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Can anyone recommend any good clawhammer tab sites? I've pretty much exhausted all of Mike Iverson's tabs (his version of Soldier's Joy basically taught me how to drop thumb!) and I really like the site run by the guy who goes by "Clawhammer Banjo" on youtube, but I want more. I've also looked at this guy's tabs, but they all seem kinda simple and samey. IDK, I like Iverson's page because there's a bunch of really neat creepy-sounding Gm songs and the Double C songs are all really well-done and intricate and drop-thumbey.
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Apr 23, 2015 10:50
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I like http://www.oldtimejam.com although some of the tabs are only available if you buy into 'premium' or whatnot.
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Apr 23, 2015 14:42
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I just got a Dan Levenson book "Old-Time Favorites for Clawhammer Banjo". http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0786685832/ I haven't been able to dive in, but it looks like a really good book. There are some 62 songs in it.
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Apr 23, 2015 18:13
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I've got Levinsons' Old-Time "Festival" book, and like it. I wonder if there's overlap between the two. As far as clawhammer tabs sites go I've used: http://www.happybanjodude.com/pages/tabs - Some "contemporary" music adapted to banjo http://www.banjohangout.org/w/tab/browse/m/byletter/v/J - The best site in my opinion (search by clawhammer) http://jaybuckey.com/free_tablature.htm - The usual old time stuff, but with tabs for multiple instruments http://pricklypearmusic.net/ppmgoodstuff.html - small selection http://www.rocketsciencebanjo.com/ - Downloadable clawhammer instructional with a lot of tabs http://www.clawhammerbanjotab.co.uk/page29/page32/page32.html - Most of these are kind of easy
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Apr 26, 2015 01:06
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Hey gang. Novice banjo player here, hoping for some advice. I'm starting to get pretty solid with my finger picking and clawhammer technique, and Im hoping to start jamming with others this summer. Id like to be able to improv a little bit and just jump in when someone plays something on the guitar around the fire or whatever. I guess Im just curious about how to harmonize with a guitar when I don't know the song. Do I just try to spot the chord progressions and then strum along with the same chords? Throw in the occasional solo by plucking the chords? Any resources or advice on this would be greatly appreciated, as Im not really sure where to start.
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Jun 8, 2015 23:30
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If you're referring about how to play along with everyone, that's technically different than harmonizing. Harmonizing is playing at different steps up than the root. To harmonize, for example, if you are playing in G, to harmonize on a G chord, you'd play a B (third) or a D (fifth) above it. If you're playing the same chords as you suggested, it's not harmonizing. With that said, I think you're on the right track, you just may have used the wrong phrase. What you're getting it is "how do I play along with the song and fit in" - right? If so that's easier than harmonizing, and you've got it right: You basically figure out what chords everyone is playing, and play the same chords and chord progressions. Once you work up the courage to play a solo (also called a "break" in bluegrass), you can just play rolls over the chords or throw some licks in. If it's just an informal campfire jam, you're free to do whatever without following the informal etiquette of a bluegrass or old time jam. Don't over think it, and depending on the situation, you can just noodle or mess around, depends on what you're playing. Much of this you'll figure out the more you go to jams. Some jams are more beginner friendly than others, but don't be afraid to ask questions. Sit across from the other banjo players so you can see their left hand and try to pick up on what they're doing. I started off as a guitar player, so a lot of times what I would do is sit across from the guitar player and try to play on the banjo what they were playing. Go to formal bluegrass or old time jams if you can if they have them in your area. There is etiquette to it, but it's not very hard to pick up on and you'll get a lot out of it. Find songs you like, and learn them. I spend a lot of time learning songs by playing over them, or putting them in my slowdowner app. Holler if you have more questions. Planet X fucked around with this message at 04:24 on Jun 16, 2015 |
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Jun 16, 2015 04:21
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A couple of years ago my father gave me a 5 string banjo that he bought in I believe the mid-60s that hasn't been played since at least 1985 and I can't find any information on it whatsoever. The only identifying marks on it are a peeling sticker that says "Royce" on the headstock and "made in Korea" on the back of the neck. No serials, no model numbers, nothing. Given that it's an unheard of Korean brand from that era I would assume that it would be a piece of poo poo, but the thing plays great, looks absolutely beautiful (especially the sunburst on the back) and it frankly doesn't seem like a cheap instrument at all. Does anyone have any information on this at all? I can't play fretted instruments anymore after my left middle finger got mangled in an industrial accident but I have a friend that would like to buy it and I have absolutely no idea what to price the thing for. Would taking it into a shop be worth it, or should I just offer to trade it to my buddy for a quarter of weed or something? He's a good friend so I'll give him a good deal regardless of if it's a good instrument or a total piece of poo poo, but I really have no idea where to start figuring out the value here seeing as how I barely became a guitar guy, much less a banjo guy.    Any ideas? He and I both have been looking on google for hours now and have found absolutely nothing.
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Jun 28, 2015 10:48
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Looking for advice here. I'm upgrading from my Epiphone MB-100 learner banjo to a resonator. I'll probably stay in the $500 range. So far, I've tried out the Recording King RK-R20 and really like it. What are anyone's thoughts on that particular model? What are other similar-level and similarly priced models I should consider in the Gold Top and Deering lines?
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Jul 26, 2015 19:36
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:Looking for advice here. There isn't really anything in that price point that is at all comparable in the Deering lineup, their stuff in that range generally don't have resonators. I got a Gold Tone as my first banjo and it is not great, the RK blows it away. As an aside, and not to be all salesmany, but 1.) I'm a Recording King dealer, I know my cost on that, tell me what you would be paying for that banjo and let me see if I could beat it for you including shipping 2.) I'm selling a Savannah SB-100 for $225 shipped http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3732491 , it's better than the Gold Tone I own and it's been hanging around my shop forever, but it is a new instrument. Make me an offer on it if you want.
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Jul 26, 2015 21:04
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I played the Savannah next to the RK and didn't like it as much. I like the tone ring, tuners, 4 - 6 or whatever additional hooks, and overall aesthetics of the RK, and the sound was a good bit louder. The RK is $489 with a gig bag, $500 with a hard case. I really like this shop and owner, he's got tons of neat old Harmony/Kay, Silvertone, Supro, etc stuff. He also said he might do a partial trade on my fretless Jazz Bass. So at some level, I want to give him business just because I really dig his business approach and his collection of neat poo poo. HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 21:26 on Jul 26, 2015 |
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Jul 26, 2015 21:23
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:I played the Savannah next to the RK and didn't like it as much. I like the tone ring, tuners, 4 - 6 or whatever additional hooks, and overall aesthetics of the RK, and the sound was a good bit louder. The RK is $489 with a gig bag, $500 with a hard case. I really like this shop and owner, he's got tons of neat old Harmony/Kay, Silvertone, Supro, etc stuff. He also said he might do a partial trade on my fretless Jazz Bass. No problem, between shipping to me and shipping to you, any money I make would be totally negligible anyway, I just try to do goons a solid if I can.
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Jul 26, 2015 21:45
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Hollis Brownsound posted:No problem, between shipping to me and shipping to you, any money I make would be totally negligible anyway, I just try to do goons a solid if I can. I do appreciate the offer. You got a hookup on Alaska picks by any chance? Oh, and just to clarify, I take it the RK is a Good Banjo? HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 02:13 on Jul 27, 2015 |
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Jul 27, 2015 01:23
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:I do appreciate the offer. You got a hookup on Alaska picks by any chance? I don't, I don't know if they distribute themselves or who I'd have to track down. But I do use them myself and would endorse them 100%. I think RK makes some of the best stuff in their price range period. Their banjos are untouchable in that price range. My only qualm with them is that they are Chinese made and I try as hard as possible to sell USA or Canadian made stuff.
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Jul 27, 2015 02:34
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Now that I look around, Alaska picks are plentiful and cheap. I had it in my head that they weren't available in the US. What is sizing like? Can they be reshaped with hot water or a similar method?
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Jul 27, 2015 11:40
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RK banjos are incredible. I own a RK35 and it's so good. If I played one in store with a $3,000 tag I wouldn't be surprised at all. Chinese made sure but you really can't tell it. Great materials, great build, it's kinda crazy. I can't recommend the brand enough. They're also very nice people to deal with if you need to contact them for anything. Hollis I might have to email you soon and poke around your stock 
Kilometers Davis fucked around with this message at 14:07 on Jul 27, 2015 |
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Jul 27, 2015 14:04
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I went ahead and traded my fretless bass and some cash for a new RK-R20. Got a nice case upgrade and a nice leather strap because I had a good case with the bass. I didn't get much time to play last night, but I love the poo poo out of that banjo. Any goon in northern Colorado should check out Woodshed Music in Fort Collins. The guy what runs it is super chill, no pressure at all, and seems to be super knowledgeable. He's got a bunch of mandolas, lutes, cuatros, weird one-off basses made from driftwood and poo poo, and probably 30 guitars, banjos, and mandolins from the Kay/Harmony/Supro families. Plus new Alvarezes. Good poo poo. Does anyone here use Butterfly Picks? Thoughts? HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 18:17 on Jul 28, 2015 |
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Jul 28, 2015 18:06
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Just got a package today! Hmmm, big box, wonder what it could be. Also, my rug is filthy. I really should clean it. Hey, what's this? Deering Banjo Co?  Oooh, a banjo-shaped box...  Hang on, that's not a Deering case...  Looks like an old-fashioned bump-case, but what's inside?  Woohoo! This case is fluffy as hell on the inside.  Looks like my Eastman replica of a 1903 Fairbanks Whyte Laydie No. 2 just arrived! The print above my fireplace is NSFW, so I put eggs on it.  Am very pleased with new banjo, so had to post it in the banjo thread. Will be getting spikes but in, and maybe an armrest at some point, as it feels a little uncomfortable on my forearm, but I'll leave that for a while and see how it goes. Off to frail some old-time tunes, as befits such an instrument! 
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Jul 28, 2015 21:53
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Hello all I'm a begginer to the clawhammer banjo (not a beginning musician however), I'm trying to teach myself. I've got the basic "bum ditty" down, and I'm trying to learn "I'll Fly Away" using this tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp8xJVlQLiM If you watch the video, from about 2:15-2:20 he plays the individual notes (which I've got down), but after that I'm beyond lost. How do I incorporate the bum-ditty with playing the melody? Is it Individual Note--->5th string---->Brush open---->5th string for each note? Because that seems so slow and sounds wrong. I'm really lost here. EDIT: Nevermind I'm dumb as a brick because it clarifies it later in the video. Kvlt! fucked around with this message at 15:42 on Aug 7, 2015 |
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Aug 7, 2015 15:39
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Sorry for the double post. Is it ok for me to rest the meaty part of my hand ( that fleshy part under my thumb) on the banjo when playing Clawhammer, or is this frowned upon?
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Aug 13, 2015 23:36
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Kvlt! posted:Sorry for the double post. Once you start drop-thumbing, you'll find that you use a "floating claw" a lot more often. Until then, there's really no hard and fast rule, just do whatever's the most comfortable. I do a lot of drop-thumbing, and I have yet to really find a truly comfortable position for it. Bowed wrist, floating hand, over the neck or near the bridge, elbow tucked in or flared out, I always get kind of close to a position where I have enough thumb maneuverability to drop-thumb really quickly and accurately but something always feels a bit off. Strangely enough, the most comfortable drop-thumbing for me is when I'm kinda slouching on my couch and I can rest my banjo on my belly, but that doesn't really translate well to actually playing in a seated or standing position.
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Aug 14, 2015 04:52
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quadrophrenic posted:Once you start drop-thumbing, you'll find that you use a "floating claw" a lot more often. Until then, there's really no hard and fast rule, just do whatever's the most comfortable. Awesome, thanks for the advice! Resting that part of my hand makes me play better but also it makes the banjo sound different, so I think I should probably get used to the "floating claw". The only problem seems to be on the floating claw when I brush I have trouble hitting all the strings.
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Aug 14, 2015 18:55
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Crossposting:HenryJLittlefinger posted:I'm watching Sarah Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O'Donovan right now. Sarah Jarosz has played four different instruments in as many songs and is a loving good musician. Holy poo poo. Also they're all playing into a single condenser mic that Noam Pikelny loaned them last minute. Seriously classy ladies.
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Aug 30, 2015 02:37
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Where at?
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Aug 30, 2015 04:37
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Planet X posted:Where at? Fayetteville Roots Fest in Arkansas. It's been a drat good weekend of music so far.
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Aug 30, 2015 05:18
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Yesterday I accidentally knocked a piece of furniture into head of my banjo, causing the bridge to collapse. It was easy enough to stand it up again and wiggle it back in place, and after retuning everything seems OK, but I admit I don't know the mechanics of the instrument as well as I should. Is there anything I need to worry about?
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Sep 27, 2015 17:43
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Kobayashi posted:Yesterday I accidentally knocked a piece of furniture into head of my banjo, causing the bridge to collapse. It was easy enough to stand it up again and wiggle it back in place, and after retuning everything seems OK, but I admit I don't know the mechanics of the instrument as well as I should. Is there anything I need to worry about? I mean as long as it's in roughly the same place it was before, it should be fine. I have to re-place my bridge every time i restring anyway, so I just made a few small marks on the bridge and the head so that I can line it back up in place. The only problem if you mis-place the bridge would probably be string intonation, but there's a fair amount of give and the bridge usually "settles" to a natural spot on the head anyway, I find.
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Sep 27, 2015 18:20
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When I first started learning banjo I was just using my nail (I'm playing clawhammer style), but as I play other instruments I had to cut my nails so I went out and got myself a pick. The question is how far down on my finger should I be placing the pick? Or maybe to phrase it better: how much space should there be between where my finger ends and the pick ends?
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Oct 25, 2015 11:38
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I'm assuming you mean finger picks. It's entirely personal preference how you seat them or bend them over. You will get used to anything if you do it the same way often enough. If you find they don't work for you you could try something like this: http://www.elderly.com/accessories/names/fred-kelly-freedom-finger-pick--PKFP.htm I keep the nail of my index finger just slightly longer than the rest (between .5mm and 1mm total). But even when I cut it to the quick I can still play clawhammer, just with a slightly "plunkier" sound than I like. If you're talking about using a guitar pick...on a 5 string...then you can just get right out of banjo town.
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Nov 1, 2015 02:09
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red_dirt posted:I'm assuming you mean finger picks. It's entirely personal preference how you seat them or bend them over. You will get used to anything if you do it the same way often enough. If you find they don't work for you you could try something like this: I was definitely talking about finger picks! Thanks for the advice, 1mm worked well for me. Now I need tips on Scruggs style playing...I'm having a lot of trouble with it. When I play with just my fingers (no picks) it's much easier for me to play, I can do rolls decently fast and accurately. However, it seems as soon as I get the fingerpicks on my fingers and thumb it all goes to hell. One of the picks is always getting caught on a string and it seems every 5 seconds I need to stop playing to adjust the picks with a pair of pliers. Could someone maybe walk me through where exactly I wear the picks, how tight they should be, their rotation, etc? Or is it just personal preference and maybe I just suck? Edit: It might be a problem with my technique too...I'm not entirely sure how to hit the string when I'm wearing the fingerpicks. Do I pluck them almost like a bass or more from under the string (so my hand is almost in a clawhammer position?) Kvlt! fucked around with this message at 14:21 on Nov 2, 2015 |
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Nov 2, 2015 14:16
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Kvlt! posted:
It takes some getting used to, but you need to wear picks to get the attack and tibre that are characteristic of the style. They should be snug, but not tight, curved up and somewhat hugging the finger. Some personal preference of this. Lead with your thumb - that is, the thumb should be ahead of your other two fingers. Plant your ring and pinky on the head of the banjo, or just the pinky if that's too hard. Try to pluck perpendicular. Don't scrape the head of the banjo. This vid has a quick chat with Ralph at the start talking about how he wears his picks. Lots of right hand - see how he leads with the thumb, that it's ahead of the other two fingers? Also his style is nearly all forward rolls. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCBRbJVZZzk I can help you out if you want. Edit sorry its not this vid where he talks about where he wears his picks, it's another from the same session. At least you can see sort of how they go on the fingers. Planet X fucked around with this message at 03:54 on Nov 3, 2015 |
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Nov 3, 2015 03:32
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How hard would to be to convert my RK35 Banjo to nylon strings? I have been playing a lot of classical guitar and always thought nylon banjos sound great and lately fingerpicks just feel weird after using nail on nylon.
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Nov 3, 2015 03:50
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Planet X posted:It takes some getting used to, but you need to wear picks to get the attack and tibre that are characteristic of the style. They should be snug, but not tight, curved up and somewhat hugging the finger. Some personal preference of this. This was very helpful, thank you! I finally got the picks to fit comfortably and bent them a little and they now strike the strings perfectly. Now I have a question about hand/placement: Where should I be striking the strings (how far from the bridge do I pluck?). Can I rest the "meaty" party of my hand (that part below the thumb) on the banjo or not? Can my hand rest on the bridge?
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Nov 3, 2015 18:33
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Kvlt! posted:This was very helpful, thank you! I finally got the picks to fit comfortably and bent them a little and they now strike the strings perfectly. Yes, you bend them to fit your liking. I like dunlop finger pics (225s) and golden gate thumb picks. Kvlt! posted:Now I have a question about hand/placement: Where should I be striking the strings (how far from the bridge do I pluck?). This is a good question. It depends on the tone you want. For bluegrassy, pingy, sharp and attacky, you play back near the bridge. I'd say an inch or so ahead of the bridge is good for your standard bluegrass tone. Experiment around and listen for the difference, it's definitely there. However, for backup / comping, it's common bring your hand up towards the neck. Same thing for melodic runs and single string runs. You can do these runs down near the bridge, but it'll sound brittle and thin. Crisper back towards the bridge, and mellower up towards the neck. Breaks and rolling backup I'm back near the bridge, but comping and single string I move up. This is why you see players with a line worn off under the strings and not just in one spot - this is evident in the blog I link below in the second picture you can see this on JD Crowe's banjo Kvlt! posted:Can I rest the "meaty" party of my hand (that part below the thumb) on the banjo or not? Kvlt! posted:Can my hand rest on the bridge? No. It'll mute the sound. It's also just not a technique for this style. You use these fingers to stabilize the other three fingers, which are moving rapidly. Plant your ring and pinky fingers on the head of the banjo. Your wrist should be relaxed, but turned slightly forward. Sit on your couch and hang your hand off then end, naturally. That's about where it should be, slightly turned forward. If you can only put one finger down, your pinky, do that. I struggle with keeping two fingers down. http://blog.murphymethod.com/2008/10/22/right-hand-studies/ Once you get things in place and start learning the technique of Scruggs playing, it's a lot of fun and you end up being really proud of your results when you're in jam sessions and start taking good breaks (solos). Learn things a piece at a time, then you can start putting them together depending on if you want bluesy, melodic, true Scruggs, or a combination of those. Here's Ron Stewart rippin' Pike County Breakdown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxUdMkv1HOc Planet X fucked around with this message at 02:24 on Nov 4, 2015 |
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Nov 4, 2015 02:19
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Kilometers Davis posted:How hard would to be to convert my RK35 Banjo to nylon strings? I have been playing a lot of classical guitar and always thought nylon banjos sound great and lately fingerpicks just feel weird after using nail on nylon. Find a cheap replacement tailpiece and drill holes in it so you can tie off the nylon strings?
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Nov 4, 2015 13:19
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Planet X posted:Yes, you bend them to fit your liking. I like dunlop finger pics (225s) and golden gate thumb picks. This was exactly what I needed, I think I'm getting a much better hang of how to do it. Thanks man, appreciate it!
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Nov 4, 2015 19:41
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Been lurking in this thread for forever, and thought I'd finally like to chime in and just say that for anyone looking to learn/get better at clawhammer and want something a little more tangible than online tabs or YouTube videos, Ken Perlman's book Clawhammer Style Banjo has been a boon for my playing. After a couple years of disinterested fooling around with clawhammer, I finally decided to pick up this book and commit to his lesson plan (which basically amounts to working on one song per week), and it took about three months of slow, boring non-progress... but just recently the right hand motion FINALLY clicked for me, and I've been frailing away like a giddy child. It was a physical sensation that I can only compare to finally figuring out how it's supposed to "feel" to ride a bike. Just kind of like, "oh... THAT's how it goes." Highly recommended!
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Nov 11, 2015 21:04
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Ah man, I remember that feeling. There's such a satisfying click in your brain when you finally get how to frail. For me, at least, it wasn't like something that I slowly and gradually got mastery of. It was something that I practiced over and over and over again, and then suddenly at 3:44 I didn't know how to frail and at 3:45 I knew how to frail. It was a great eureka moment. Learning how to drop-thumb is also a really satisfying "click".
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Nov 12, 2015 04:46
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quadrophrenic posted:Learning how to drop-thumb is also a really satisfying "click". I can't wait for this one to set in too- I mostly play fingerstyle guitar, and in the past 18 months pretty much exclusively Chet Atkins-style where the thumb is almost always playing the bass oompah on the quarter note... I haven't quite figured it out with my hand in a claw shape instead of how I usually play guitar, which is by anchoring my hand with my pinky, but I'm getting there!
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Nov 13, 2015 20:33
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I mainly play Scruggs style, but I do a bit of clawhammer too. I've seen Ralph Stanley play clawhammer on a resonated 5 string banjo, and that's what I do from time to time. I can't help but think that I'd really like to get a banjo dedicated to clawhammer, as every time I play one that is, it's so much easier. Does anyone here frail on a resonator, or do most of y'all play on open back, high action clawhammer banjos? I can't help but think I'm being held back a bit by the fact that I frail (flail) on my standard-action resonator Gold Star, but I don't want to be making a whole lot of excuses, either. I like this tune a lot. Also gently caress it, I bought a cheap fiddle. Planet X fucked around with this message at 05:11 on Nov 14, 2015 |
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Nov 14, 2015 05:05
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I play a resonator clawhammer style. Mostly because it projects better and blends tonally with the other musicians I play with. I have an open back that I prefer when I'm on the porch but I could get by with either. There are also plenty of old-timers that used them. Check out Wade Ward for an example.
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Nov 14, 2015 07:13
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