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5All songs / Good King Wenceslas
Number tabs for the steel tongue drum
Good King Wenceslas
Free number tabs for Good King Wenceslas on the steel tongue drum. 35 notes, C Major scale, Easy level — play it instantly in the free Tongue Drum Online player.
The tab
5
55
56
65
55
52
23
33
33
34
43
33
31
15
55
55
56
65
55
52
23
32
23
31
12
27
75
52
23
34
43
32
22
25
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:
5623417
Good King Wenceslas is a Victorian carol by John Mason Neale set to a 13th-century spring dance melody, telling a story of royal generosity through a crisp, march-like tune. On a steel tongue drum its bold, even phrases ring out with cheerful authority, perfect for a brisk winter afternoon. The mostly stepwise motion makes it accessible to players who have found their footing on the instrument.
How to play Good King Wenceslas 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 Good King Wenceslas.
About this melody
John Mason Neale, 1853 (public domain).