Playing posture and right hand problems
Lately I have been playing more my 13" rim banjo. I have noticed that I have a problem of finding a good playing posture. No problem when playing smaller pot banjo but 13" gets my right hand biceps...
View ArticleStandard C - "That's one weird tuning!"
Just thought this might interest some of you. Went to an old-time jam session at a local pub. I learned a lot while I was there... Mostly that I can't play. Anyhow, after the jam started dying down a...
View Articlegetting email to the woodchuck
I've found myself buried in spam getting back to people who email me at my old address. The address is still getting massive amounts of spam and it is getting harder and harder to find the actual...
View ArticleTOTW (OT) 7-25-14 Train on the island
Heres one of my favorite tunes. It's been done by a lot of people. A brief history of the tune follows below, copied from mattesonart.comTrain on the Island Train on the Island is an...
View ArticleClawhammer Instructional Videos
I started playing clawhammer banjo a week or so ago. There are many instructional videos on youtube, but it's not easy to find an organized, structured series that progresses in a clear manner. Many...
View ArticleThe Mountains of Merrimac
My daughter has become intersted in learning this tune, but we haven't been able to find any tab for it. I sometime ago downloaded a recording of it by Bob Black, but then forgot about it. From the...
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"Needlecase" - Clawhammer Tunetorial for 7/27/14
Watch a preview video >In this, Tunetorial number 9, Dan "Clawdan" Levenson teaches Ebenezer. This one will be a challenge to most of you. It has some fancy up the neck tricks that make it more...
View ArticleLeroy Troy
I stumbled on some of Leroy's music on youtube and yep, I'm a fan. His humor, style of playing, and overall good-time feelin' is exactly what I'm after. I'm glad to see that there is a following on...
View Article3 Finger Clawhammer?
This will probably get everyone riled, from here to the North and South Poles.I started playing playing clawhammer about 3-4 weeks ago. I have been playing 3 finger style since 1980. I wish I had...
View ArticleClawhammer talent
I have been watching quite a few talented players for a while and specifically love watching sololist renditions not only for the sound but watch their skills on YouTube (in the hope I can pick...
View ArticleStrings
I'm having a blast getting back to CH playing and am enjoying a brand new banjo but it was set up originally for bluegrass 3-finger picking and it sounds great that way but for clawhammer, it sounds...
View ArticleClawhammer banjo lessons
I love the lessons by Josh Turknett on Clawhammer banjo. I am wondering how to access lessons 4 to 8 as I can only get lessons 1-3?
View ArticleRIght Thumb for Clawhammer
I notice that quite a few top-echelon players (Arnie Naiman, Frank Lee) play with a bent thumb, while most others have a slack, fully straight thumb. I was just wondering - does this affect tone in any...
View ArticlePlaying up the neck
I was wondering how to go about playing up the neck in clawhammer. I can go up and down the neck on a few tunes but I have absolutely no idea how it comes about so I was wondering if anyone could...
View ArticleTOTW (OT) 8.1.14 John Brown's Dream
John Brown’s Dream has long been one of my favorite tunes. I first became aware of it through Tommy Jarrell’s fiddling, and later through his banjo playing. The tune is widespread, with many variants,...
View Articlecapo rumor
I read somewhere (I think within these sacred halls) that whenever we clamp a capo on our banjo it causes a slight change in tuning which must be taken into account when playing in a jam. My question...
View ArticleGood video recording equip.
This has nothing to do with playin' the banjer. I have enjoyed seeing all the home-made and festival videos so much and was wondering what is some good equipment to use? I-pad? separate camera and...
View ArticleFor low tuned fretless players--ever tried open A (c#AC#EA)?
I mostly play a big fretless tuned to open D (dADF#A), which works well for D tunes (obviously) and pretty well for G tunes. But what to do about A tunes?Instead of tuning up to open E (eBEG#B) I...
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"Forked Deer" - Clawhammer Tunetorial for 8/3/14
Watch a preview video >Key of D – aDADE (double C – gCGCD – capo 2)In this, Tunetorial number 11, Dan "Clawdan" Levenson teaches Forked Deer. This is one of his favorite tunes. It is also a jam...
View ArticleSpike Alternative
I cannot get spikes, does anyone know of anything resembling railroad spikes that can be used/modded? Maybe thick staples cut into an L shape?
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