Kalimbanumero
Songs / Kalimba by numbers #30

Old MacDonald Had a Farm — easy kalimba tab

Traditional children's song · 17-key kalimba in C · 59 notes · a little longer

Origin
Traditional children's song
Kalimba
17-key C
Notes
59
Words
With the words under the numbers
Range
some dotted notes (the next octave)
Tempo
70 bpm, then 120 bpm

▶ Watch the video, then play line 1.

Old MacDonald Had a Farm 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.

Line 1: 1 highOldL(hold 1)1 highMac-L(hold 1)1 highDon-L(hold 1)5aldR(hold 1)6hadL(hold 1)6aL(hold 1)5farm,R(hold 3)
Line 2: 3 highE-L(hold 1)3 highI-L(hold 1)2 highE-R(hold 1)2 highI-R(hold 1)1 highO!L(hold 3, rest 2)
Line 3: 5AndR(hold 1)1 highonL(hold 1)1 highthatL(hold 1)1 highfarmL(hold 1)5heR(hold 1)6hadL(hold 1)6aL(hold 1)5cow,R(hold 3)
Line 4: 3 highE-L(hold 1)3 highI-L(hold 1)2 highE-R(hold 1)2 highI-R(hold 1)1 highO!L(hold 3, rest 2)
Line 5: 5WithR5aR1 highmooL(hold 1)1 highmooL(hold 1)1 highhereL(hold 1)5andR5aR1 highmooL(hold 1)1 highmooL(hold 1)1 highthere,L(hold 3)
Line 6: 1 highhereL1 highaL1 highmoo,L(hold 1)1 highthereL1 highaL1 highmoo,L(hold 1)
Line 7: 1 highev-L1 highery-L1 highwhereL1 highaL1 highmooL(hold 1)1 highmoo,L(hold 1)
Line 8: 1 highOldL(hold 1)1 highMac-L(hold 1)1 highDon-L(hold 1)5aldR(hold 1)6hadL(hold 1)6aL(hold 1)5farm,R(hold 3)
Line 9: 3 highE-L(hold 1)3 highI-L(hold 1)2 highE-R(hold 1)2 highI-R(hold 1)1 highO!L(hold 3)
– hold an eighth○ rest an eighth• dot above = octave upL / R = thumb
Printable PDF
The tab as plain text 
1̇– 1̇– 1̇– 5– 6– 6– 5–––
Old Mac- Don- ald had a farm,

3̇– 3̇– 2̇– 2̇– 1̇–––○○
E- I- E- I- O!

5– 1̇– 1̇– 1̇– 5– 6– 6– 5–––
And on that farm he had a cow,

3̇– 3̇– 2̇– 2̇– 1̇–––○○
E- I- E- I- O!

5 5 1̇– 1̇– 1̇– 5 5 1̇– 1̇– 1̇–––
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there,

1̇ 1̇ 1̇– 1̇ 1̇ 1̇–
here a moo, there a moo,

1̇ 1̇ 1̇ 1̇ 1̇– 1̇–
ev- ery- where a moo moo,

1̇– 1̇– 1̇– 5– 6– 6– 5–––
Old Mac- Don- ald had a farm,

3̇– 3̇– 2̇– 2̇– 1̇–––
E- I- E- I- O!

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.

← left thumbright thumb →

How to play Old MacDonald Had a Farm 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 (120 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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