Old MacDonald Had a Farm Kalimba Tab — Letter Notes & Numbered Tabs
The full Old MacDonald Had a Farm 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
130 BPM
Old MacDonald Had a Farm may be the most-sung children's song in the English language. Its roots go back to an opera tune performed in London in 1706, but the version everyone knows took shape in the early twentieth century, and since then generations of kids have debated what sound, exactly, a sheep makes. The kalimba does not care — the melody works with any animals you like.
As a first song for a new player, it is close to perfect. The entire arrangement uses six notes on the low tines of a 17-key kalimba, the phrases are only three to five notes long, and the famous 'E-I-E-I-O' turns out to be a tidy little figure that repeats all the way through. Kids recognize it instantly, which means they self-correct by ear while they play.
Below you get the complete tab in letter notes and numbered notation, a difficulty guide, and tips for teaching it — or learning it yourself. At a bouncy 130 BPM it doubles as a good rhythm exercise once the notes feel easy.
Hear Old MacDonald Had a Farm first
A bright kids' version of the song. Play the tab below alongside it — the melody matches the familiar verses, E-I-E-I-O and all.
Video: Old MacDonald Had A Farm — Super Simple Songs (YouTube). Want to test the fingerings as you listen? Open our virtual kalimba in a second tab and pluck along with the recording.
Old MacDonald Had a Farm 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 C4 C4 G4 | A4 A4 G4 | | E4 E4 D4 D4 | C4 G4 G4 | | A4 A4 G4 E4 | E4 D4 D4 C4 | | C4 C4 C4 G4 | A4 A4 G4 | | E4 E4 D4 D4 | C4 C4 C4 | | C4 G4 A4 A4 | G4 E4 E4 | | D4 D4 C4 | G4 G4 A4 A4 | | G4 E4 E4 D4 | D4 C4 C4 | | C4 C4 G4 A4 | A4 G4 E4 | | E4 D4 D4 C4 |
Old MacDonald Had a Farm 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° 1° 1° 5° | 6° 6° 5° | | 3° 3° 2° 2° | 1° 5° 5° | | 6° 6° 5° 3° | 3° 2° 2° 1° | | 1° 1° 1° 5° | 6° 6° 5° | | 3° 3° 2° 2° | 1° 1° 1° | | 1° 5° 6° 6° | 5° 3° 3° | | 2° 2° 1° | 5° 5° 6° 6° | | 5° 3° 3° 2° | 2° 1° 1° | | 1° 1° 5° 6° | 6° 5° 3° | | 3° 2° 2° 1° |
Prefer to hear it first? Open Old MacDonald Had a Farm 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 Old MacDonald Had a Farm on kalimba?
We rate this arrangement Beginner. One of the easiest songs in the library, and a genuine first-lesson piece. The melody uses only C4 D4 E4 G4 and A4 — five tines, all neighbors on the left side of the instrument — and every phrase is short. The only thing to watch is the 130 BPM bounce, which is easy to slow down and fun to speed back up.
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.
“Old MacDonald had a farm”
C4 C4 C4 G4. Three steady repeated notes stepping up to G4 — the opening line of every verse. Keep the three C4s even and the G4 a little prouder.
“E-I-E-I-O”
A4 A4 G4. Two notes on the highest tine in the song, then a settle onto G4. This three-note answer appears after every line, so it is worth practicing on its own until it is automatic.
“And on his farm he had a cow”
E4 E4 D4 D4 C4. The melody dips lower to introduce the animal — two pairs of notes walking down to C4. It is the only place the song visits E4 and D4, which makes the change feel like the verse taking a breath.
The second “E-I-E-I-O”
G4 G4 A4 A4 G4. The answer returns, this time starting one step lower and stepping up through A4 before landing on G4. Match the four-note pairs evenly and the phrase sings itself.
Playing tips
- Start with 'E-I-E-I-O': A4 A4 G4. It is the part every child already hears in their head, it repeats after every line, and landing those two high notes cleanly makes the whole song sound right.
- The verses are all one shape: three repeated C4s climbing to G4, then the E-I-E-I-O answer. Once your hands feel that pattern, the cow, the pig, and the duck verses are all the same music.
- Keep the repeated notes playful and even — C4 C4 C4 should sound like three steady footsteps, not a rumble. Light, even plucks keep the song bouncy at full speed.
- For young players, sing the words while playing. The song is built so each syllable gets one note, which quietly teaches rhythm, note order, and where the tines are — no explanation needed.
- Once the melody is easy, let the child be the farmer: pick a new animal, keep the same notes. It turns one song into ten and doubles the practice without anyone noticing.
Old MacDonald Had a Farm kalimba FAQ
Is Old MacDonald a good very first kalimba song?
One of the best. Five neighboring notes, tiny phrases, and a tune most children can already sing — which means the ears do half the teaching. It also introduces the two skills everything else builds on: even repeated notes and smooth little steps between tines.
Can it be played on a small kalimba?
Yes. The song needs only C4 through A4, which every 10-key and 17-key kalimba in C major includes. The letter and numbered tabs here match the 17-key layout, but the melody transfers directly to smaller instruments.
How do I teach it to a child?
Sing the first line while pointing at the tines, then let the child echo it one phrase at a time. Start with 'E-I-E-I-O' — it is the part they know best, which makes it the most motivating. Two or three short sessions are usually enough for a confident run-through.
What should we learn next?
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is the classic follow-up: equally famous, slightly more notes, and the same friendly low-tine range. Mary Had a Little Lamb and Frère Jacques are already in the tabs library too, so there is a whole first album waiting.
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- 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.