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1All songs / What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Number tabs for the steel tongue drum
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Free number tabs for What a Friend We Have in Jesus on the steel tongue drum. 33 notes, C Major scale, Easy level — play it instantly in the free Tongue Drum Online player.
The tab
3
35
55
55
53
33
35
54
43
32
21
13
35
56
6•1
87
75
56
65
53
31
15
55
56
65
5•1
86
65
54
43
32
21
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 scale, then tap the petals or press these keyboard keys in order, following the tab above:
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What a Friend We Have in Jesus is a warmly approachable 19th-century hymn set to Charles C. Converse's Converse tune from 1868, beloved for its simple, conversational melody. On a steel tongue drum the steady, arc-shaped phrases feel like a reassuring conversation, the natural sustain of the instrument softening every note into something comforting. Its repetitive phrase structure and even tempo make it ideal for players seeking expressive but manageable hymn repertoire.
How to play What a Friend We Have in Jesus 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 What a Friend We Have in Jesus.
About this melody
Converse, Charles C. Converse 1868.