We Wish You a Merry Christmas Kalimba Tab — Letter Notes & Numbered Tabs
The full We Wish You a Merry Christmas 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
We Wish You a Merry Christmas comes from the English West Country, where groups of carolers went door to door in December promising good cheer — and, in the original lyrics, politely refusing to leave until they were served figgy pudding. A few centuries later it is one of the most-sung carols on earth, and one of the first songs new kalimba players ask for as December approaches.
Here is the secret that makes it so learnable: the tab looks long, but it is the same 20-note melody repeated. The whole carol uses just six notes — C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 A4 — all on the low left side of a 17-key kalimba, and every phrase walks along neighboring tines. If you can play one line, you can play the carol.
Below you get the complete tab in letter notes and numbered notation, a difficulty guide, and tips for keeping the melody bouncy and clear. Learn it in November and you will have it ready for every classroom visit, family dinner, and last-minute performance of the season.
Hear We Wish You a Merry Christmas first
A clear choral version with lyrics on screen. Sing it through once, then play the tab below — the melody follows the words line by line.
Video: We Wish You a Merry Christmas (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.
We Wish You a Merry Christmas 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 F4 F4 G4 F4 | E4 D4 D4 D4 G4 | | G4 A4 G4 F4 E4 | E4 E4 F4 D4 C4 - | | C4 F4 F4 G4 F4 | E4 D4 D4 D4 G4 | | G4 A4 G4 F4 E4 | E4 E4 F4 D4 C4 - | | C4 F4 F4 G4 F4 | E4 D4 D4 D4 G4 | | G4 A4 G4 F4 E4 | E4 E4 F4 D4 C4 - | | C4 F4 F4 G4 F4 | E4 D4 D4 D4 G4 | | G4 A4 G4 F4 E4 | E4 E4 F4 D4 C4 - | | C4 F4 F4 G4 F4 | E4 D4 D4 D4 G4 | | G4 A4 G4 F4 E4 | E4 E4 F4 D4 C4 - | | C4 F4 F4 G4 F4 | E4 D4 D4 D4 G4 | | G4 A4 G4 F4 E4 | E4 E4 F4 D4 C4 - |
We Wish You a Merry Christmas 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° 4° 4° 5° 4° | 3° 2° 2° 2° 5° | | 5° 6° 5° 4° 3° | 3° 3° 4° 2° 1° - | | 1° 4° 4° 5° 4° | 3° 2° 2° 2° 5° | | 5° 6° 5° 4° 3° | 3° 3° 4° 2° 1° - | | 1° 4° 4° 5° 4° | 3° 2° 2° 2° 5° | | 5° 6° 5° 4° 3° | 3° 3° 4° 2° 1° - | | 1° 4° 4° 5° 4° | 3° 2° 2° 2° 5° | | 5° 6° 5° 4° 3° | 3° 3° 4° 2° 1° - | | 1° 4° 4° 5° 4° | 3° 2° 2° 2° 5° | | 5° 6° 5° 4° 3° | 3° 3° 4° 2° 1° - | | 1° 4° 4° 5° 4° | 3° 2° 2° 2° 5° | | 5° 6° 5° 4° 3° | 3° 3° 4° 2° 1° - |
Prefer to hear it first? Open We Wish You a Merry Christmas 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 We Wish You a Merry Christmas on kalimba?
We rate this arrangement Beginner. A true beginner song, and one of the friendliest carols in the library. The range is six adjacent low tines, the phrases are short and repetitive, and the 120 BPM tempo is brisk but even — more march than sprint. The only habit worth practicing is keeping the repeated notes tidy when you speed 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.
“We wish you a merry Christmas”
C4 F4 F4 G4 F4 E4 D4 D4. The famous opening line — a rise to G4 and a settle on D4. Learn this eight-note phrase first; it is the backbone of the whole carol.
“And a happy new year”
D4 G4 G4 A4 G4 F4 E4 E4. The same shape shifted up a step, ending on a repeated pair. Notice how the melody simply climbs one note family at a time.
The short close
E4 F4 D4 C4. A tiny four-note walk that lands the phrase on C4 before the melody starts again. This little ending appears throughout the carol and gives it its tidy, sing-song shape.
Playing tips
- Learn the first line once: C4 F4 F4 G4 F4 E4 D4. It carries the words 'we wish you a merry Christmas' and it comes back again and again, so this single line is most of the work.
- Keep the repeated notes even. Lines like F4 F4 and G4 G4 are everywhere in this carol, and matching pairs — same volume, same length — are what make it sound bright instead of sloppy.
- The song sits entirely on the six lowest tines. Anchor your hands low and stay there; drifting toward the higher octaves is the most common mistake with this arrangement.
- At 120 BPM the carol wants to bounce. If it feels crowded, practice at 100 and let the speed arrive on its own — a steady, slightly slower version always sounds better than a rushed one.
- Play it through twice when you perform: once at normal volume, once softer. Carols feel more festive with a little build and release, and the repetition costs you nothing because the melody is already memorized.
We Wish You a Merry Christmas kalimba FAQ
Is this a good first Christmas song on kalimba?
It is one of the best. Six notes, one repeating melody, and a tune everyone already knows by heart — which means your ears correct your thumbs automatically. Most beginners play a recognizable version in their first session or two.
Why does the tab look so long?
Because the carol repeats its melody several times through, as carols traditionally do. It is the same 20 notes from start to finish, so the page looks long while your fingers learn something short. Practice one repetition and you have learned them all.
Can children play this arrangement?
Absolutely. The melody stays on six neighboring tines, the rhythm is steady, and the tune is familiar to most kids before they touch an instrument. Slow it to 100 BPM at first and let them build speed naturally.
Does the tab include the 'figgy pudding' verses?
This arrangement covers the famous chorus melody — the part everyone sings — played through several times, which is how the carol is traditionally performed door to door. The 'bring us some figgy pudding' verse uses the same melody, so once the chorus is under your thumbs you can sing any verse over it without changing a note.
What should I play next?
Jingle Bells is the ideal companion carol — another famous melody with repeated notes that ring like actual bells. Silent Night is the quieter partner for the same set, and learning both gives you a complete little December repertoire on six or seven tines.
More popular song tabs
Each of these has the same treatment: full letter notes, numbered notation, and practice tips for a 17-key kalimba.
Play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on a 17-key kalimba with clear letter notes and numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and simple practice tips for beginners.
Get the full Happy Birthday kalimba tab in letter notes and numbered notation, with a difficulty guide and practical tips so you can play it for someone's birthday.
Learn Jingle Bells on a 17-key kalimba with the full letter-note tab, numbered notation, difficulty notes, and practice tips for the fast repeated sections.
Play Beethoven's Ode to Joy on a 17-key kalimba. Full letter-note and numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and section-by-section tips for a clean performance.
A complete Amazing Grace kalimba tab in letter notes and numbered notation, with a difficulty guide, waltz-feel tips, and practice advice for beginners.
Play Pachelbel's Canon in D on a 17-key kalimba with full letter-note and numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and practice tips for the rolling arpeggios.
Learn Silent Night on a 17-key kalimba with the complete letter-note tab, numbered notation, an honest difficulty guide, and tips for its gentle lilt.
Get the full You Are My Sunshine kalimba tab in letter notes and numbered notation, with a difficulty guide and beginner tips for this classic singalong.
Learn Beethoven's Für Elise on a 17-key kalimba with the full letter-note tab, numbered notation, a difficulty guide, and tips for the famous opening.
Play the classic English folk song Greensleeves on a 17-key kalimba with full letter and numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and tips for its lilt.
Learn Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music on a 17-key kalimba with complete letter and numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and tips for its brisk runs.
Play When the Saints Go Marching In on a 17-key kalimba with full letter and numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and tips for its marching bounce.
Learn Edelweiss from The Sound of Music on a 17-key kalimba with complete letter and numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and waltz-feel playing tips.
Play the beloved Thai festival song Loy Krathong on a 17-key kalimba with full letter notes, numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and practice tips.
A complete Can't Help Falling in Love kalimba tab for 17-key: letter notes, numbered notation, a difficulty guide, and phrase-by-phrase practice tips.
Learn Somewhere Over the Rainbow on a 17-key kalimba with full letter and numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and tips for its famous rising phrases.
Play Ben E. King's Stand By Me on a 17-key kalimba with the full letter-note tab, numbered notation, an honest difficulty guide, and practical tips.
Learn the Japanese folk song Sakura Sakura on a 17-key kalimba with full letter notes, numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and phrase-by-phrase tips.
Play Mo Li Hua, the beloved Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower, on a 17-key kalimba with letter notes, numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and tips.
Learn Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World on a 17-key kalimba with full letter and numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and phrase-by-phrase tips.
Get the full Take Me Home, Country Roads kalimba tab for 17-key: letter notes, numbered notation, a difficulty guide, and tips for John Denver's chorus.
Learn Auld Lang Syne on a 17-key kalimba with complete letter notes and numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and tips for a steady New Year's performance.
Play Brahms' Lullaby on a 17-key kalimba with the complete letter-note tab, numbered notation, a difficulty guide, and tips for a soft, soothing tone.
Learn House of the Rising Sun on a 17-key kalimba with the full letter-note tab, numbered notation, an honest difficulty guide, and tips for its rolling phrases.
Play the Tetris theme on a 17-key kalimba with the full letter-note tab, numbered notation, a difficulty guide, and tips for its fast, catchy runs.
Learn Scarborough Fair on a 17-key kalimba with the complete letter-note tab, numbered notation, a difficulty guide, and tips for its wistful folk melody.
Play Danny Boy (Londonderry Air) on a 17-key kalimba with full letter notes, numbered tabs, an honest difficulty guide, and phrase-by-phrase tips.
Learn Bella Ciao on a 17-key kalimba with the complete letter-note tab, numbered notation, a difficulty guide, and tips for its famous repeated opening.
Play Strauss's Blue Danube waltz on a 17-key kalimba with full letter and numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and tips for the famous climb to C6.
Learn the famous Minuet in G on a 17-key kalimba with complete letter and numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and tips for its scale-like phrases.
Play Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake theme on a 17-key kalimba with full letter notes, numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and phrase-by-phrase tips.
Play Old MacDonald Had a Farm on a 17-key kalimba with clear letter notes, numbered tabs, a difficulty guide, and simple tips for young beginners.
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.