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Songs / Kalimba by numbers #6

Frère Jacques (Brother John) — easy kalimba tab

French round (Brother John) · 17-key kalimba in C · 32 notes · easy

Origin: French round (Brother John)
Kalimba: 17-key C
Notes: 32
Words: With the original French words (“Frère Jacques, frère Jacques”)
Range: some dotted notes (the next octave)
Tempo: 70 bpm, then 100 bpm

▶ Watch the video, then play line 1.

Frère Jacques (Brother John) kalimba tab

Read left to right, one line at a time. The number is the tine; the word is sung on it; L or R is the thumb. The words are the original French ones.

Line 1: 1 highFrè-L–(hold 1)2 highreR–(hold 1)3 highJac-L–(hold 1)1 highques,L–(hold 1)1 highfrè-L–(hold 1)2 highreR–(hold 1)3 highJac-L–(hold 1)1 highques,L–(hold 1)
Line 2: 3 highdor-L–(hold 1)4 highmez-R–(hold 1)5 highvous?L–––(hold 3)3 highDor-L–(hold 1)4 highmez-R–(hold 1)5 highvous?L–––(hold 3)
Line 3: 5 highSon-L6 highnezR5 highlesL4 highma-R3 highti-L–(hold 1)1 highnes,L–(hold 1)
Line 4: 5 highson-L6 highnezR5 highlesL4 highma-R3 highti-L–(hold 1)1 highnes,L–(hold 1)
Line 5: 1 highding,L–(hold 1)5dang,R–(hold 1)1 highdong!L–––(hold 3)1 highDing,L–(hold 1)5dang,R–(hold 1)1 highdong!L–––(hold 3)

– hold an eighth○ rest an eighth• dot above = octave upL / R = thumb

Printable PDF

The tab as plain text

1̇– 2̇– 3̇– 1̇– 1̇– 2̇– 3̇– 1̇–
Frè- re Jac- ques, frè- re Jac- ques,

3̇– 4̇– 5̇––– 3̇– 4̇– 5̇–––
dor- mez- vous? Dor- mez- vous?

5̇ 6̇ 5̇ 4̇ 3̇– 1̇–
Son- nez les ma- ti- nes,

5̇ 6̇ 5̇ 4̇ 3̇– 1̇–
son- nez les ma- ti- nes,

1̇– 5– 1̇––– 1̇– 5– 1̇–––
ding, dang, dong! Ding, dang, dong!

The tines you need

The 17 tines from left to right, as you look at your kalimba. The ones this song does not use are dimmed.

27531642135724613

← left thumbright thumb →

How to play Frère Jacques (Brother John) on kalimba

Watch the video once: it plays the tune slowly (70 beats a minute) with each number falling onto its tine, then at tempo (100 beats a minute). Then play the first line alone until it sounds right, and add a line at a time. Sing or hum the words: they tell you the rhythm. New to the numbers? How to read kalimba numbers.

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