Written by Ambre Montespan - Updated on May 8, 2026
Summary:
Do you love the Zelda video game series and want to learn how to play the famous Zelda’s Lullaby on your 17-key kalimba? Consider it almost done! With the sheet music and tablature available below, you’ll discover the sequence of notes to play to bring this melody to life on your thumb piano.
Let’s jump right into the adventure and explore the sheet music.
Lay a solid foundation before diving into Zelda’s Lullaby sheet music
While the sheet music for Zelda’s Lullaby isn’t terribly difficult, you’ll still need a bit of preparation to make sure you can play it confidently. First, it’s essential to learn how to read kalimba sheet music. There are a few subtleties you’ll need to know in order to truly master this piece.
In addition, it’s especially important to take the time to tune your kalimba. It’s not uncommon to see musicians trying to play melodies on an out-of-tune kalimba, which is counterproductive. That’s why it’s essential to regularly check whether your instrument is producing accurate notes.
Discover the score played on the kalimba
To help you get started in the best possible conditions, a video showing what you can achieve with your kalimba is available below. If you follow the sheet music or tablature, you’ll get a similar result.
For comparison, you’ll then hear the original version of Zelda’s Lullaby, as it appears in the video game “The Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time.”
The sheet music for Zelda's Lullaby on finger piano
Use this sheet music for Zelda’s Lullaby along with the markings on the tines (or the stickers placed on them) to play this song that’s instantly recognizable to fans of the franchise.
Sheet music with letters for Zelda's Lullaby kalimba
If you prefer kalimba sheet music with letters rather than numbers, you’ll love this version written entirely in letter notation.
Improve your mbira skills by using tablature
If you want to make fast progress learning melodies on the kalimba, it’s highly recommended that you learn to read tablature. Once you do, everything will become clearer and easier to play. Below is the tablature for Zelda’s Lullaby.
Save the sheet music in PDF format on your computer
Download the sheet music for Zelda’s Lullaby for thumb piano in PDF format—completely free of charge. This way, you can view it even without an internet connection. Ideal for practising wherever you are.
Who composed the melody for Zelda's Lullaby?
Zelda’s Lullaby was composed by Koji Kondo, a Japanese musician born on August 13, 1961, who has mainly collaborated with Nintendo throughout his career. For example, he created the original music for the Mario and Super Smash Bros. game series. He is widely regarded as one of the artists who have had a profound impact on video game music.
It’s worth mentioning that Koji Kondo drew heavily on another melody when composing Zelda’s Lullaby. This melody is a piece by Canadian composer Mort Garson called “Concerto for Philodendron & Pothos,” released in 1976 on the album “Mother Earth’s Plantasia.” When you listen to the beginning of this song, you’ll undoubtedly recognize the first notes of Zelda’s Lullaby. You can listen to it below:
When is Zelda's Lullaby played?
Zelda’s Lullaby appears regularly throughout the various instalments of the Zelda series. It first showed up in the third game, “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past,” released in 1991. The melody plays when Link rescues the princess from her prison at the very beginning of the game.
It wasn’t until The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that players could actually play the melody themselves on an ocarina to trigger special effects in-game. You then learn that this piece has been passed down for generations within the royal family as a lullaby for children. Since then, you can hear it in several other entries, such as Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, and Majora's Mask.
Raise your game with a superior kalimba
The Zelda video game saga is incredibly popular, especially thanks to its beautiful music, so it’s no surprise that fans of Link often want to play melodies from the world of Hyrule. With the sheet music and tablature you’ve discovered in this article, playing Zelda’s Lullaby on your kalimba is now within reach—with a bit of practice.
However, even the best musicians will only get average results with a low-quality thumb piano. That’s why, for music that requires a bit of dexterity, it’s a good idea to invest in a high-quality kalimba such as those made by Gecko. After manufacturing these instruments for years, the brand is recognized worldwide for meeting the expectations of demanding players. The Instruments du Monde store offers this beautiful 17-tine model made of maple wood.
Get this excellent Gecko kalimba by clicking on the image below:
How about learning a romantic ballad on your instrument? This kind of song works beautifully on a kalimba thanks to the warm, gentle tone it produces. Take a look at the kalimba sheet music for Ed Sheeran’s song Perfect. A pop classic that’s sure to charm whoever you’re playing it for. And if you’re into popular music, you’ll find dozens more songs to play on your 17-tine kalimba with our sheet music.
