Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Hava Nagila

I know this may be a long shot but, do you have the banjo chords to Hava Nagila? I’ve got the melody worked out in G (Phrygian,) but I’m willing to learn it in any key. I have a family reunion coming up. Lol. Thank you!

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Welcome! As a Beginner, I often have an expert opinion, but this one is a challenge. Nevertheless, “let us rejoice!”
(Too bad you don’t play the clarinet. This might be easier!)

I found this -
https://www.free-scores.com/download-sheet-music.php?pdf=34804

The website seems a complicated, and it may be written in regular music notation, not tabs.

If you play clawhammer, maybe you can learn from this -

And it looks like you can download a tef file of the song here -
https://www.banjohangout.org/tab/browse.asp?m=detail&v=13033

Shalom! Or as we say in my family “Peace be with you.”

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Maybe I am missing something here. Chords are chords, no? If you can’t find on-line banjo chords for the song then look for guitar chords. Obviously they will be fingered differently from guitar to banjo, but the progression will be the same… The only difference is that people won’t leave the room if it’s played on the guitar! Just a joke. I’m a bigtime bluegrass fan. Even if it’s Israeli music.

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Robert, @epjacobs
I do that often, use guitar chords for playing mandolin. I agree, chords are chords… :grin: Maybe we’re both missing something here :upside_down_face:!

Thank you!

I’m new on banjo but I play guitar so I will take your advice and look for chords in either instrument. I’m blind, so tab won’t help (lol) unless I pick up one of those tab-playing programs. I play entirely by ear. I can figure out most tunes, including Hava Nagila, but it is in a mode I have never played in before and I have to learn where to put my fingers to make those interesting, authentic sounding chords. My goal is to come up with a Scruggs style version of this tune. You know, really drive that mother. Ha, ha , ha. Shalom.

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Tunes follow certain chord progressions, Individual instruments can and do play out of the chord progression from time to time depending on the arrangement. You will often hear @BanjoBen say the banjo or mandolin plays this chord whilst the guitar plays that chord.

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You’ll want to get TefView it’s free and you can play the TEF TAB files that @BanjoBen creates for each lesson.

Wow! Thanks so much!

Sorry forgot - Here is the link, choose the one that goes with your device.

https://tabledit.com/tefview/download.shtml

You might want to check out a couple of Ben’s “Build a Break” tutorials. They start with the basic melody, then he adds “ornaments” to really beef it up.
Best of luck when all the relatives get together! I will wager there’s never a dull moment!

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Thanks, Archie!

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Thanks, BanJoe. I will check them out. :sunglasses::banjo:

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Just found the right “reply” button. Thanks so much for the links, info, and video. I love this woman’s version. Really lovely. I don’t play clawhammer, but the video helps me to hear what’s possible.

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