Auld Lang Syne Kalimba Tab — Letter Notes & Numbered Tabs
The full Auld Lang Syne arrangement for a 17-key kalimba in C major, written out in both letter notes and numbered notation — with an honest difficulty note and practice tips for the parts that need them.
Difficulty
Beginner
Key
C Major (17-key)
Range
C4 – E5
Tempo
90 BPM
No song on earth is tied to a single moment the way Auld Lang Syne is tied to midnight on New Year's Eve. The words came from a 1788 poem by Robert Burns, set to a traditional Scottish tune, and the title roughly means 'for the sake of old times.' New Years, farewells, graduations, and memorials around the world — this is the melody people reach for when time matters.
It is also one of the gentlest songs you can learn on kalimba. The melody moves in slow question-and-answer phrases, sits between C4 and E5 on a standard 17-key instrument, and never hurries. If you want one song ready for December 31st, this is it — and it takes most players only a few short sessions.
Below you get the complete tab in letter notes and numbered notation, a difficulty guide, and tips for the pickup note and held endings that give the song its floating, nostalgic feel.
Hear Auld Lang Syne first
A clear version with lyrics on screen. Sing it through once, then match the phrases in the tab below — the melody follows the words closely.
Video: Auld Lang Syne (with lyrics) (YouTube). Want to test the fingerings as you listen? Open our virtual kalimba in a second tab and pluck along with the recording.
Auld Lang Syne Kalimba Tabs — Letter Notes
How to read the letter tabs: each note shows the letter and the octave, like C4 or G5. On a 17-key kalimba in C, the lowest tine is C4 and the highest is E6, so the octave number tells you which side of the instrument to play on — smaller numbers are the longer, lower tines. A dash after a note (C4 -) means let it ring.
| G4 C5 C5 C5 E5 C5 | A4 G4 A4 C5 A4 G4 | | E4 G4 G4 C5 | C5 C5 E5 C5 A4 G4 | | A4 C5 E4 D4 C4 G4 | G4 C5 C5 C5 E5 C5 | | A4 G4 A4 C5 A4 G4 | E4 G4 G4 C5 | | C5 C5 E5 C5 A4 G4 | A4 C5 E4 D4 C4 G4 |
Auld Lang Syne Kalimba Tabs — Numbered Notation
How to read the numbered tabs: numbers 1–7 are the scale notes (1 = C, 2 = D, and so on). 1° is the low octave tine, plain 1 is the middle one, and 1′ is the high one — the same markings you see next to the numbers on your kalimba. Notes in parentheses ( ) play together, and a dash after a number means let it ring.
| 5° 1 1 1 3 1 | 6° 5° 6° 1 6° 5° | | 3° 5° 5° 1 | 1 1 3 1 6° 5° | | 6° 1 3° 2° 1° 5° | 5° 1 1 1 3 1 | | 6° 5° 6° 1 6° 5° | 3° 5° 5° 1 | | 1 1 3 1 6° 5° | 6° 1 3° 2° 1° 5° |
Prefer to hear it first? Open Auld Lang Syne in the interactive player and follow along while it plays. For more songs in the same style, browse the free kalimba tabs hub.
How hard is Auld Lang Syne on kalimba?
We rate this arrangement Beginner. We rate this arrangement Beginner. The range is narrow, the tempo is an unhurried 90 BPM, and the phrases repeat in pairs. Two small habits are worth practicing: the song starts with a pickup note — a quiet G4 that leads into the first strong beat — and each phrase ends on a held note that wants to ring for its full count.
Learning path: phrase by phrase
Work through these phrases in order. Each one is short enough to master in a few minutes, and together they cover the whole song.
“Should auld acquaintance be forgot”
G4 C5 C5 C5 E5 C5 A4 G4. A soft pickup, three even repeated notes, then a rise and settle. This phrase is the whole identity of the song.
“And never brought to mind”
A4 C5 A4 G4 E4 G4. The answering phrase, hovering and resolving. Notice how it ends low and held — let the G4 ring before starting again.
The final descent
E4 D4 C4 G4. The melody's longest phrase closes with a walk down to the low tines and a held G4. Play it slowly and let the ending breathe — that fading note is the old year leaving.
Playing tips
- Start every phrase the way the song does: one soft pickup note, G4, leading into C5. Keep the pickup light — it is a breath before the sentence, not the sentence itself.
- The melody leans on repeated C5s — three in a row in the opening line. Keep them even; the tune should march gently, not stutter.
- Each phrase closes with a descent toward the low tines, and the final line lands on E4 D4 C4 before a held G4. Let that last note ring until it fades on its own. This is a song about remembering; give it space.
- If you are playing it at midnight, practice the whole thing at least twice through beforehand. With voices joining in, your job is simply to keep a steady, unhurried pulse — the room will sing the rest.
Auld Lang Syne kalimba FAQ
Is Auld Lang Syne hard to learn?
It is one of the easiest meaningful songs in the library. The phrases repeat, the range is small, and the tempo is slow. Most beginners can play it within two or three short sittings — well before the next New Year.
Can I play it on a 10-key kalimba?
Almost certainly. The arrangement needs C4 through E5, which standard 10-key C-major kalimbas cover along with every 17-key instrument. Check the low C4 and you are ready.
How do I handle the pickup note?
Play the G4 quietly and slightly before the first strong beat, like taking a breath before speaking. Once your hands feel that small lift into C5, the whole song falls into its natural sway.
What should I learn next?
Amazing Grace is the natural companion: another gentle, slow classic that starts with a pickup note and lives on held notes. Learning both gives you a pair of songs for every occasion where people gather and feel something.
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Related tabs & guides
- Amazing Grace kalimba tabs — the other slow classic with wide, singing phrases; it pairs beautifully with this song at gatherings.
- 7 note kalimba songs — melodies that fit on small kalimbas, if you are playing on fewer than 17 tines.
- Kalimba tabs with numbers — more practice reading the numbered notation used in the tab above.
- 17-key kalimba tabs — arrangements written for the standard layout, including the high and low tines.