How many keys does a kalimba have?

Most kalimbas have 17 keys, which is what Plonk draws. Smaller ones with 8, 10 or 15 keys and bigger ones with 21 keys exist; the tabs for a 17-key kalimba in C use all the notes the small ones have, plus more.

Which kalimba songs are the easiest to start with?

Short songs that stay in a few neighbouring notes: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Hot Cross Buns and Mary Had a Little Lamb. Each has a page here with its number tab and a falling-notes lesson.

Can I play kalimba tabs without a kalimba?

Yes. Plonk draws a kalimba on the screen and plays it when you tap a key, so you can learn a song before you own the instrument. It works in the browser, with no account.

What is the difference between number tabs and letter tabs?

The same notes, named differently: numbers 1 to 7 count the scale from C, letters (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) are the note names. Plonk shows a song in numbers, letters or solfège, and you can switch at any time.

Plonk

Kalimba: how to play, number tabs and easy songs

A kalimba, also called a thumb piano, is a small hand-held instrument with metal tines that you pluck with your thumbs. The usual 17-key kalimba in C is tuned to the C major scale, so every white-note melody in C can be played on it with number tabs.

Play a song on the kalimba Just try the kalimba Printable key stickers

Play on the screen, or on your real kalimba: Plonk listens through your microphone.

How do kalimba number tabs work?

Each tine has a number. 1 is the middle tine, the lowest note; the numbers 1 to 7 are the seven notes of the C major scale (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si). To play a tab, pluck the tine with the number you read, one after the other.

The tines are laid out so the notes go up as you move away from the middle, alternating right and left: the next note after 1 is the tine on its left, then the one on its right, and so on. So a rising tune zigzags across the instrument rather than running from left to right.

On Plonk a star after a number (like 1*) means the same note one octave higher, and a comma (like 7,) one octave lower. In a tab, a dash means keep the last note ringing, r is a silent beat, a vertical bar is a bar line, and notes in brackets are played together.

How do you learn a song on the kalimba with Plonk?

Pick a song, then follow the notes that fall onto the drawn kalimba: the key that lights up is the tine to pluck. Plonk waits for you if you ask it to, so there is no pressure on the first run, and you can slow the song down.

No kalimba at hand? Plonk plays one: tap the keys on the screen, or use the computer keyboard. If you have one, the tuner listens to a tine and tells you how far it is from the note it should sound.

How do you tune a kalimba?

Pluck one tine at a time next to a tuner and compare it with its target note. A tine that is too high is made longer (so it sounds lower) by sliding it out; one that is too low is made shorter. Move it with very small taps and check again after each tap.

Plonk’s tuner shows the note it hears and how far off it is, for each key of the kalimba. If you tune to a different key, the songs on this site still work: Plonk can transpose a song onto the keys you have.

Easy kalimba songs to start with

Twang Beat
very easy, 16 notes, 3 keys
Au clair de la lune
very easy, 22 notes, 3 keys
London Bridge Is Falling Down
very easy, 24 notes, 6 keys
Rain on the Roof
very easy, 25 notes, 6 keys
Dusty Trail
very easy, 25 notes, 6 keys

Questions

How many keys does a kalimba have?: Most kalimbas have 17 keys, which is what Plonk draws. Smaller ones with 8, 10 or 15 keys and bigger ones with 21 keys exist; the tabs for a 17-key kalimba in C use all the notes the small ones have, plus more.
Which kalimba songs are the easiest to start with?: Short songs that stay in a few neighbouring notes: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Hot Cross Buns and Mary Had a Little Lamb. Each has a page here with its number tab and a falling-notes lesson.
Can I play kalimba tabs without a kalimba?: Yes. Plonk draws a kalimba on the screen and plays it when you tap a key, so you can learn a song before you own the instrument. It works in the browser, with no account.
What is the difference between number tabs and letter tabs?: The same notes, named differently: numbers 1 to 7 count the scale from C, letters (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) are the note names. Plonk shows a song in numbers, letters or solfège, and you can switch at any time.