Written by Ambre Montespan - Updated on May 8, 2026
Table of contents:
Want to learn a simple, easy song on your 7-tine kalimba? Would you like to play a classic, well-known Christmas carol from sheet music to keep the holiday spirit alive? Want to play Vive le Ventâalso known as Jingle Bellsâon your African-rooted instrument? Look no furtherâyou'll find all the resources you need in this article.
Let's take a look at the thumb piano sheet music for Jingle Bells.
Remember to check the tuning of your kalimba
7-tine kalimbas are often tuned to a major pentatonic scale, meaning they only have 5 different notes: C, D, E, G, and A. This scale is perfect for playing by ear, but it won't let you play most well-known songs from sheet music. As a result, you'll need to retune your instrument to F major, as shown in the diagram below:
If you're not sure how to do this, read this tutorial to learn how to change the tuning of your thumb piano. You'll see exactly how to handle this quick, simple step on your instrument. It's essentialâotherwise you won't be able to play Jingle Bells correctly.
In addition, itâs important to make sure you can read kalimba sheet music correctly. Without these basic music-theory skills, you wonât fully understand whatâs required in the musical documents youâll find further down.
Watch the tutorial video to play Jingle Bells on the mbira
Most people know the rhythm and melody of Jingle Bells, but itâs still helpful to have a video that shows you exactly what to do on your instrument. Watch it just below:
You can also take inspiration from the original song here:
Playing Jingle Bells with a thumb piano score
To play the melody of Jingle Bells with ease, nothing beats numbered kalimba sheet music to help you get good results quickly.
Choose a score with letters to play this Christmas carol
Do you usually play from letter-based sheet music? We've already converted it for you, so you can pick the notation that feels most natural.
Step up with thumb piano tablature
A bit more advanced, but extremely clear visually, tablature can be a huge helpâas long as you understand the basic music-theory symbols it uses. You'll get a full view of which tines to play, along with the note lengths. Itâs an ideal way to play Jingle Bells.
Save the song Jingle Bells to practice later
Don't have time to work on Jingle Bells right now and want to come back to it later? No problemâwe offer free downloads of the sheet music and tablature for Jingle Bells in PDF format. You can revisit it anytime or share it with friends who play the kalimba.
Who wrote the song Jingle Bells?
The song Jingle Bells was written by James Lord Pierpont, an American composer born on April 25, 1822, in Boston. However, it wasn't originally called Jingle Bells, but "The One Horse Open Sleigh." It was published on September 16, 1857.
James Lord Pierpont, whose father was a reverend in a Boston church, first attended private school, then served in the Navy until he was 21. He later tried his hand at business during the California Gold Rush, but without success. He then joined his brotherâwho had become a pastor at a church in Savannah, Georgiaâand worked alongside him as the churchâs music director. There he composed several melodies, including "The One Horse Open Sleigh," which was mainly performed during Thanksgiving celebrations. A few years later, minor changes were made, especially to the chorus, which was simplified, and the piece ultimately became known as Jingle Bellsânow one of the most popular songs of the holiday season.
Who wrote the lyrics to the melody Jingle Bells?
While Jingle Bells dates back to 1857, the French version was written in 1948 by Francis Blanche, a French author, actor, singer, and comedian born on July 20, 1921, in Paris. He titled it âVive le Ventâ and adapted the lyrics to reflect the memories and experiences tied to end-of-year celebrations. The adaptation quickly became popular, and well-known artists such as Dalida, Mireille Mathieu, and Henri DĂšs have covered it in recent years.
Play more melodies with a 17-tine kalimba
âJingle Bellsâ is one of those classic melodies thatâs extremely easy to learn on a musical instrument. Itâs undeniably associated with Christmas and New Yearâs Day and helps bring people together during those special moments of celebration. Now you can play it on your kalimba using the sheet music youâve just discovered.
That said, a 7-tine kalimba isnât really designed for playing well-known songs from sheet music. With so few notes available, you can only play a limited number of melodies. Thatâs why itâs worth moving up to a 17-tine thumb piano, which is far better suited to this. The Instruments du Monde store recommends this 17-tine model that captures the spirit of Christmasâperfect for playing a wide range of songs.
Treat yourself to this 17-tine kalimba by clicking on the image below:
Learn another simple song with your 7-tine instrument using our sheet music and tablature for the melody You Are My Sunshine. And find other sheet music for 7-tine kalimbas by visiting our dedicated section.
