Here is a clawhammer banjo TAB for the traditional sea shanty, “What would you do with a Drunken Sailor?” You are getting TWO versions of this tune. The first one involves mostly the bum ditty pattern and some hammer-ons. For the second variation, I added a lot of drop thumbing. This will give you something to keep your interest for awhile.

Clawhammer Banjo -Drunken Sailor TAB

This clawhammer arrangement of “Drunken Sailor” is in what I refer to as drop A tuning (a D G A D). You only need to raise your fifth string up to A and drop your second string down to A. Your friends can play along in A minor.

TAB comes in digital PDF format (I use Musescore to make all of my TABS). You’ll get the link to the TAB delivered into your inbox immediately.

Needed Banjo Technique Prerequisites:

Two finger chords
Hammer-ons
Slides
Bum Ditty
Drop Thumb Pattern

Drunken Sailor Song History

This song dates back to at least the early 1800’s. Originally a sea shanty, it became popular on land later on. The song has been covered by famous artists like Pete Seeger and the Irish Rovers.