When I first learned banjo years ago, I learned Scruggs style and about 5 years ago started doing frailing and clawhammer. I started with Seeger up-picking but soon transitioned to to downpicking styles.
My problem is that while I can hit the notes and play the songs, I have never been able to get close to my Scruggs picking speed with frailing. Tonight I was looking at an old video of Tommy Makem and The Clancy Brothers playing a reunion concert in Belfast.
Makem, as usual, got up a pretty good head of steam with his Seeger style picking. I was wondering: what is a "decent" metronome BPM speed setting to aim for for clawhammer/frailing? I'm looking for something to achieve that will put me within 'striking distance" of most up tempo folk songs.
If anybody has any other suggestions to raise my speed, I'd appreciate hearing those tips as well.
As always, thanks for your help.