Clawhammer Tune and Tab of the Week: “Sugar in the Gourd”

Met her on the road, she danced on a board

Danced to a tune called Sugar in the Gourd,

Sugar in the gourd honey can’t get it out,

Only way to get the sugar gotta roll the gourd about

Ah, if only every romance began this way, maybe we wouldn’t have such an abysmal divorce rate.

But alas….

While the precise reason(s) why one would put sugar in a gourd remain somewhat unclear (and some potential explanations on the more…ahem…adult side), what is certain is that the tune named for the aforementioned act is an irresistible jam classic, and well deserving of a prominent place in your 5-string downpicking repertory.

This is definitely a ‘clear out the kitchen chairs and stomp your feet kind of tune’, so don’t be afraid to make it swing.

Sugar in the Gourd

gDGBD tuning, Brainjo level 3

Notes on the tab: 

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

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