Key. A minor for the verse and C major for the refrain (engraved in E minor / G major).
Source. Transcribed from Wikipedia score (soprano line, repeats written out).