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Number tabs for the steel tongue drum
Sloop John B
Free number tabs for Sloop John B on the steel tongue drum. 24 notes, C Major scale, Easy level — play it instantly in the free Tongue Drum Online player.
The tab
5
55
56
65
53
32
23
35
56
65
5•1
85
55
56
67
76
65
53
32
23
35
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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Sloop John B is a traditional Bahamian folk sailing song tracing its roots to Nassau in the early 20th century, later carried worldwide by the Kingston Trio and the Beach Boys. On the steel tongue drum its steady, rocking phrases evoke the roll of a wooden sloop on Caribbean swells. Consistent quarter-note motion and a singable melody make it a satisfying and approachable easy-level piece.
How to play Sloop John B 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 Sloop John B.
About this melody
Bahamian folk.