Moon River Kalimba Tabs – Intermediate (Number Notation)

Access these Moon River kalimba tabs, professionally arranged for 17-key instruments using standardised number notation. Designed for intermediate players, this technical resource focuses on sustain control and chord alignment to ensure a precise performance of this classic melody. By utilising this structured guide, practitioners can bypass common hurdles and achieve the tangible utility required for accurate kalimba play.

Kalimba Performance Demo

Performance Tip: Simple notation captures the pitch, but the expressive timing lies in your hands. Use this video as a foundational rhythm guide. Advanced players are encouraged to explore their own interpretive phrasing!

Moon River Kalimba Tabs

This arrangement sits comfortably at an Intermediate difficulty rating, meaning you’ll need confident finger transitions between grouped notes and the ability to maintain consistent rhythm across longer phrases. We recommend practicing on a 17-key kalimba, as the arrangement uses the full tonal range to capture the song’s sweeping melodic arc.

(5°-135) 1° (2°°3) (1°°6) 1°
(7°4) 6 1° 6° 5° 4° (5°-135)
1° (7°-4) 6 1° 6° 5° 4° (5°-135)
1° (2°2) 4 6 (57)
3° (1°6-3) 6 1° (5°-57) 3° 5
2° (1°1) 6 1° 5°1 3 3° 5
2° (1°3) 3° 5° (1°°2) 4 7°
6° (7°4) 6° 5° (46°) 5 7
3° (6-1°)3 6 1° (3°1) 3
(5°5) (1°°2)
6 1° (2°°4) 6 1°° (5°1) 3 5 (461°)
7° 6°° 5° 4° (5°1) 3 5 (461°)
1 7° 6° 4 (5°1) 3 5 (61°-3)
6 1° (4°2) (2°4) 6 (357)

Disclaimer: The tablature and notation provided on this page are transcribed from public community resources and are intended for educational purposes only. If you are the original arranger or copyright holder and wish to claim credit or request removal, please contact us.

Common Performance Challenges

Q1: How do I keep my kalimba in tune when I play every day?
Store your instrument away from heating vents and direct sunlight, as temperature swings cause the metal tines to expand and contract. Check tuning weekly using a chromatic tuner app, and gently tap tines upward (towards the bridge) to sharpen or downward to flatten as needed.
Q2: I keep losing my place in songs with lots of repeated sections—any tips?
Mark section boundaries lightly with a pencil on your printed tabs, or use colored highlighters to distinguish verses from choruses. Practice each section in isolation until muscle memory takes over, then chain them together gradually while counting beats aloud.
Q3: How can I make my playing sound more musical instead of robotic?
Focus on dynamic variation by plucking closer to the tine tips for softer passages and nearer the bridge for stronger accents. Let notes ring into each other rather than cutting them short, and practice with a metronome at 60-70% of target tempo before increasing speed.

Which Kalimba Should You Choose?

Players often struggle with inconsistent tone quality across the full range when attempting songs with wide melodic intervals like this one. A properly calibrated 17-key instrument with uniform tine thickness ensures that both the low sustained notes and high melodic runs in this arrangement ring with equal clarity and sustain.

A high-quality studio product shot of the Hluru 17 key waisted Sapele kalimba on a white background, showing the clearly engraved notes on each tine.
A person holding the 17 key waisted Sapele kalimba, demonstrating the comfortable, ergonomic grip that the curved body provides for playing.

17 Key Waisted-shaped Sapele Kalimba

£43.31
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A transparent star-shaped acrylic kalimba with 17 keys and decorative stars.
A transparent star-shaped acrylic kalimba with 17 keys and decorative stars.

The Starry Series 17/21 Transparent Acrylic Kalimba

£27.22 £28.74Price range: £27.22 through £28.74
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“Stardust Galaxy” 17/21 Key Transparent Resin Kalimba

£33.43 £35.72Price range: £33.43 through £35.72
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17/21 Key Zambian Padauk Kalimba Bottom-Soundhole Hluru

£50.87
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The notation you’ve just reviewed gives you everything needed to start playing Moon River right now—no additional resources required. Intermediate arrangements like this one reward consistent daily practice with noticeable progress each week, and the satisfying resonance of sustained chords provides immediate feedback that makes each session genuinely enjoyable. Once you’ve mastered this piece, explore our wider collection of film soundtrack tabs to expand your repertoire with similarly expressive melodies.

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You press your thumbs to the cool metal tines, each note of the Song of Storms spinning out like raindrops through a broken roof. You're alone in a gentle solitude, the stormy melody healing, calming, and intimately woven into the fabric of the night.