Kalimbanumero
Songs / Kalimba by numbers #12

Scarborough Fair — easy kalimba tab

Traditional English ballad · 17-key kalimba in C · 34 notes · easy

Origin
Traditional English ballad
Kalimba
17-key C
Notes
34
Words
Numbers only (words not shown)
Range
some dotted notes (the next octave)
Tempo
70 bpm, then 104 bpm

▶ Watch the video, then play line 1.

Scarborough Fair kalimba tab

Read left to right, one line at a time. The number is the tine; L or R is the thumb.

Line 1: 2 L(hold 3)2 L(hold 1)6 L(hold 3)
Line 2: 6 L(hold 1)3 R(hold 2)4 L3 R(hold 1)2 L(hold 3, rest 4)
Line 3: 6 L(hold 1)1 high L(hold 1)2 high R(hold 3)1 high L(hold 1)6 L(hold 1)7 R(hold 1)5 R(hold 1)6 L(hold 3)
Line 4: 2 high R(hold 1)2 high R(hold 3)2 high R(hold 1)1 high L(hold 3)
Line 5: 6 L(hold 1)6 L(hold 1)5 R(hold 1)4 L(hold 1)3 R(hold 1)1 L(hold 3)
Line 6: 2 L(hold 3)6 L(hold 1)5 R(hold 3)4 L(hold 1)3 R(hold 1)2 L(hold 1)1 L(hold 1)2 L(hold 3)
– hold an eighth○ rest an eighth• dot above = octave upL / R = thumb
Printable PDF
The tab as plain text 
2––– 2– 6–––

6– 3–– 4 3– 2–––○○○○

6– 1̇– 2̇––– 1̇– 6– 7– 5– 6–––

2̇– 2̇––– 2̇– 1̇–––

6– 6– 5– 4– 3– 1–––

2––– 6– 5––– 4– 3– 2– 1– 2–––

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 Scarborough Fair 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 (104 beats a minute). Then play the first line alone until it sounds right, and add a line at a time. Hum the tune as you go: it tells you the rhythm. New to the numbers? How to read kalimba numbers.

New tabs by email

One email when new songs are added, about once a month. No spam; to stop, follow the link in any email and press one button.

We first send you one email to confirm. Children under 16: ask a parent. Privacy