Sawmill banjo chords5-string banjo in Sawmill: gDGCD, also called G modal

Sawmill, also called G modal or mountain modal, is open G with the 2nd string raised to C. Its open strings have no third, so they ring under modal tunes like Cluck Old Hen and Shady Grove.

Every chord here is worked out for the banjo in Sawmill (the short 5th string g, then D G C D from string 4 to string 1) by the 5-String Banjo Chords app: the shape the chord books use leads, with the finger for each string, whether the 5th string belongs, and more shapes up the neck.

Printable chord chart (PDF) or view it · How to tune

Print a chart

A4 PDFs, one page each: the chord chart, then a page for each common key with its seven chords and the moveable shapes. Or get them all in the jam pack (PDF).