Tablature for Payphone on the 17-Note C Kalimba

This is a great song to play on the kalimba

I long thought that the best music was created in the 1960s, and some in the 1970s.

However, I am now of the belief that the pop music of the last 10 years is as good as its ever been. So I am starting to learn some of these modern pop songs on kalimba, and you, dear reader, will be the beneficiary of these pop songs.

Enjoy this arrangement of the Maroon 5 song “Payphone”.

Click on image to download the tablature PDF.

We are doing things a bit different here. I have been working within a logical system whereby six of the tines on the 17-Note Kalimba in C are painted. However, the Chinese system of painting five tines, including the central tine, was made by copying the Hugh Tracey Treble painting scheme, but changing the tuning. A lot of people have bought into that system.

Click on image to download the tablature PDF.

SO, this free download has two sets of tablature, one for the 6-painted-tine Kalimba Magic system (red tines, far above), and one for the 5-painted-tine Chinese system (pink tines, just above). The notes are the same, the thumb motions are the same, but the painted tines are different.

One more point: usually the Alto kalimba with 15 tines can also read the 17-Note tablature in the 6-painted-tines system. However, as the song Payphone uses notes ranging from the lowest tine to the 16th tine (the high D in the pickup of measure 1, the far left tine on the 17-Note Kalimba), this song cannot be played on the 15-Note Alto Kalimba. Sorry!