Christmas Songs and Gospels for Kalimba. For Absolute Beginners: Number-coded Sheet Music

Book excerpt: Are you a beginner who wants to play Christmas songs, hymns, folksongs, and spirituals but have never played music or cannot read sheet music? Don't worry! With our simple, picture-based sheet music, you can start playing immediately. The songs and melodies have been adapted especially for beginners, using number-coded circles instead of musical staff or notes. The sheet music is suitable for 10-17 note kalimbas and the most modern kalimbas already have engraved numbers and letters representing the name of the notes. The notes become higher as you move away from the center and alternate from right to left. The songs cover two or three octaves and we use dots to indicate different octaves. The standard 17-note kalimba contains 3 octaves: 1) a full 2nd small octave, 2) a 3rd small octave, and 3) 3 notes from the 4th small octave. The 2nd small octave goes from C4 to C5 and is depicted in our sheet music as simple numbers. The notes from the 3rd small octave have numbers with one dot above each number. The three notes C6, D6, and E6 in the 4th octave are indicated by numbers with two dots above them. The numbers and dots will help you to begin to play immediately. Follow the numbers and enjoy the music! Note: Some melodies have been changed and simplified for a diatonic range. Christmas songs are a unique music genre traditionally associated with the celebration of Christmas. They can be divided into several categories, including carols, hymns, and secular songs. Carols are songs that are typically religious in nature and tell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Hymns are sacred songs that are sung in churches during Christmas services are often more contemplative in nature. Secular Christmas songs are those that are not specifically religious in nature but are still associated with the holiday season. Regardless of the specific type, Christmas songs are an important part of the holiday season for many people and are often enjoyed by families and friends as they come together to celebrate the occasion. This book includes 43 Christmas and gospel songs: Away in a Manger Christ Was Born on Christmas Day Desk the Halls Go, Tell It on the Mountain Jingle Bells Jolly Old Saint Nicholas Joy to the World! The Lord is Come O, Holy Night O Sanctissima! Silent Night, Holy Night The First Noel Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star We Wish You a Merry Christmas Amazing Grace Babylon’s Falling Elijah Rock Every Time I Feel the Spirit God Is So Good Great Big Stars Great Day Holy, Holy, Holy I've Got Joy Joy I've Got Peace Like a River Jesus Loves Me Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley Just As I Am Kumbaya, My Lord Michael Row the Boat Ashore Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen Praise Him, All You Little Children Shall We Gather at the River Sinner Man Am I a Soldier of the Cross Somebody’s Knockin’ at Your Door Swing Love, Sweet Chariot The Little Light of Mine There’s a Meeting Here Tonight We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder We Are Marching (Siyahamba) We Shall Overcome When the Saints Go Marching In Who Built the Ark? Will the Circle Be Unbroken?