Yankee Doodle Kalimba Tabs (17-Key)

Yankee Doodle kalimba tabs

For a 17-key kalimba tuned to C major. 55 notes on 9 tines, from E4 up to F5.

Number tab

1123132511231711234321756711676567156543567656716517211

C₅C₅D₅E₅C₅E₅D₅G₄C₅C₅D₅E₅C₅B₄C₅C₅D₅E₅F₅E₅D₅C₅B₄G₄A₄B₄C₅C₅A₄B₄A₄G₄A₄B₄C₅G₄A₄G₄F₄E₄G₄A₄B₄A₄G₄A₄B₄C₅A₄G₄C₅B₄D₅C₅C₅

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 2̇ 3̇ 1̇ 3̇ 2̇ 5 (C5 C5 D5 E5 C5 E5 D5 G4).
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 American song dating back to the 1700s. This tab has the verse and the chorus. The melody is in the public domain.