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Garden Song Banjo Tabs

Pete Seeger

Garden Song Banjo Tablature: One Song, Many Styles

Recomended level: Beginner

Tags: #vocal, #major key

Garden Song is an American fold song that was written by David Mallet. It has been performed and recorded by many notable artists such as Pete Seeger, John Denver, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Muppets, and more.


Every version here uses 'drop-C' tuning. That means your 4th string, the big one, will be tuned down from D to C. Another thing that will give this song the correct 'feel' is engaging the swing feature in Tunefox.


We have several arrangements available for you to learn from. Start with The Melody. After that you can try out the Scruggs Style - Basic version of this tune. It incorporates banjo roll patterns along with the melody.


If you know this song well and have sung along with it, you will notice the melody version is rather simplified. That's good for beginners and to have a simple and solid framework to build up a more complex Scruggs style version. If you'd like to learn to play it more closely to how it is sung, then check out Melody - Syllabic.


If you are a singer or want to play with somebody who sings this song, then dive into the Backup version of Garden Song for the banjo. This one is based on the way Pete Seeger played backup on his album, "Circles & Seasons". Pete had a uniques style of playing that came to be known as 'Seeger Style'. He used a two-finger combination of clawhammer and finger picking. In the version here we mimic that with typical three finger playing. It requires a little extra thumb motion, but since the song is so slow it is not too much of a challenge and is great picking hand practice.

Learn how to play Garden Song on Banjo with this selection of tablatures:

  • Banjo Garden Song Melody

    Melody

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      C
    • Tempo
      60 bpm
    • Tuning
      gDGBD

    Garden Song for the banjo is a wonderful melody that is simple and sweet. Read through the banjo tablature and listen to the song in Tunefox before each practice. Just reading and l...

    Learn
  • Banjo Garden Song Playing the Syllables

    Playing the Syllables

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      C
    • Tempo
      60 bpm
    • Tuning
      gCGBD

    In this version of Garden Song for the banjo you will learn to 'play the syllables'. This means each note in the melody will match up with a syllable in the song lyrics. It is just ...

    Learn
  • Banjo Garden Song Backup

    Backup

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      C
    • Tempo
      60 bpm
    • Tuning
      gCGBD

    Garden Song for banjo is a blast to play. This version is based on the banjo playing of Pete Seeger. We'll adapt his signature style to three fingers for all you Scruggs style playe...

    Learn
  • Banjo Garden Song Scruggs Style - Basic

    Scruggs Style - Basic

    • Difficulty
    • Key
      C
    • Tempo
      60 bpm
    • Tuning
      gCGBD

    This Scruggs Style version of Garden Song for the banjo uses a lot of forward rolls, double stops and pinches. Slide in and out of those double stop shapes to make position shifting...

    Learn