Written by Ambre Montespan - Updated on Jun 11, 2026
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Did you enjoy the anime Naruto Shippuden and want to play one of the opening themes on your thumb piano? Would you like to play the song Blue Bird on a 21-tine kalimba? This article will be a big help! Here, you’ll find the sheet music and tablature for this melody, created specifically for this instrument. With these resources, you’ll have everything you need to learn the song successfully.
Let’s jump right into the ninja world and explore the Blue Bird sheet music together.
Prepare your instrument to play the song Blue Bird
You’ll notice that playing Blue Bird requires several notes with accidentals—specifically sharps and flats. In a classic F major tuning, which comes standard on most 21-tine kalimbas, those notes aren’t available. So you’ll need to adjust the length of a few tines to play this song correctly. If you don’t know how to do that, take a look at this article, which explains how to change the tuning of a thumb piano. Once you’ve read it, adjust your keys to match the note layout below:
To be fully prepared to play this melody, it’s also helpful to read or reread this guide, which teaches you how to read sheet music and tablature for the kalimba. The Blue Bird melody is fairly challenging, so understanding what you’re about to see is essential if you want a great-sounding result.
See what you can achieve with your kalimba by playing the sheet music
Nothing boosts motivation like a short video that shows exactly what you can achieve once you can play the sheet music you’re about to discover. So we recommend watching this tutorial for “Blue Bird” from Naruto Shippuden.
If you’re feeling nostalgic or haven’t heard the original yet, you can listen to it below:
Learn the Naruto Shippuden opening with a numbered score
Especially popular with beginners (even though it’s a bit long and complex for “Blue Bird”), you’ll find the numbered sheet music for a 21-tine kalimba below.
Prefer a lettered version of the thumb piano sheet music
What’s the difference between simplified sheet music with numbers or letters? None at all—only the note-naming system changes depending on the country. So if letters are more intuitive for you, use the “Blue Bird” version you’re about to see.
Master the Blue Bird song from the anime Naruto with the help of tablature
If there’s one recommended way to learn songs on a kalimba, it’s tablature. Easier to read and helping you navigate the instrument’s keys more intuitively, this method offers nothing but advantages once you know how to read it.
Print the Blue Bird sheet music as a PDF file
Want to save this sheet music so you don’t have to go back online to view it? Want to print these pages so you have a paper copy to practise more effectively? Then download the PDF file containing the sheet music and tablature for the Blue Bird melody. We provide it free of charge, with no strings attached—just for the pleasure of sharing good vibes.
Who sings the song Blue Bird?
Although “Blue Bird” is widely associated with the anime Naruto Shippuden, it was actually written by the Japanese pop group Ikimono Gakari. The group is made up of musicians Yamashita Hotaka, Mizuno Yoshiki, and singer Yoshioka Kiyoe. That’s who you hear on the track “Blue Bird.”
Formed in 1999, Ikimono Gakari started out playing music on the streets. The three members took a two-year break starting in 2000 to finish their studies, then the band regrouped in 2002 and signed with a Japanese label. After releasing multiple albums and singles, Ikimono Gakari became best known for two Naruto Shippûden openings and one ending theme for the anime Bleach. They’re still active today, including work on other anime such as Boruto, the direct sequel to Naruto.
What is Naruto Shippuden?
Naruto Shippuden is a Japanese anime that continues the Naruto story, picking up about three years later. Like Naruto, Naruto Shippuden follows the journey of a young ninja named Naruto in an imaginary world where gigantic, legendary creatures called tailed beasts can be sealed inside a human body. Once this is done, the human is capable of wielding great power. The inhabitants of this imaginary world also have the supernatural ability to use chakra, a kind of energy naturally present in the body, to perform combat techniques.
It turns out that Naruto is the host of the nine-tailed demon named Kyûbi and that he wants to become Hokage, the strongest ninja in his village. The story is full of twists and turns as Naruto and his friends—Jiraya, Sakura, Hinata, Kakashi, and Sasuke—face off against the Akatsuki organization, Madara, and Orochimaru, who are trying to control all the tailed beasts in order to gain total control over the world.
Get yourself a finely crafted 21-key mbira
The Naruto anime and its sequels have been extremely popular in recent years. The theme songs have left a lasting impression, and now you can dive back into the ninja world by playing one of those iconic melodies. The sheet music and tablature for the song Blue Bird you’ve seen in this article will let you relive Naruto’s adventures through music.
However, not all kalimbas are created equal when it comes to playing longer, more complex songs. For “Blue Bird,” you shouldn’t expect satisfying results from a low-quality instrument. That’s why Instruments du Monde recommends the Zani brand, which offers thumb pianos with excellent value and the kind of feel that demanding players appreciate.
Get your Zani kalimba now by clicking on the image below:
Do you feel that your musical repertoire lacks energetic tunes? Play the melody of Smells Like Teen Spirit by grunge rock band Nirvana with our kalimba sheet music. Despite Kurt Cobain’s death several decades ago, this song is still an international hit. It is one of many songs that you can find among our 21-note kalimba sheet music.
