Love what your doing here. I tried playing Banjo a few years ago, regular picking. I'm 72 and have arthritis in my hands and rotator cuff problems. I miss playing a lot. I stunk but; still loved it. Anyway I started thinking maybe a different hand use and a traveling banjo would help with my physical problems. I had a pretty nice banjo that I sold just before moving to Florida(that's another story). I just bought a cheap banjo from Amazon that got good reviews. So if my physical limitations hold me back again there will be very little loss.I like your style. I also plan to take it very slowly. So being able to just watch video's that I actually understand at my own pace is a tremendous bonus. I've taken lessons from several different guys that actually set me back. You are a good communicator and I can turn you off if I'm having "a day". Love utube. I have no problem practicing. I may have practiced too much, pushed when I was in pain until I just broke. Dumb.So thank you about 1000 times. I'm waiting for the banjo to show up, it's my exmas present to my self, I'm excited!Have a great Christmas!!
Watching this in 2022, 8 years later. So much has happened, and it seems a lifetime since 2014. And yet this stands the test of time. Clawhammer resources seem limited compared to scrugg style, but this is definitely helping me out. It's also awesome to see how far you've come on your videos, not only in your playing, but in your production value, and even just your comfort on camera. I'd love to see you revisit these beginner videos, as I'm sure you've picked up new techniques to teach us new pickers, but there's definitely a certain charm to these earlier videos! Thank you, from the future.
Thanks so much for this, Vincent! Hard to believe it’s been 8 years, but then again in some ways it feels like a long time ago. I’ve thought about recreating these (they do make me cringe a bit now!), but I also could never take them down. So still trying to figure that out. :)
Your video teaching has come a long way Doc since these lessons were produced! I appreciate the subtle humor and the actual instruction. So glad I discovered your courses and book.
I have watched a ton of videos on Claw hammer and Blue Grass. None come close to yours. You really explain it so much better. I have all your videos saved and am enrolled in your system. Thanks Ray
I recently bought a banjo, I'm new here.Yes, the middle finger in the claw shape seems to me the most suitable for playing the banjo. I can feel an adjustment in my brain if I don't rush the banjo practice.Claw hammer, fingerstyle and bluegrass playing style are interesting to me and I think that they should not be separated and learned to apply them. I would like that.
hi, sven from Germany, thank you very much for your Clawhammer videos! there is no good banjo teacher in Germany. I've only been playing for 2 months, my english is not the best, but: thanks google translate. stay healthy all the best, Sven
Hi Josh, I just wanted to say a massive 'thanks'! I stumbled across your Essential Steps series shortly before Christmas. I am now a'hammering my merry way through your Tab of the Week series on my shiny new Goodtime! Your channel and mailing list have not only provided a super-effective learning method for playing clawhammer, but have also informed my knowledge of the history of the banjo and helped nurture the seed of what may now be described as an unhealthy interest in appalachian folk music and this great instrument. So once again, keep up the great work you're doing! Dave (Liverpool, UK)
I've been playing guitar for about sixty years, finger picking and flat picking, so that downward "hammer one individual string" technique is totally foreign to me. I was trying to learn the entire "bum-diddy" in one go with little success. This has REALLY helped. Thanks so much. (I just signed up for your course and I have high hopes.)
Thank You for taking the time to help us learn this method. I Love the sound of a Banjo and want to play Old Time Banjo Music. It does so much to bring happiness to us all. This video helped me so much in learning to play.
I've gotten through lesson 4 but perhaps need to start over. I'm missing something subtle I guess. Here's how I describe the problem: The vertical hammer motion is both vertical and slightly horizontal, as shown in your videos. Has to be, so the thumb can come to rest beside the fifth string rather than on top of it. Meanwhile the picking finger (middle finger with JT finger pick in my case) strikes the string. But once the thumb is against the fifth string, the picking finger can't bounce up away from the struck string, and in my case it comes to rest against the adjacent ("lower") string. In addition, my pick strikes the bottom (1st) string at about a 45-degree angle but by the time I curl my picking finger inward enough to strike the "top" (4th) string, the pick is close to parallel to the strings. Practice has made it possible for me to hit the desired string with decent consistency, but getting consistent volume and sound just isn't happening. I've watched your videos repeatedly and experimented with rotating my wrist to get more space between fingers and strings so I can somewhat straighten the picking finger, but no real success with that. Perhaps the difficulty is somewhat with the thumb-rest motion, it feels as if my thumb contacts the 5th string at the same moment as my picking finger strikes the desired string. Help!
Thank you! Just got started with Banjo and just couldn't do the 'claw' with all my fingers - I have to do like you and extend my first finger. Thanks for confirmation that it is 'ok' to do that :)
Excellent tutorials Josh! I've taught Earl Scrugs banjo for a few yrs now, but never Clawhammer. Just got a new student starting soon who wants to learn Clawhammer, so yr tutorials have been Awesome. Actually looks like a lot of fun. I'll be going through yr lessons this week in preparation for new student. I will Subscribe & Like!
Great presenter, great tutor. New player, loving clawhammer style which I will pursue with the aid of your videos. Thanks for giving up your time to make these.
I have found a way/method to practice the claw hammer even without the banjo. I am right handed so I use my left hand as the banjo, fingers extended flat our against my belly my thumb representing the 5th string and the other fingers as the remainder of the strings.I then as you instruct hammer or strum as if my left hand is the banjo. I can feel my RH thumb striking/resting on the 5th string and the striking or strumming on the remainder of the strings.It give me the feeling of what my RH should be doing in relation to the Banjo strings. Ergo I am able to practice anywhere. Make sense?? People around me think I'm some kind of a nut, but who cares. works for me.I am 76 so I need all the help I can get. Bought this banjo 25 years ago, just now getting around to learn how to play it. You can teach an old dog new tricks.
Hi, I just found your channel and I'm really enjoying it! I have gotten a banjo recently and I'm now getting to explore more and more this universe. I was more familiar with the bluegrass style, but I'm really enjoying the clawhammer now because is more melodic. My banjo is tuned for bluegrass and I was wondering what tuning you're using? Thanks!
Here I’m using the same tuning that’s most common with bluegrass banjo, which is gDGBD. And welcome to clawhammer - it’s such a wonderful way to make music on the banjo. :)
@@ClawhammerBanjo Thanks! I asked because I saw that in some of the other videos you use different tunnings and I wasn't sure whether there was a standard one. And thanks! I got it from a neighbour that knows we have different instruments at home and wasn't expecting to like banjo so much! I'm very excited to practice these steps!
Yo what song is at the beginning and if it’s you playing u should make a full recording of it and post it I’ll help spread it around and play it in my car
I should add a clarification that perhaps explains my difficulty with the picking motion. I play 3-finger banjo, not particularly skillfully but improving. So I'm accustomed to keeping my picking hand more-or-less motionless above the strings and moving my fingers to pick the desired strings. And that's basically what I'm doing using my middle finger; my hand comes down at approximately the same place above the strings regardless of what string I'm hammering. Has to, since my thumb hits the side of the 5th string at approximately the same time my pick hits the string. But in the videos you say that the thumb should come to rest against the 5th string "at the conclusion of the stroke." And maybe what you didn't say but I should have figured out, is that the picking finger is supposed to remain in the same position relative to the rest of the hand, and the wrist is supposed to pivot slightly side-to-side to position the picking finger above the desired string? That would keep the pick angle roughly constant. And then as the picking finger recoils and doesn't rest against the next string down (because the hand is not yet restrained by the thumb), the thumb THEN comes to rest against the 5th string? Dunno -- seems that might be the solution. I'll try that while awaiting your reply.
Great videos, thank you! I signed up earlier today for the book, but I didn't receive it in my inbox or spam folder? Thanks again for your patient and thorough teaching style.
Loving your clear instruction - just what I was looking for. If I could tweak one thing, I might adjust the titles as the videos are listed so we can see the number of each vid without opening it.
Hi ! So, i'm a guitarist who plays a lot of picking and fingerstyle, and i recently bought a banjo, because I wanted to play clawhammer tunes. I tend to play some strokes upwards, when picking individual notes. Not all of them, but, for instance after a "diddy" or a "slow brush" on all the strings, when my hand is "down" it feels more natural to pluck an individual note upwards, than to play 2 consecutive notes downwards. Anyway, is it a problem, a bad habit that I should quit immediately ?
Thanks so much for your video. I was getting frustrated in learning this from other videos I've watched. Your detail description of the hammer helped me out a great deal and relaxing my arm made all the difference. Actually I'm trying to learn this for guitar. Do the same principles apply or are there differences?
That's great to hear, Tony. I too play some clawhammer guitar and would say pretty much all the same principles apply. I do find I need to apply a little bit more force with my picking hand on the guitar, simply because the guitar strings are bigger and heavier than banjo strings.
Josh, I subscribed to the 8 Essential Steps a while ago and you sent a link for the ebook, BUT I've lost the link and cannot get the book. Can I get a link to the book? Again. Thanks.
Hello! Greatings from Sweden :) I have a tenor banjo and I wonder if your lessons are applyable for me? Or maybe you could recomend me where else to look
I am on a very limited budget for a banjo and wonder what you or other listeners might think about a Washburn B7 A or the similar Oscar Schmidt both at about $280. I want a scoop neck to facilitate clawhammer learning. I have a pawn shop Silvertone open back. It holds its tune. I got it in trade for a really cheap chinese tenor banjo. Should I just keep the rather ratty Silvertone, or is one of these other models a decent playable instrument? I have some cheap guitars and a cheaper mandolin that all perform adequately for a front porch musician. Thanks to any who reply.
Great video, helpful and engaging. I may have missed it, but when you strum do you use multiple fingers, or only your previously chosen appendage of choice?
Hey Miles - good question. Typically strum with the appendage of choice. I admit that on occasion if I get excited I use multiple fingers :) But as you're learning it initially, stick to doing it with your chosen finger.
I know this is an old video, but maybe the comments are still being read. I'm having trouble with the "knocking" part. Keeping my had relaxed, it just goes "thump" or sometimes my nails just scratch the drump head. I can't seem to get much noise from the string when my finger actually hits the string. Which is another problem, I can't seem to hit a specific string with the knocking motion.
You bet! The "hammer" motion is up and down, like knocking on a door. The "side to side" is in the same plane as the forearm, like trying to flick water off your fingers.
Awesome videos! What did you think about striking the string with alternating fingers strings? say middle finger for 1st string and index for other strings
It seems more comfortable to hit the 1st string w middle but for the other strings my index gets in between strings better. do you see it causing any problems later on down the line?
Hi, I've never played banjo before, so this is day 1 for me. If I practice these two exercises for 20 mins a day, how long before I can go to lesson 2? I know it's a 'how long is a piece of string question, so how might I know I'm ready to move on? Second question. I'm happy to enrol on the online course, but it looks like it would make sense to get through the 8 Essential Steps first. Is there anything in the online course that make these steps easier?
Manny thanks for these free Lessons. Very instructive. Have been playing Scruggs Style for about 40 years but never got around to learning the Clawhammer Style. Stupid Question: What is the difference between Frailing and Clawhammer?
Peter Scholtz Not a stupid question at all. Most of the time, they're used interchangeably (I use them interchangeably). There are some folks who use clawhammer to refer to playing a more melodic style by employing drop thumbs, etc. but most of the time that's now referred to as "melodic clawhammer".
Clawhammer Banjo Great, thank you once again for the quick response! I have been around Old Time Players for so long and they made it look quite easy. It's not but then nothing good ever is, Eh? :-) Thanks!
With regard to using your index or middle finger as your primary string striking finger, I am thinking that the index finger might be a better choice as when I try to strike an individual string other than string 1, it seems easier for me to strike then with my index finger than my middle finger, probably because my index finger is more slender and a bit more "coordinated" than my middle finger. Is this a real world consideration? Will you be striking other strings with your primary string striking finger, and have you noticed any trouble trying to teach you middle finger to be more coordinated? I imagine with more practice I could overcome this. I have always wanted to play clawhammer (and the banjo in general), but have not really figured out the basics, so thanks for your highly detailed video tutorial. -R
Wendy Guo Hi Wendy - if one finger feels more comfortable than the other from the start, then definitely go with that one. As I mentioned in the video, about half of players use their index, and about half use their middle. So both can work equally well.
I'm a Scuggs style player and just starting to try claw hammer and still a little confused. If I knock I this creates some down pluck motion by my finger hitting the string. My question is...Is this downstrike oblique to the string or straight downward at 90 degrees to the neck? Seems to me te knocking motion just drives your hand into the pot without some finger created motion.
Hmm I'd say it's mainly oblique. But really what you should strive for is a clean sound when your fingernail strikes the strings and then keep in mind you have to brush/ditty after that.
Hi. I'm a guitar player, so the strum I get, but the knocking feels clumsy. Do you strike the string straight down, like 90 degrees or is it more of a 45 degree angle ? Sounds silly, I know, but I catch myself doing a downward pluck. Kinda guitar-ish & don't wanna learn bad habits. Thanks!
***** Hey Cheryl - not silly at all! So for striking single strings (the "hammer" stroke), the motion should primarily be straight down, so closer to 90 degrees. Imagine a nail sticking straight up from the banjo head, and you're trying to hammer it in.
I notice you playing over the fingerboard; or at least where it meets the pot. My banjo has frets all the way up the neck though; does that matter? Should we be playing over the banjo head at all or at that transition area?
+Michael Campbell Most claw hammer-ers I've seen play closer to the neck, I'm assuming he had his banjo custom made to fit a more melodic feel, pickers are associated with the twang so they play closer to the bridge, and clawhammer is more melodic with just the notes coming clean, I assume that's why he's playing up so high. Sorry for the long explanation, and for all I know you're an expert so forgive me if I come off as condescending.
One thing thing I have a doubt on is: Do I have to play using the right hand so close to the neck or can i play near the center of the head of the banjo? I mean closer to the bridge. Thanks for lessons, btw, these videos are great!
+Cadrega any of those locations is fine, and many folks, myself included, may change the location for different tunes, or within a tune. You'll notice the tone you get from the banjo to be different based on where your right hand is, so it mainly depends on the tone you like
Nope - each will give you a different sounds, so I tend to vary where I play depending on the sound I'm after for a particular song (or part of a song).
+B. Krach I believe you're referring to the "scoop" in the area where the neck meets the pot. This is to allow for clearance if you wish to pick over this part of the neck (it provides a different tone). It is not necessary, however.
These videos are incredibly helpful BUT... I just can't get to your ebook. I used 2 different email addresses, and the email just isn't showing up, even in the spam folder. Is there any other way to obtain it? :/ thank you for all that you do!
+Niko Birbilis Hey Niko - I do see where you signed up, so your book is floating in the ether somewhere! I just sent you another email with the book, hopefully it made it to you safely. :)
Is it bad to strum with multiple fingers? Instead of just my middle or index, I usually strum with every fingernail and hammer with just my index finger.
+Logan Palmer I think that’s fine - I actually do both myself. Sometimes I’ll strum with one finger if I want a sparser sound, or strum with more than one of I want it to sound fuller. So either way, or both ways, is just fine!
+outlawscumfuc12 I tend to break/chip one nail or another every couple of months so I've tried to learn using the Fred Kelly Delrin Freedom Finger Pick. They're made for clawhammer style and even when my picking nail is long enough, I find the picks are quite a bit easier/louder to play with. I did find them a bit long so I've sanded them down shorter to fit my preference, but the delrin ones are great for that.
It depends, if you want to play 3 finger “Scruggs style” banjo, this is not the way to start. But if you want to learn old time claw hammer, this is your deal.
If you’re not sure which is which, you can find some great videos of Stringbean or Grandpa Jones playing clawhammer here, there are plenty of Scruggs banjo videos, and if you want to see a guy flat picking a banjo like a madman, check out the “wait so long” video by Trampled by Turtles. That will let you see (and hear) the difference if you are unaware.
I have learned a great deal from you - 5 string scruggs style...Now I am eager to learn Clawhammer - this is awesome....my only complaint is you are moving around so much it is a bit distracting - not complaining as I so appreciate you contribution to learning banjo!
you wouldnt be anywhere near ohio would you? i am looking for a good teacher for this style of playing. videos only do myself so good. very instructive tho. keep up the good work
Thanks Howlin' Wolf! I'm not near Ohio (Georgia). However, I do have an online course you might be interested in checking out at clawhammerbanjo.net/the-brainjo-course/. I created it largely for folks who don't have access to a good teacher.
This is the best lesson I've ever watched on clawhammer banjo technique. Well done!
Thank you!
Love what your doing here. I tried playing Banjo a few years ago, regular picking. I'm 72 and have arthritis in my hands and rotator cuff problems. I miss playing a lot. I stunk but; still loved it. Anyway I started thinking maybe a different hand use and a traveling banjo would help with my physical problems. I had a pretty nice banjo that I sold just before moving to Florida(that's another story). I just bought a cheap banjo from Amazon that got good reviews. So if my physical limitations hold me back again there will be very little loss.I like your style. I also plan to take it very slowly. So being able to just watch video's that I actually understand at my own pace is a tremendous bonus. I've taken lessons from several different guys that actually set me back. You are a good communicator and I can turn you off if I'm having "a day". Love utube. I have no problem practicing. I may have practiced too much, pushed when I was in pain until I just broke. Dumb.So thank you about 1000 times. I'm waiting for the banjo to show up, it's my exmas present to my self, I'm excited!Have a great Christmas!!
+John Smith thanks so much for the kind words, John. Great to hear you're excited about getting back to the banjo - enjoy the ride!
What kind of banjo did you buy? Did you like it?
Watching this in 2022, 8 years later. So much has happened, and it seems a lifetime since 2014. And yet this stands the test of time. Clawhammer resources seem limited compared to scrugg style, but this is definitely helping me out. It's also awesome to see how far you've come on your videos, not only in your playing, but in your production value, and even just your comfort on camera. I'd love to see you revisit these beginner videos, as I'm sure you've picked up new techniques to teach us new pickers, but there's definitely a certain charm to these earlier videos!
Thank you, from the future.
Thanks so much for this, Vincent!
Hard to believe it’s been 8 years, but then again in some ways it feels like a long time ago.
I’ve thought about recreating these (they do make me cringe a bit now!), but I also could never take them down. So still trying to figure that out. :)
I really respect you taking a moment to remember and thank the individual who came up with this method! Thank you for your expertise too 😊.
Of all the claw hammering beginner videos I have watched, Your is the most intuitive and sensible to learn from... Thank You
Your video teaching has come a long way Doc since these lessons were produced! I appreciate the subtle humor and the actual instruction. So glad I discovered your courses and book.
I have watched a ton of videos on Claw hammer and Blue Grass. None come close to yours. You really explain it so much better. I have all your videos saved and am enrolled in your system.
Thanks Ray
I recently bought a banjo, I'm new here.Yes, the middle finger in the claw shape seems to me the most suitable for playing the banjo. I can feel an adjustment in my brain if I don't rush the banjo practice.Claw hammer, fingerstyle and bluegrass playing style are interesting to me and I think that they should not be separated and learned to apply them. I would like that.
hi, sven from Germany, thank you very much for your Clawhammer videos! there is no good banjo teacher in Germany. I've only been playing for 2 months, my english is not the best, but: thanks google translate. stay healthy all the best, Sven
Hi Josh, I just wanted to say a massive 'thanks'! I stumbled across your Essential Steps series shortly before Christmas. I am now a'hammering my merry way through your Tab of the Week series on my shiny new Goodtime!
Your channel and mailing list have not only provided a super-effective learning method for playing clawhammer, but have also informed my knowledge of the history of the banjo and helped nurture the seed of what may now be described as an unhealthy interest in appalachian folk music and this great instrument. So once again, keep up the great work you're doing!
Dave (Liverpool, UK)
+Dave Parry Thanks so much, Dave - and here's to your unhealthy interest in appalachian folk music and the banjo. I resemble that remark!
I've been playing guitar for about sixty years, finger picking and flat picking, so that downward "hammer one individual string" technique is totally foreign to me. I was trying to learn the entire "bum-diddy" in one go with little success. This has REALLY helped. Thanks so much. (I just signed up for your course and I have high hopes.)
Wow, I've watched lots of clawhammer videos and yours explains it the best. Thank you!!
Thanks - I appreciate that!
Thank You for taking the time to help us learn this method. I Love the sound of a Banjo and want to play Old Time Banjo Music. It does so much to bring happiness to us all.
This video helped me so much in learning to play.
+John Manos My pleasure, John. That’s wonderful to hear.
Thank you very much for this series. Excellent! All the best to you, please stay safe. Cheers from Brazil!
Thanks!
Great introduction lesson. Thanks for doing this. Banjo is my winter project this year, while being cooped up in the house.
Thanks, Chris!
I've gotten through lesson 4 but perhaps need to start over. I'm missing something subtle I guess. Here's how I describe the problem: The vertical hammer motion is both vertical and slightly horizontal, as shown in your videos. Has to be, so the thumb can come to rest beside the fifth string rather than on top of it. Meanwhile the picking finger (middle finger with JT finger pick in my case) strikes the string. But once the thumb is against the fifth string, the picking finger can't bounce up away from the struck string, and in my case it comes to rest against the adjacent ("lower") string. In addition, my pick strikes the bottom (1st) string at about a 45-degree angle but by the time I curl my picking finger inward enough to strike the "top" (4th) string, the pick is close to parallel to the strings. Practice has made it possible for me to hit the desired string with decent consistency, but getting consistent volume and sound just isn't happening. I've watched your videos repeatedly and experimented with rotating my wrist to get more space between fingers and strings so I can somewhat straighten the picking finger, but no real success with that. Perhaps the difficulty is somewhat with the thumb-rest motion, it feels as if my thumb contacts the 5th string at the same moment as my picking finger strikes the desired string. Help!
I'm just starting, looking for a good teacher, but just found a great teacher, thankyou❤
What a nice thing to say! Thank you.
Thank you! Just got started with Banjo and just couldn't do the 'claw' with all my fingers - I have to do like you and extend my first finger. Thanks for confirmation that it is 'ok' to do that :)
You help me start over to learn your gracious style and methods.Send me all your lessons.I am not so ingrained,just fluid on both hands.
Hey Jeff - stay tuned. Lesson 2 came out yesterday, and the third installment will be out 7.28.14.
Thanks a bunch for this tutorial. I studied these videos about a year ago, and now I'm jamming out on my banjo like nobody's business.
Nice!
I used this series to learn the basics about 3 years ago and I just preformed for the first time a week ago.
That’s outstanding, Hunter!
"You can use your index finger, or you can... use your middle finger." I seriously though he was gonna flip off the camera. This guy makes me laugh.
Excellent tutorials Josh! I've taught Earl Scrugs banjo for a few yrs now, but never Clawhammer. Just got a new student starting soon who wants to learn Clawhammer, so yr tutorials have been Awesome. Actually looks like a lot of fun. I'll be going through yr lessons this week in preparation for new student. I will Subscribe & Like!
+RJ Smith thanks!!
Great presenter, great tutor. New player, loving clawhammer style which I will pursue with the aid of your videos. Thanks for giving up your time to make these.
Wonderful - have fun with it!
I have found a way/method to practice the claw hammer even without the banjo. I am right handed so I use my left hand as the banjo, fingers extended flat our against my belly my thumb representing the 5th string and the other fingers as the remainder of the strings.I then as you instruct hammer or strum as if my left hand is the banjo. I can feel my RH thumb striking/resting on the 5th string and the striking or strumming on the remainder of the strings.It give me the feeling of what my RH should be doing in relation to the Banjo strings. Ergo I am able to practice anywhere. Make sense?? People around me think I'm some kind of a nut, but who cares. works for me.I am 76 so I need all the help I can get. Bought this banjo 25 years ago, just now getting around to learn how to play it. You can teach an old dog new tricks.
+Ray Williamson love it! that’s a great idea, Ray.
This is great info. Your style is interesting. I learned from Dwight Diller who has the looseness in the elbow. The hammer is the thumb.
Hi, I just found your channel and I'm really enjoying it! I have gotten a banjo recently and I'm now getting to explore more and more this universe. I was more familiar with the bluegrass style, but I'm really enjoying the clawhammer now because is more melodic. My banjo is tuned for bluegrass and I was wondering what tuning you're using? Thanks!
Here I’m using the same tuning that’s most common with bluegrass banjo, which is gDGBD.
And welcome to clawhammer - it’s such a wonderful way to make music on the banjo. :)
@@ClawhammerBanjo Thanks! I asked because I saw that in some of the other videos you use different tunnings and I wasn't sure whether there was a standard one.
And thanks! I got it from a neighbour that knows we have different instruments at home and wasn't expecting to like banjo so much! I'm very excited to practice these steps!
You are a great teacher, the best of the bunch. Keep up the excellent work!
+Running Vicar thank you!
Excellent. I’ve always wondered should I strum with only the finger I’m using for my single notes or do you strum with all fingers?
For the most part I strum with one finger. But you can definitely experiment with either - there a circumstances where I’ll strum with multiple.
Yo what song is at the beginning and if it’s you playing u should make a full recording of it and post it I’ll help spread it around and play it in my car
Quality of the video is poor, but the instructor is very good, and very entertaining.
+Dieter Dietzen thanks Dieter! (this was the first video, so the quality definitely gets better :) )
Great stuff! Well done!
(love the humor, too)
I should add a clarification that perhaps explains my difficulty with the picking motion. I play 3-finger banjo, not particularly skillfully but improving. So I'm accustomed to keeping my picking hand more-or-less motionless above the strings and moving my fingers to pick the desired strings. And that's basically what I'm doing using my middle finger; my hand comes down at approximately the same place above the strings regardless of what string I'm hammering. Has to, since my thumb hits the side of the 5th string at approximately the same time my pick hits the string. But in the videos you say that the thumb should come to rest against the 5th string "at the conclusion of the stroke." And maybe what you didn't say but I should have figured out, is that the picking finger is supposed to remain in the same position relative to the rest of the hand, and the wrist is supposed to pivot slightly side-to-side to position the picking finger above the desired string? That would keep the pick angle roughly constant. And then as the picking finger recoils and doesn't rest against the next string down (because the hand is not yet restrained by the thumb), the thumb THEN comes to rest against the 5th string? Dunno -- seems that might be the solution. I'll try that while awaiting your reply.
Great videos, thank you! I signed up earlier today for the book, but I didn't receive it in my inbox or spam folder? Thanks again for your patient and thorough teaching style.
That index/middle finger bit got me laughing out loud. Haha!!
Loving your clear instruction - just what I was looking for. If I could tweak one thing, I might adjust the titles as the videos are listed so we can see the number of each vid without opening it.
Thank you for your kind tutorial 🙏
You're welcome. Thank you for your kind remarks.
Very informative. LOVE the humor!
+Lee Perkins thanks Lee!
What strap do you use on your open back banjo?
Hi ! So, i'm a guitarist who plays a lot of picking and fingerstyle, and i recently bought a banjo, because I wanted to play clawhammer tunes.
I tend to play some strokes upwards, when picking individual notes. Not all of them, but, for instance after a "diddy" or a "slow brush" on all the strings, when my hand is "down" it feels more natural to pluck an individual note upwards, than to play 2 consecutive notes downwards.
Anyway, is it a problem, a bad habit that I should quit immediately ?
Thanks so much for your video. I was getting frustrated in learning this from other videos I've watched. Your detail description of the hammer helped me out a great deal and relaxing my arm made all the difference. Actually I'm trying to learn this for guitar. Do the same principles apply or are there differences?
That's great to hear, Tony. I too play some clawhammer guitar and would say pretty much all the same principles apply. I do find I need to apply a little bit more force with my picking hand on the guitar, simply because the guitar strings are bigger and heavier than banjo strings.
Thanks so much
I don't know why I'm laughing at that zoom at 7:17 ...
I'm really working on everything I've learned so far. says Judy Corrette in Wildwood, Fl
Josh, I subscribed to the 8 Essential Steps a while ago and you sent a link for the ebook, BUT I've lost the link and cannot get the book. Can I get a link to the book? Again. Thanks.
Hello! Greatings from Sweden :)
I have a tenor banjo and I wonder if your lessons are applyable for me? Or maybe you could recomend me where else to look
I am on a very limited budget for a banjo and wonder what you or other listeners might think about a Washburn B7 A or the similar Oscar Schmidt both at about $280. I want a scoop neck to facilitate clawhammer learning. I have a pawn shop Silvertone open back. It holds its tune. I got it in trade for a really cheap chinese tenor banjo. Should I just keep the rather ratty Silvertone, or is one of these other models a decent playable instrument? I have some cheap guitars and a cheaper mandolin that all perform adequately for a front porch musician. Thanks to any who reply.
Perfect. Thanks dude. Great vid
Thank you for a great video! I'm looking forward to learning this style.
You bet - have fun!
Great video, helpful and engaging. I may have missed it, but when you strum do you use multiple fingers, or only your previously chosen appendage of choice?
Hey Miles - good question. Typically strum with the appendage of choice. I admit that on occasion if I get excited I use multiple fingers :) But as you're learning it initially, stick to doing it with your chosen finger.
Clawhammer Banjo Great, thank you!
Hi Josh..where can i get BANJO MUSIC (FOLK AS PER YOUR LIST)to play around the house!
thanks
I know this is an old video, but maybe the comments are still being read. I'm having trouble with the "knocking" part. Keeping my had relaxed, it just goes "thump" or sometimes my nails just scratch the drump head. I can't seem to get much noise from the string when my finger actually hits the string. Which is another problem, I can't seem to hit a specific string with the knocking motion.
Big thanks! Is the "hammer" motion and the "side to side" motion the same?
You bet! The "hammer" motion is up and down, like knocking on a door. The "side to side" is in the same plane as the forearm, like trying to flick water off your fingers.
I find that even the “hammer down” movement isnt even that much of a downward strike as it is a sideways strike
Awesome videos! What did you think about striking the string with alternating fingers strings? say middle finger for 1st string and index for other strings
It seems more comfortable to hit the 1st string w middle but for the other strings my index gets in between strings better. do you see it causing any problems later on down the line?
Incredibly helpful!
"You can use your index finger, or you can.... use your middle finger" Hahaha Great lesson, thanks a bunch :)
Hi can you please advise on the action of the banjo mine is 1/8 of a inch at the 12th fret is this ok
Hi, I've never played banjo before, so this is day 1 for me. If I practice these two exercises for 20 mins a day, how long before I can go to lesson 2? I know it's a 'how long is a piece of string question, so how might I know I'm ready to move on?
Second question. I'm happy to enrol on the online course, but it looks like it would make sense to get through the 8 Essential Steps first. Is there anything in the online course that make these steps easier?
Does each finger pick a different string on a 5-string banjo?
Quick question. When hitting the string do I strike "through" it or bounce off it (like a trampoline"? Thanks.
Hey Marc - I'd say striking "through" it is the best way to think about it.
Manny thanks for these free Lessons. Very instructive. Have been playing Scruggs Style for about 40 years but never got around to learning the Clawhammer Style. Stupid Question: What is the difference between Frailing and Clawhammer?
Peter Scholtz Not a stupid question at all. Most of the time, they're used interchangeably (I use them interchangeably). There are some folks who use clawhammer to refer to playing a more melodic style by employing drop thumbs, etc. but most of the time that's now referred to as "melodic clawhammer".
Clawhammer Banjo Great, thank you once again for the quick response! I have been around Old Time Players for so long and they made it look quite easy. It's not but then nothing good ever is, Eh? :-) Thanks!
Very true. The hard part is making it look easy :)
With regard to using your index or middle finger as your primary string striking finger, I am thinking that the index finger might be a better choice as when I try to strike an individual string other than string 1, it seems easier for me to strike then with my index finger than my middle finger, probably because my index finger is more slender and a bit more "coordinated" than my middle finger. Is this a real world consideration? Will you be striking other strings with your primary string striking finger, and have you noticed any trouble trying to teach you middle finger to be more coordinated? I imagine with more practice I could overcome this.
I have always wanted to play clawhammer (and the banjo in general), but have not really figured out the basics, so thanks for your highly detailed video tutorial.
-R
Wendy Guo Hi Wendy - if one finger feels more comfortable than the other from the start, then definitely go with that one. As I mentioned in the video, about half of players use their index, and about half use their middle. So both can work equally well.
Josh, What is the tune you are playing in the lead-in and at the end of this lesson - it's pretty.
+Larus Pacificus That's Snowdrop! One of my all time favorites. Here's the full video: ua-cam.com/video/R3SRXAqka2k/v-deo.html
can you play clawhammer with a resonator banjo? ive been trying but I just can't get it to sound right
I'm a Scuggs style player and just starting to try claw hammer and still a little confused. If I knock I this creates some down pluck motion by my finger hitting the string. My question is...Is this downstrike oblique to the string or straight downward at 90 degrees to the neck? Seems to me te knocking motion just drives your hand into the pot without some finger created motion.
Hmm I'd say it's mainly oblique. But really what you should strive for is a clean sound when your fingernail strikes the strings and then keep in mind you have to brush/ditty after that.
Hi. I'm a guitar player, so the strum I get, but the knocking feels clumsy. Do you strike the string straight down, like 90 degrees or is it more of a 45 degree angle ? Sounds silly, I know, but I catch myself doing a downward pluck. Kinda guitar-ish & don't wanna learn bad habits. Thanks!
***** Hey Cheryl - not silly at all! So for striking single strings (the "hammer" stroke), the motion should primarily be straight down, so closer to 90 degrees. Imagine a nail sticking straight up from the banjo head, and you're trying to hammer it in.
Clawhammer Banjo Thanks!! That helps a lot! I can't wait to practice today.
I notice you playing over the fingerboard; or at least where it meets the pot. My banjo has frets all the way up the neck though; does that matter? Should we be playing over the banjo head at all or at that transition area?
+Michael Campbell Most claw hammer-ers I've seen play closer to the neck, I'm assuming he had his banjo custom made to fit a more melodic feel, pickers are associated with the twang so they play closer to the bridge, and clawhammer is more melodic with just the notes coming clean, I assume that's why he's playing up so high.
Sorry for the long explanation, and for all I know you're an expert so forgive me if I come off as condescending.
+Bassium08 nope. much appreciated!
+Michael Campbell It's personal preference, I never liked the sound when I played over the fretboard so I play over the head.
One thing thing I have a doubt on is: Do I have to play using the right hand so close to the neck or can i play near the center of the head of the banjo? I mean closer to the bridge.
Thanks for lessons, btw, these videos are great!
+Cadrega any of those locations is fine, and many folks, myself included, may change the location for different tunes, or within a tune. You'll notice the tone you get from the banjo to be different based on where your right hand is, so it mainly depends on the tone you like
thanks mate! you're the best
Hi, I have a question, does it matter if you pick & strum on the fret board or on the banjo head? :)
Nope - each will give you a different sounds, so I tend to vary where I play depending on the sound I'm after for a particular song (or part of a song).
What banjo are you playing in the video, Josh? (BTW, great videos!)
What is the song in the background?? It's sweet.
Snowdrop
What tuning is used in this course??
gDGBD
Does anyone know the name of the song he plays in the intro of this video?
Sure do! It's Snowdrop. Here's the video: ua-cam.com/video/R3SRXAqka2k/v-deo.html
Thanks for this - its really helpful. Cheers
You bet!
Can you do claw hammer with a 6 string banjo? Thanks
+Ohiopicker2013 you can, but it will definitely sound different without the 5th string drone.
Did You cut the neck of your banjo? Is this necessary ?
+B. Krach I believe you're referring to the "scoop" in the area where the neck meets the pot. This is to allow for clearance if you wish to pick over this part of the neck (it provides a different tone). It is not necessary, however.
I think "seal your fate" should have been a meme, and you should have done standup, probably.
Are you striking the string with your fingernail or the skin on the tip of your finger?
Fingernail.
These videos are incredibly helpful BUT... I just can't get to your ebook. I used 2 different email addresses, and the email just isn't showing up, even in the spam folder. Is there any other way to obtain it? :/ thank you for all that you do!
+Niko Birbilis Hey Niko - I do see where you signed up, so your book is floating in the ether somewhere! I just sent you another email with the book, hopefully it made it to you safely. :)
+Clawhammer Banjo thank you so much for your quick reply, I can't wait to continue diving in to clawhammer banjo now!!
Niko Birbilis I
alan smith here thanks for your video just starting to play banjo just take my time is it ?
Great lesson thanks...
Is it bad to strum with multiple fingers? Instead of just my middle or index, I usually strum with every fingernail and hammer with just my index finger.
+Logan Palmer I think that’s fine - I actually do both myself. Sometimes I’ll strum with one finger if I want a sparser sound, or strum with more than one of I want it to sound fuller. So either way, or both ways, is just fine!
i have very short fingernails should i let them grow b4 continueing or can i play fine with them just as they are
+outlawscumfuc12 You can buy a finger pick and put in on your finger backwards (over the nail) if you find your nails are too short.
thnx
+outlawscumfuc12 I tend to break/chip one nail or another every couple of months so I've tried to learn using the Fred Kelly Delrin Freedom Finger Pick. They're made for clawhammer style and even when my picking nail is long enough, I find the picks are quite a bit easier/louder to play with. I did find them a bit long so I've sanded them down shorter to fit my preference, but the delrin ones are great for that.
ok ill have to try those, thnx! :)
Chris Petersen Never heard of those before. I'm going to have to pick up some. Thanks!
As a total beginner is this the best style for me
It depends, if you want to play 3 finger “Scruggs style” banjo, this is not the way to start. But if you want to learn old time claw hammer, this is your deal.
If you’re not sure which is which, you can find some great videos of Stringbean or Grandpa Jones playing clawhammer here, there are plenty of Scruggs banjo videos, and if you want to see a guy flat picking a banjo like a madman, check out the “wait so long” video by Trampled by Turtles. That will let you see (and hear) the difference if you are unaware.
@@JoshInTuolco thank you
Quick question, are you striking with the skin on your middle finger or your fingernail? Maybe that's a dumb question, but I don't know! Thanks!
LeadDefense The fingernail (unless I inadvertently lose the nail - but only temporarily in that case).
that downward hammering motion feels so odd, like i will accidentally hit the drum. The side to side strumming is pretty natural tho
I have learned a great deal from you - 5 string scruggs style...Now I am eager to learn Clawhammer - this is awesome....my only complaint is you are moving around so much it is a bit distracting - not complaining as I so appreciate you contribution to learning banjo!
100% Recomendable...
I subscribed but did not receive the e-book. Pitty. Great lessons though...
Ok, used another mail adres and got it. Thanks a lot.
Excellent! Was getting ready to troubleshoot :)
Does anyone know what that opening song is? It’s so familiar. I’m probably going to feel stupid once I get the answer 😜
Deliverance lick
Are you hitting with the fingernail or the fat of your finger tip?
+Chad Cottle fingernail
and you start up by picking "snowdrop"?
7:18 lol!
Thanks for the lesson. Here goes...
You have Hendrix/Robert Johnson hands! Cool!
you wouldnt be anywhere near ohio would you? i am looking for a good teacher for this style of playing. videos only do myself so good. very instructive tho. keep up the good work
Thanks Howlin' Wolf! I'm not near Ohio (Georgia). However, I do have an online course you might be interested in checking out at clawhammerbanjo.net/the-brainjo-course/. I created it largely for folks who don't have access to a good teacher.
awesome. thx alot.
"2% use another appendage" LoLs
"2% use another appendage"
owo
Great video but Africa isn't a country
ua-cam.com/video/XvcZUJq24fk/v-deo.html
@@ClawhammerBanjo touché