They are in order of range, narrowest first, because on a kalimbathe distance between a tune’s lowest and highest note decides more about how hard it is than its speed does. Jingle Bells covers the least ground and is the one to start with; Silent Night covers the most. 2 carols in the library are not here because the kalimba does not have the notes: O Holy Night, Carol of the Bells.
- Jingle Bells
- Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
- Up on the Housetop
- Away in a Manger
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Good King Wenceslas
- Joy to the World
- O Come, All Ye Faithful
- The First Noel
- Deck the Halls
- Auld Lang Syne
- O Christmas Tree
- God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- Silent Night
Which kalimba plays how many
| Size | As written | Moved | Cannot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7-note | 2 | 0 | 13 |
| 8-key | 4 | 0 | 11 |
| 10-key | 5 | 0 | 10 |
| 17-key | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 21-key | 15 | 0 | 0 |
The carols, easiest first
The large line is the number stamped on the tine. A dash holds a note another beat and an underline is half a beat.
1. Jingle Bells
James Lord Pierpont, 1857 · United States · C4–G4 · fifth · 51 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 2nd tine out. The whole of Jingle Bells for kalimba →
2. Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
1874 (music in print) · United States · G4–E5 · major sixth · 48 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 5th tine out. The whole of Jolly Old Saint Nicholas for kalimba →
3. Up on the Housetop
Benjamin Hanby, 1864 · Ohio, United States · C4–A4 · major sixth · 67 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 3rd tine out. The whole of Up on the Housetop for kalimba →
4. Away in a Manger
James R. Murray, 1887 · United States · G4–G5 · octave · 44 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 6th tine out. The whole of Away in a Manger for kalimba →
5. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
19th century or earlier · England, West Country · G4–G5 · octave · 52 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 6th tine out. The whole of We Wish You a Merry Christmas for kalimba →
6. Good King Wenceslas
1582 (tune) · Finland and Sweden · G4–G5 · octave · 53 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 6th tine out. The whole of Good King Wenceslas for kalimba →
7. Joy to the World
Lowell Mason (arranger), 1836 · United States · C4–C5 · octave · 57 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 4th tine out. The whole of Joy to the World for kalimba →
8. O Come, All Ye Faithful
John Francis Wade (attributed), c. 1743 · England and France · G4–G5 · octave · 61 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 6th tine out. The whole of O Come, All Ye Faithful for kalimba →
9. The First Noel
1823 (in print) · Cornwall, England · C4–C5 · octave · 72 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 4th tine out. The whole of The First Noel for kalimba →
10. Deck the Halls
16th century (tune) · Wales · B4–C6 · octave and a semitone · 68 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 7th tine out. The whole of Deck the Halls for kalimba →
11. Auld Lang Syne
18th century · Scotland · G4–A5 · octave and a whole step · 56 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 6th tine out. The whole of Auld Lang Syne for kalimba →
12. O Christmas Tree
16th century (tune) · Germany · G4–A5 · octave and a whole step · 61 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 6th tine out. The whole of O Christmas Tree for kalimba →
13. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
18th century or earlier · England · G4–A5 · octave and a whole step · 67 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 6th tine out. The whole of God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen for kalimba →
14. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Felix Mendelssohn, 1840 · Germany and England · G4–A5 · octave and a whole step · 76 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 6th tine out. The whole of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing for kalimba →
15. Silent Night
Franz Xaver Gruber, 1818 · Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria · C4–F5 · octave and a fourth · 46 notes
The furthest it reaches from the centre is the 5th tine out. The whole of Silent Night for kalimba →
Why some Christmas songs are missing
Every tune here is in the public domain, which for Christmas music means carols and 19th-century songs. The 20th-century standards people also think of as Christmas songs are still in copyright, and a kalimba arrangement of one is a copy of its melody whatever notation it is written in, so they are not published here. Melodies only, too: there are no lyrics on any of these pages.
All kalimba songs · Christmas songs on every instrument · The online kalimba