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1All songs / Malaika (traditional)
Number tabs for the steel tongue drum
Malaika (traditional)
Free number tabs for Malaika (traditional) on the steel tongue drum. 29 notes, C Major Pentatonic scale, Beginner level — play it instantly in the free Tongue Drum Online player.
The tab
3
35
46
55
43
31
12
23
35
43
31
15
46
55
43
32
22
21
13
35
46
55
43
32
23
32
21
11
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 Pentatonic scale, then tap the petals or press these keyboard keys in order, following the tab above:
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Malaika is a classic East African love song in Swahili whose title means 'angel', celebrated from Kenya to Tanzania for its lyrical beauty. The steel tongue drum captures its flowing arc perfectly, letting the pentatonic melody shimmer like sunrise on the Indian Ocean. Gentle and unhurried, the song invites slow, mindful playing and creates an instantly meditative atmosphere.
How to play Malaika (traditional) on a tongue drum
The numbers above are the standard tongue-drum number notation. Each digit is a note of the C Major Pentatonic 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 beginner arrangement and a simplified, single-instrument version of Malaika (traditional).
About this melody
East African/Swahili folk.