Do-Re-Mi Kalimba Tab — Letter Notes & Numbered Tabs
The full Do-Re-Mi 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 – A4
Tempo
120 BPM
Do-Re-Mi is the song that taught generations of people how a scale works. Written by Rodgers and Hammerstein for The Sound of Music in 1959, it turns the first six notes of the major scale into a string of memorable characters — Doe, a deer — and climbs note by note until the whole octave feels like old friends. On a 17-key kalimba it is a joy: the melody literally walks up the tines in order.
This arrangement keeps the famous verse and stays between C4 and A4, the six lowest tines on the left of the instrument. Below you get the full tab in letter notes and numbered notation, plus a difficulty guide and tips. Because the song teaches the scale as it goes, it doubles as one of the best possible second lessons for a new player.
Do-Re-Mi 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.
| C4 D4 E4 C4 D4 | E4 F4 E4 C4 D4 | | E4 C4 D4 E4 C4 | E4 F4 G4 E4 | | F4 G4 G4 A4 | G4 F4 E4 D4 C4 - | | G4 G4 A4 G4 | F4 E4 D4 C4 - | | C4 D4 E4 C4 D4 | E4 F4 E4 C4 D4 | | E4 C4 D4 E4 C4 | E4 F4 G4 E4 | | F4 G4 G4 A4 | G4 F4 E4 D4 C4 - | | G4 G4 A4 G4 | F4 E4 D4 C4 - |
Do-Re-Mi 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.
| 1° 2° 3° 1° 2° | 3° 4° 3° 1° 2° | | 3° 1° 2° 3° 1° | 3° 4° 5° 3° | | 4° 5° 5° 6° | 5° 4° 3° 2° 1° - | | 5° 5° 6° 5° | 4° 3° 2° 1° - | | 1° 2° 3° 1° 2° | 3° 4° 3° 1° 2° | | 3° 1° 2° 3° 1° | 3° 4° 5° 3° | | 4° 5° 5° 6° | 5° 4° 3° 2° 1° - | | 5° 5° 6° 5° | 4° 3° 2° 1° - |
Prefer to hear it first? Open Do-Re-Mi in the interactive player and follow along while it plays.
How hard is Do-Re-Mi on kalimba?
We rate this arrangement Beginner. Beginner, and one of the most instructive beginner songs you can pick. The range is only six adjacent notes and the melody never leaps. The one honest caveat is tempo: the song wants to bounce along at 120 BPM, which feels quick until your thumbs learn the pattern. Slow it to 90 and speed builds naturally.
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.
“Doe, a deer”
C4 D4 E4 C4 D4 E4, then F4 E4 C4 D4 E4 C4 D4 E4 C4. The scale's first three notes become a memorable figure, and the phrase keeps circling back to C4 — home base for the whole song.
“Ray, a drop of golden sun”
C4 E4 F4 G4 E4 F4 G4. The melody widens its steps here, introducing F4 and G4 for the first time. This is where you meet the upper half of the song's small range.
“Me” and “Far”
G4 A4 G4 F4 E4 D4 C4, then G4 G4 A4 G4 F4 E4 D4 C4. The tune finally reaches A4, the top of its range, then descends the full scale in order — the most satisfying scale exercise disguised as a melody.
Playing tips
- Notice that the first run — C4 D4 E4 C4 D4 E4 — is the same three-note shape twice. Hear the pattern rather than individual notes, and the whole verse gets easier at once.
- Alternate thumbs on the running passages. C4 D4 E4 F4 ascends smoothly when your thumbs share the work, and one-thumb-only playing is what makes fast runs feel clumsy.
- The phrase that climbs to A4 — the top of this arrangement's small range — arrives with the “Me, a name I call myself” line. Practice that short visit to the high tine so it feels like a casual step, not a stretch.
- The dashes in the tab mark held notes. Let those ring for their full count; the contrast between busy runs and held notes is what gives the song its playful shape.
Do-Re-Mi kalimba FAQ
Is Do-Re-Mi a good first song for children?
Excellent, and for a specific reason: the song teaches the instrument's layout while entertaining. The melody climbs the scale in order, so kids learn where the notes live without any abstract explanation. Just slow the tempo down at first.
Why does the tab feel so fast?
The song is notated at 120 BPM, its original musical bounce. Nothing stops you from practicing at 90 BPM — the notes and fingerings are identical, and you should raise the speed only after the runs sound clean and even.
Do I need a 17-key kalimba for this?
No. The melody stays within C4 to A4, which every 17-key instrument covers and most smaller C-major kalimbas do too. If your instrument has the first six scale notes, you can play this song exactly as written.
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