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4All songs / Pick a Bale of Cotton
Number tabs for the steel tongue drum
Pick a Bale of Cotton
Free number tabs for Pick a Bale of Cotton on the steel tongue drum. 32 notes, C Major Pentatonic scale, Intermediate level — play it instantly in the free Tongue Drum Online player.
The tab
5
46
55
43
35
42
25
45
45
45
46
55
43
32
25
45
46
55
43
35
46
55
43
32
25
45
46
55
43
32
25
41–7 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:
4532
"Pick a Bale of Cotton" is a fast, jubilant American work song that was sung in the fields to sustain energy through hard labor — and it is pure fun to play. At its brisk tempo the melody on a steel tongue drum becomes a cheerful flurry of notes, testing finger agility and the ability to keep a consistent, rhythmic tone. It is a great workout for intermediate players looking to build speed and control on the handpan.
How to play Pick a Bale of Cotton 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 intermediate arrangement and a simplified, single-instrument version of Pick a Bale of Cotton.
About this melody
American work song.