5
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Number tabs for the steel tongue drum
Aiken Drum
Free number tabs for Aiken Drum on the steel tongue drum. 27 notes, C Major scale, Easy level — play it instantly in the free Tongue Drum Online player.
The tab
5
55
53
35
56
65
53
33
33
31
13
35
53
32
22
22
27
72
23
32
25
53
32
21
15
51
11–7 scale note• above = higher octave• below = lower octaveabc = key in the app
▶ Play it in Tongue Drum Online
Open the free player on the C Major scale, then tap the petals or press these keyboard keys in order, following the tab above:
536127
Aiken Drum is a traditional Scottish nursery and camp song about a fantastical man in the moon made entirely of food, whose delightfully absurd verses have made him a favourite with children for centuries. On a steel tongue drum the sturdy, lilting melody feels grounded and folk-like, with a satisfying balance of low and high notes that showcases the instrument's warm register. The clear verse structure and moderate tempo make it approachable for players building a repertoire of world folk songs on the handpan.
How to play Aiken Drum on a tongue drum
The numbers above are the standard tongue-drum number notation. Each digit is a note of the C Major scale, counting up from the lowest tongue. A dot above a number raises it one octave; a dot below lowers it. The small teal letters show the matching key in the Tongue Drum Online player.
Start slowly, one phrase at a time. Let each note ring out fully before striking the next — the long decay is the whole character of the instrument. This is a easy arrangement and a simplified, single-instrument version of Aiken Drum.
About this melody
Traditional Scottish nursery / camp song.