Written by Ambre Montespan - Updated on Jan 28, 2026
Table of contents:
If you loved Japanese animated films from Studio Ghibli—especially Castle in the Sky—you might be itching to play the movie’s main theme, “Carrying You”, on a tongue drum. With the sheet music you’re about to discover (for 13-note tongue drums), playing this piece becomes a real joy. It’s a beautiful way to relive the adventure and emotion of this Hayao Miyazaki masterpiece through music.
Like the castle itself, let’s take off right now and explore the “Carrying You” sheet music for tank drum.
How do you read tongue drum sheet music?
It’s frustrating to want to play a melody without understanding the different musical signs and symbols in the sheet music. The end result will be less than satisfactory. To help you out, check out our completely free guide to reading tongue drum sheet music. After reading it, you’ll know exactly what to do to play any song based on what’s written on the sheet music.
Take a look at an example of the song Carrying You on the tongue drum
There’s nothing like hearing another musician play the piece to help you progress faster. You can listen to an example just below for the song “Carrying You”. It also gives you an idea of what you can achieve by following our sheet music to the letter:
You can also listen to the original track from the soundtrack of the animated film "Castle in the Sky" for comparison.
Play the theme from Castle in the Sky with a simplified score for hank drum
It’s very easy to learn—simply follow the note pattern on this simplified sheet music to play the melody of “Carrying You” on your tongue drum.
Choose a version of the sheet music for steel drum with letters
Do you prefer to read sheet music with letters instead of numbers? We’ve already done the conversion for you. Below you’ll find the lettered sheet music for Castle in the Sky for tongue drum.
Opt for the precision of an advanced tongue drum score
Want to be more precise in your performance of the melody? If so, and if you know how to read it, use this slightly more complex sheet music, which will give you all the useful information about note lengths, rests, and tempo.
Save the Castle in the Sky vibe drum scores
Want to study this score at your leisure, wherever you are, with a paper version? Download this PDF file containing the Castle in the Sky scores for tongue drum. This download is completely free to use, and there is no obligation to purchase anything. You can also share it with all your friends who also own this instrument so you can compare your performances.
What is the animated feature film Castle in the Sky?
Castle in the Sky is an animated feature film created in 1986 by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki through Studio Ghibli. Internationally, the film is known as "Laputa: Castle in the Sky," and in its original language as "Tenkū no shiro Rapyuta." Although the release date was indeed 1986, the film was not released in France until 2003. At the time, there were no plans to export the film abroad, mainly for financial reasons. However, following the huge success of two other Studio Ghibli animated films, Princess Mononoke in 1997 and Spirited Away in 2001, an international adaptation was produced. For that release, the original title "Laputa: Castle in the Sky" was shortened to "Castle in the Sky" internationally to avoid an unfortunate double meaning in some Spanish-speaking regions. Even so, "Laputa," the name of the flying island, was actually inspired by Gulliver's Travels, in which Laputa is a floating city.
Castle in the Sky follows two children, Pazu and Sheeta, who are pursued by pirates and Muska, an agent of the government’s secret service, because they carry the “flying stone.” This artifact is said to lead to Laputa, an island that, according to legend, floats in the sky. Viewers can follow the adventures of these two children as they search for this mysterious place.
Who composed the song Carrying You?
The entire soundtrack for the animated film Castle in the Sky was composed by Joe Hisaishi, a Japanese artist born on December 6, 1950, who is best known for his work on almost all of Hayao Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano’s films. His real name is Mamoru Fujisawa, but Joe Hisaishi is a stage name inspired by trumpeter Quincy Jones, chosen as a tribute.
Mamoru Fujisawa began his musical journey at the age of 4, when he started learning the violin. From 1970 onwards, he specialized in musical composition and began writing music for cartoon credits, commercials, and documentaries. He also formed a band in 1979, producing an album two years later, but it was only moderately successful. He left the band shortly afterwards. In 1984, the composer achieved his first major success with the soundtrack for Hayao Miyazaki's animated film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, followed by Castle in the Sky in 1986. From this period onwards, Mamoru Fujisawa became the star composer for Miyazaki's films, participating in more than twenty joint projects. At the same time, from 1991 to 2002, he also composed music for Takeshi Kitano's films. His talent has been recognized outside Japan since the 2000s, when he performed in concert in several European cities. Mamoru Fujisawa continues to participate in several film projects and pursues his solo career by producing several albums.
Get yourself a 13-note instrument to play beautiful melodies
Castle in the Sky has become a cult classic, both for the themes it explores—such as the relationship between humans and technology—and for its unforgettable score. Now, with the sheet music you’ve just discovered, you can learn to play the main theme of this beloved work on your tongue drum.
However, you won’t be able to play this song with just any tongue drum. You’ll need an instrument with a fairly wide range and at least 13 different notes. To help you play "Carrying You" in the best possible conditions, Instruments du Monde recommends this high-quality 13-note tongue drum, which promises you many hours of musical enjoyment.
Discover this tongue drum now by clicking on the image below:
Want to learn new melodies on your tongue drum? Look no further and learn one of the iconic songs of the 1960s by discovering our tongue drum sheet music for "The Sound of Silence" (get the score). Let yourself be enchanted by the relaxing notes composed by the duo Simon and Garfunkel. Or discover our many tongue drum sheet music for an exceptional musical journey.
