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Clawhammer Tune and Tab of the Week: Say Darlin’ Say

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A few weeks ago, with the release of Big Liza as a tune of the week, I mentioned that my daughter Jules and I were busy rehearsing for our first full public performance.

That performance of The Unicorn Mountaineers took place late yesterday afternoon(the band logo below was Jules’s brilliant design – my mustache is a bit of artistic license on her part). Jules’s first show was almost literally a trial by fire, as the temperature was in the solid mid-90s at start time.

The Unicorn Mountaineers

But I’m pleased to report that the event was a success. No tears were shed. No limbs were lost. The audience appeared to be enjoying themselves. And we were invited back to do it again.

This week’s tune, Say Darlin’ Say, is another song from that set, and it has bit of special significance for us.

You may recognize the lyrics from the classic lullaby “Hush Little Baby”, one my wife and I have sung many a time to both our kids when tucking them in at night (albeit to a different melody). Say Darlin’ Say was also the first song Jules and I ever played in front of an audience (back in 2011).

I tend to vary what I do a bit each time through on this tune, but have tried to tab out a few of the variations I typically play (the melody itself covers 6 measures, so below you have 3 variations).

Say Darlin’s Say

aDADE tuning, Brainjo level 3 

 

Clawhammer Banjo tab for Say Darlin Say

Notes on the tab:

Notes in parentheses are “skip” notes. To learn more about these, check out my [free] video lesson on the subject.

For more on reading tabs in general, check out my complete guide on reading banjo tabs.

About the Author
Josh Turknett is founder and lead brain hacker at Brainjo Productions
 

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