Trevan_Willingham - Posted - 03/20/2026:  20:37:34

Anybody have 3 finger or clawhammer tab for 5 string banjo for the rocky road to Dublin?

banjered - Posted - 03/21/2026:  06:47:16

From time to time I will take standard musical notation of a song and covert it into a clawhammer tab. It is a useful tool to have in your Clawhammer tool kit as most songs do not have tabs, usually the ones you want to learn. As a slip jig and a first one out of the conversion box it might be challenging but not impossible. Just a suggestion. banjered

Old Hickory - Posted - 03/21/2026:  08:10:20

When I played this in my Celtic-Americana band, I just rolled on the two chords, mostly in forward roll to keep up a 9/8 "slip jig" rhythm. Occasionally punctuated with pinches. No solo. Strictly backup. So I made no attempt to render melody.

If I recall correctly, the whole thing can be played with three, maybe four, different phrases or patterns.

Your profile says you've been playing since 2024. Now seems like a good time to attempt to work out something on your own. All you need is the chords (available free online), a feel for the rhythm, and a vocabulary of right- and left-hand patterns to draw on.

Good luck.

In the meantime, here's a guy playing it clawhammer. If you don't like the key, don't capo.

Old Hickory - Posted - 03/21/2026:  08:11:10

And here's a tab.

Old Hickory - Posted - 03/21/2026:  08:34:00

And another one.

Old Hickory - Posted - 03/21/2026:  08:42:38

And another one.

So there's this thing called "Google."

Tim Jumper - Posted - 03/21/2026:  09:06:33

I agree with Banjered. Both single jigs (6/8) and slip jigs (9/8) are challenging to play in clawhammer. Ken Perlman and Michael J. Miles do this as well as anyone can.

I skirt the issue entirely by playing/singing "Rocky Road" in duple rhythm -- 4/4 or 2/4, however you choose to count it. Same goes for "Rattlin' Roarin' Willie," "There Was an Old Woman from Wexford," et hoc genus omne. 

dbrooks - Posted - 03/21/2026:  09:56:19

There are 3 tabs in the BHO Tab Archive:

Irish Tenor (DM) - Rocky Road to Dublin Tab - Details and Ratings - Banjo Hangout

Clawhammer version based on Wilson Douglas (G) - Rocky Road to Dublin (from Wilson Douglas) Tab - Details and Ratings - Banjo Hangout

Clawhammer version (A modal) - Rocky Road To Dublin (OT American Tab - Details and Ratings - Banjo Hangout

Ken Perlman has tab (G modal) in his "New England and Irish Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo."

The Dubliners play this in D minor, it seems.  Do you have a key preference?  Is there a version on YouTube you prefer?  These answers might help someone help you.

David