Here's what I come up with. Since I can't easily represent quarters, "x"s after the first two notes represent unplayed eighths. Count 1 & 2 & etc on each typed character. The unfortunately staggered vertical lines in the middle are the measure bar. Not "1"s

--0--x---0--x--------0---------------|----0-------------------------------
-------------------5---------------5---|------------------------------------
------------------------------6--------|----------2-----------2------------
----------------------------------------|----------------4-------------0----
----------------------------------------|------------------------------------

quote:

---

Originally posted by Joseba Andoni

Does anyone have a good tab, tip, or example that works well for this tune on a 5-string banjo?

---

Besides the line I improvised and tabbed out, my tip is to look at tabs of Whiskey Before Breakfast and St. Anne's Reel, two tunes traditionally played in the key of D. The most useful to you, of course, will be those written in G tuning. Since you don't need the fifth string for the ending you've asked for, it won't matter if the tabs call for fifth to be raised to A or left at G -- as long as the other four strings are in G tuning.

What will matter is how useful the rest of the tabs are for lifting phrases to use elsewhere in your D melodic playing.

Another tip is to get either Tony Trischka's "Melodic Banjo" or "Hot Licks" books. The main difference between the two in terms of melodic content is "Melodic Banjo" has full tunes tabbed out and chapters on the development of melodic style and leading melodic players as of the book's publication in the early 1980s. The "Hot Licks" book has essentially all the same basic information on melodic style, such as scales and phrases or licks that work over various chords. Plus it has melodic ideas for a couple of chords not covered in "Melodic Banjo." 

Hi Ken,
Thank you so much for your quick response and for the great tips!
I will definitely look into the tabs for Whiskey Before Breakfast and St. Anne's Reel as you suggested. It's really helpful to know that I can work them out in standard G tuning without worrying too much about the fifth string for this specific ending.
I am also going to search for those Tony Trischka books. The "Hot Licks" one sounds like exactly what I need to build up my vocabulary for D melodic playing.
Thanks again for your help!
Best regards,
Andoni

quote:

---

Originally posted by Joseba Andoni

Thank you so much for your quick response and for the great tips!

---

Happy to help, Joseba. Here's a slight variation on the lick. Switches the order of two notes:

--0--x---0--x--------0--------------|----0-------------------------------
----------------------------5----------|------------------------------------
-------------------6------------6-----|----------2-----------2------------
----------------------------------------|----------------4-------------0----
----------------------------------------|------------------------------------

Tony's "Hot Licks for Bluegrass Banjo" has a 21-page section on melodic style. Its licks for F and A chords are what I believe go beyond the content of "Melodic Banjo." Be aware that a lot of the D licks have a C note instead of C-sharp, making them more useful to play over a D as V chord in key of G, rather than as I chord in D.

Another tip: When searching the Hangout Tab Library for "St. Anne's Reel," be sure to try alternate spellings for "Saint" and "Anne."  In fact, don't type the whole title.  Search for:  St Ann, St. Ann,  and Saint Ann      All three variations of "Saint" are used as are both "Ann" and "Anne"   The three searches I've suggested will find them all.

And, finally. Here's a literally descending lick. It goes straight down the D major scale. But since it reaches D before the end, we play D twice in the second measure. You get your choice of playing an optional eighth-note E after the first open 4th string D, or omitting that note and treating the first D as a quarter. Which I think sounds fine and little less busy.


--0--x---0--x------------------------|---------------------------------
------------------------0--------------|---------------------------------
-------------------6---------------0--|---------------------------------
-------------------------------7-------|----4----2----0---(-2-)---0--
----------------------------------------|---------------------------------

If you don't like the jump from 7th to 4th frets, you can play the A note at 2nd fret on 3rd string then do slight single string to play the G as open 3rd. For that matter, you can play the C# at 2nd fret on 2nd string then play the B at your choice of 2nd string open or 3rd string at 4th fret. There is no right or best way. It's whatever feels most natural and comfortable to you.