Written by Ambre Montespan - Updated on May 8, 2026
Table of contents:
Would you like to play the famous children’s song Frère Jacques on your kalimba? Are you looking for simple sheet music or tablature that even a child can follow? Then you’ve come to the right place! In this blog post, you’ll find exactly what you need—we’ve pulled together the best resources to help you play the nursery rhyme Frère Jacques on a 17-tine kalimba.
Let’s take a closer look at the scores.
Do you know how to play kalimba sheet music correctly?
In the world of the finger piano, beginners often make the mistake of jumping in without taking a few minutes to understand how the sheet music works. Yet this step is essential. That’s why we highly recommend our free guide to reading kalimba sheet music and other musical notation. You’ll see it’s very approachable, even for young players.
Many new kalimba players also assume, incorrectly, that this percussion instrument doesn’t need tuning and can be played straight out of the box. That’s another common misconception. The steel tines (often called “keys”) can shift over time, during bumpy shipping, or after a knock. That’s why tuning and checking your kalimba is a must before you start playing.
Learn how to play Frère Jacques on the thumb piano with the help of a video
Sometimes more helpful than a printed score, the video below shows you exactly which tines to play and in what order. That means even a child who can’t read music yet can play Frère Jacques on the kalimba.
And if you’re not familiar with the melody of Frère Jacques yet, here’s another video to introduce it.
Play Frère Jacques with our mbira sheet music
Super easy to pick up, we recommend using the numbered sheet music below if you’re just getting started with this instrument. Simply follow the sequence of notes shown.
Use an alternative score with letters
Do you have a sanza with notes engraved on the tines, but only letters are shown? No worries—we’ve converted it for you so you can play Frère Jacques this way, too.
Discover the tablature for the song Frère Jacques
If you’re not sure what tablature is, it’s simply one of the most straightforward ways to learn melodies on the kalimba. Once you know how to read this kind of musical document, you’ll understand note lengths and rests. That detail isn’t crucial for Frère Jacques, since the melody is so simple, but it’s a great first step before moving on to more advanced pieces.
Share the Frère Jacques music with our PDF file
Why not share Frère Jacques with your friends and compare your performances? Download our free PDF file containing the sheet music and tablature for Frère Jacques on kalimba. Then you can simply send it to them or print it out and hand it over in person.
Who composed the melody Frère Jacques?
The song Frère Jacques was first published in 1811 in a book titled "Recueil de Capelle," released by Pierre Capelle, a songwriter and author born on 4 November 1770, in Montauban. However, according to research by several musicologists, Frère Jacques may have been composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau, the French composer.
In fact, in another book titled "Diapason général de tous les instruments à vent," published in 1772, traces of the music of Frère Jacques appear alongside other clues that point to Jean-Philippe Rameau as the composer. What’s more, "Recueil de Capelle" is actually a collection of songs that were regularly performed at "La société du caveau," a singers’ society that Jean-Philippe Rameau was known to attend. So while we can’t say it with absolute certainty, the evidence strongly suggests that Frère Jacques is his work.
What are the lyrics to Frère Jacques?
Jean-Philippe Rameau initially proposed the following lyrics:
"Frère Jacques,
Wake up!
Ring for matins,
Bing, bong, bong!"
It turns out they were changed over time and eventually became:
"Frère Jacques,
Are you asleep?
Ring for matins!
Ding, daing, dong!"
Matins refers to a prayer said in the middle of the night, when a monk would ring the bells to wake the community.
Play all your nursery rhymes with a sublime instrument
Frère Jacques is one of those simple melodies that most children know, making it a perfect starting point for introducing beginners to music. Now you have everything you need to play Frère Jacques correctly on your 17-tine kalimba.
However, if you plan to learn more challenging nursery rhymes later on, you’ll want a quality instrument that feels great to play and sounds the way it should. The Instruments du Monde store highly recommends this kalimba specially designed for nursery rhymes—ideal for helping little ones dream with an unusual, soothing instrument.
Treat yourself to this nursery-rhyme kalimba now by clicking on the link below:
Interested in sheet music and tablature for kalimba? Then step into Nintendo’s Mushroom Kingdom by browsing our Super Mario kalimba sheet music! You can relive the rescue of Princess Peach, captured by the evil Bowser. And that’s just a taste of everything you can play when you explore our wide selection of sheet music for 17-tine kalimbas.
