Online Kalimba
17-key thumb piano
Tap or slide across the tines; play several at once for chords. On a keyboard, 1–7 play the lowest octave, Q–U the middle one and A–D the top notes.
About the Online Kalimba
A 17-key kalimba (thumb piano) you can play on any screen. The tines are laid out like a real kalimba, lowest in the middle and alternating outwards, with the tab numbers 1–7 and dots for higher octaves that kalimba songbooks use, or letters or sargam if you prefer. Tap tines one at a time, slide across them, or press several together for chords. Change the tuning to D, G, A, B♭ or E major to play along with songs.
- Tap a tine to play it, or slide your finger across several.
- Read tabs by number: 1 is C (or the key you choose), dots mean a higher octave.
- On a computer, play with the 1–7, Q–U and A–D keys.
Frequently asked
How do kalimba numbers work?
Kalimba tabs number the notes of the scale: 1 = Do (C), 2 = Re (D), 3 = Mi (E) and so on up to 7 = Ti (B). One dot above a number means the next octave up, two dots the octave after that.
Why is the lowest note in the middle?
On a real kalimba the longest tines are in the centre and notes alternate left and right going up, so neighbouring notes in a chord sit next to each other under your thumbs.
Can I play kalimba songs here?
Yes. Any 17-key kalimba tab in C works as written. If the tab is in another key, choose that tuning.
Is what I type sent to a server?
No. The tool runs entirely in your browser and there's no server behind it, so what you type never leaves your device and nothing is stored. You can check: it keeps working if you go offline after the page has loaded.
More from the Music drawer
Other tools kept in this drawer, plus a few favourites from the bench.