When the Saints Go Marching In Kalimba Tab — Letter Notes & Numbered Tabs
The full When the Saints Go Marching In 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 – C5
Tempo
120 BPM
When the Saints Go Marching In grew up with New Orleans jazz, where brass bands still play it at everything from weddings to street parades. It is one of those rare songs where learning a single phrase gives you the entire piece — this arrangement repeats its famous melody six times through, so the song teaches itself as you go.
On a 17-key kalimba the tune sits in a narrow, friendly range between C4 and C5, using just six different tines. This page gives you the complete tab in letter notes and numbered notation, a difficulty guide, and tips for the parts that make it swing. It is a strong candidate for your very first kalimba song, and it stays fun long after you have learned it.
When the Saints Go Marching In 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 E4 F4 G4 C5 | C5 C5 A4 A4 G4 | | F4 G4 A4 F4 G4 - | C4 E4 F4 G4 C5 | | C5 C5 A4 A4 G4 | F4 G4 A4 F4 G4 - | | C4 E4 F4 G4 C5 | C5 C5 A4 A4 G4 | | F4 G4 A4 F4 G4 - | C4 E4 F4 G4 C5 | | C5 C5 A4 A4 G4 | F4 G4 A4 F4 G4 - | | C4 E4 F4 G4 C5 | C5 C5 A4 A4 G4 | | F4 G4 A4 F4 G4 - | C4 E4 F4 G4 C5 | | C5 C5 A4 A4 G4 | F4 G4 A4 F4 G4 - |
When the Saints Go Marching In 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° 3° 4° 5° 1 | 1 1 6° 6° 5° | | 4° 5° 6° 4° 5° - | 1° 3° 4° 5° 1 | | 1 1 6° 6° 5° | 4° 5° 6° 4° 5° - | | 1° 3° 4° 5° 1 | 1 1 6° 6° 5° | | 4° 5° 6° 4° 5° - | 1° 3° 4° 5° 1 | | 1 1 6° 6° 5° | 4° 5° 6° 4° 5° - | | 1° 3° 4° 5° 1 | 1 1 6° 6° 5° | | 4° 5° 6° 4° 5° - | 1° 3° 4° 5° 1 | | 1 1 6° 6° 5° | 4° 5° 6° 4° 5° - |
Prefer to hear it first? Open When the Saints Go Marching In in the interactive player and follow along while it plays.
How hard is When the Saints Go Marching In on kalimba?
We rate this arrangement Beginner. As easy as kalimba songs get. The melody is one short phrase, the range is six adjacent notes, and the arrangement simply repeats that phrase. The 120 BPM tempo sounds brisk on paper, but because the pattern never changes, your thumbs memorize it within the first repetition and the speed stops mattering.
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.
“Oh when the saints”
C4 E4 F4 G4. A confident stepwise climb that starts the phrase every single time. Keep the four notes evenly spaced and moderately loud — this is the march setting off.
“Go march-ing in”
C5 C5 C5, then A4 A4 G4. Three even repeated notes at the top of the range, then a settle downward. The repeated C5s are the hook of the song; make them proud and steady.
The turnaround
F4 G4 A4, F4 G4 with a held ending. The phrase rolls to a close on a long G4 before the whole thing starts again. Let that held note ring — it is the breath between marches.
Playing tips
- Learn the single phrase and you know the whole song: C4 E4 F4 G4, C5 C5 C5, A4 A4 G4, F4 G4 A4, F4 G4. Practice it as one loop from start to finish rather than in fragments.
- Keep the three repeated C5s even. They are the “go march-ing in” moment everyone recognizes, and even spacing is what makes them sound like footsteps rather than stumbles.
- Once the phrase is steady, add a light swing: make each pair of stepping notes slightly uneven, long-short, long-short. That small adjustment is the difference between playing the song and performing it.
- Use the repeats to layer skills. First pass for accuracy, second for even tempo, then add the swing. By the final repetition you are not practicing anymore — you are playing.
When the Saints Go Marching In kalimba FAQ
Is it really just one phrase repeated?
In this arrangement, yes — the famous melody returns six times, which is how the tune is traditionally played in jam sessions and parades. That structure makes it ideal for beginners: every repetition is a chance to sound better without learning new notes.
How do I make it sound jazzy instead of stiff?
Add swing to the stepping pairs — stretch the first note of each pair slightly and shorten the second. Keep the tempo steady underneath the swing, and the New Orleans character appears almost by itself.
Can I play this with other people?
That is what the song is built for. Anyone singing, humming, or playing along knows the same single phrase, so kalimba plus voice plus a tapped rhythm works immediately. It is one of the best group songs in the entire beginner repertoire.
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