Wellerman (Soon May the Wellerman Come)

Traditionnel (Nouvelle-Zélande) · Level 2 (Beginner) · traditional · Guitar, sheet music and tablature

A New Zealand whaling song from the 1860s–1870s: the crew waits for the supply ship (the “Wellerman”) to bring sugar, tea and rum. Arranged in D minor: the tune in first position, with a thumb bass on the first beat of each bar and at each chord change.

▶ Play this piece with the interactive score

How to practise it

• Listen first: the site plays it while the score scrolls.
• Wait mode: the score waits for you at every note, at your own pace.
• Tempo challenge: play in time, with a score and a map of the bars you got right.
• Play the basses (strings 6, 5 and 4) with the thumb and the tune with i and m. When a bass and a melody note fall together, pluck them at the same time and let the bass ring. Practise the tune alone first.

Source : Arrangement Note after Note d’après le chant de marins traditionnel · Public Domain