The Wellerman – Basic Lesson

Warm up by playing the E Minor Scale: D1-2-3-A0-1-L2-3-E0

Use this drone track to practice the scale at your own pace.

Here’s a routine to help you learn this and any song.

Listen to the first Chunk. 

There once was a ship that set to sea,

Then Sing it on your own.

Next, play the first note: D0

Then Chain the first two: D0-1

Keep chaining until you have the first musical Chunk

Subtitle: D0-1-1-1-1-3-A1-1-1

Go slow, allowing the fingers to easily reach their destination.

Then Loop on that Chunk until it flows. 

Repeat the process for other chunks.

Then Chain the Chunks into bigger sections until you have the whole song.

If you liked this lesson, you may also like these sea shanties:

• Leave Her Johnny, Leave Her
• Drunken Sailor
• Spanish Ladies

“The Wellerman” originates from the early 19th century, specifically from New Zealand. It was sung by the whalers of the time, and its name refers to the Weller Brothers’ whaling station, which operated out of Otago, a coastal region on the South Island. The song tells the story of a whaling ship’s crew battling a “right whale” and eagerly awaiting supplies from a “Wellerman,” a supply ship owned by the Weller Brothers.

The song’s repetitive, catchy chorus and rhythmic verses encapsulate the camaraderie, hopes, and struggles of the whaling crews. In recent times, “The Wellerman” gained renewed popularity through social media, introducing a new generation to the rich heritage of sea shanties and their role in the maritime history of the Pacific.