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5All songs / Blow the Man Down
Number tabs for the steel tongue drum
Blow the Man Down
Free number tabs for Blow the Man Down on the steel tongue drum. 20 notes, C Major scale, Easy level — play it instantly in the free Tongue Drum Online player.
The tab
5
55
56
65
53
32
25
55
55
5•2
9•2
9•2
9•3
0•2
97
76
65
56
65
51–7 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:
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"Blow the Man Down" is a classic English halyard shanty that sailors bellowed across the Atlantic for centuries to keep hauling in time. Its waltz-like triple feel gives it a rolling, seafaring sway that rings out warmly on a steel tongue drum. The wide melodic leaps and sing-along chorus make it a crowd-pleasing piece for players who have moved past the very basics and are ready for a touch more range.
How to play Blow the Man Down 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 Blow the Man Down.
About this melody
English sea shanty.