Clawhammer Strum?
With Clawhammer do you strum with just the Middle Finger.......... or do you strum with the Ring and Middle Finger? I am a beginner and can't see, to finger it out.....ha ha "finger it out" Any...
View ArticleRaised 5th string bridge
My banjo has no scoop, but I still like to play over the neck, so I got myself a bridge with the 5th string raised. So far it has been working great for me, but I'm an amateur. I'd like to ask you all...
View ArticleG Chord - Open C Tuning
How do you finger this chord please, I'm tending towards the pinky on the first string 3rd fret but it feels a bit awkward. Is this right or am I on the wrong track. chord shape is 3...
View ArticleSkin heads: Make 'em vs buy 'em already stretched. Trade offs?
Ok. I'm thinkin' I wanna put a skin head on a banjo that's now set up with a renaissance. I've seen the BEAUTIFUL calf skin heads installed by Jason Romero and others... and think that's what I'd...
View ArticleHomemade songbook and mp3's
I have this topic on bluegrass aswell because i started with clawhammer and then played 3 finger style, i enjoy playing both. I starting playing a few years ago and was overwelmed by the amount of...
View ArticleGrass Valley, CA: FDF BG Festival--Two free banjo workshops on June 16
If any of you are going to the CBA Father’s Day BG Festival in Grass Valley, I will be conducting two FREE banjo workshops for your learning pleasure, both on Saturday, June 16. I haven’t seen the...
View ArticleBluegrass Clawhammer Breaks in C and D
I have a question for those of you who play clawhammer with the bluegrass folk . . . I'm going to be playing some clawhammer with a bluegrass band later this summer. I'm fairly comfortable with doing...
View ArticleBack to the Game
Hello all, It has been a while since I have been posted. Due to obligations to my work I have unfortunately not had much time over the past 4 years to really devote to my clawhammering. The good...
View ArticleRSB and the Tabonanza
I've been doing some soul searching of late - about the Tabonanza mostly. My website tells everyone there will be an RSB DVD with the full tabonanza on it, but contributions are quite frankly not...
View ArticleNew Slow Jam Songs
Hello: I've been playing clawhammer for a few years now, working out of Ken Perlman's and Dan Levenson's books. I've got the basics under my belt and can play about 15 songs from those books. I just...
View ArticleWorkshop at Weiser - Stickerville
Hi Folks, Who's going to Weiser this year? I will be making it my first one ever and planning on staying in the Stickerville world. They have also asked and I agreed to give a clawhammer banjo...
View ArticleWalt Koken "Train on the Island"
Has anybody ever tried to play Walt Koken's "Train on the Island?" Everybody loves a train song.
View ArticleSome help with a couple fiddle tunes(Southern Soldier Boy, Elk River Blues)
Hey guys my ear isn't the greatest for picking up tunings and keys, if you guys can give me some pointers it would be greatly appreciated, I need to learn these tunes by the end of the month. I...
View ArticleWhat is your "groove" like?
I find this a fascinating topic, yet hard to describe; for me "groove" happens in an almost spiritual space that exists outside the words used to describe it. I think it's pretty close to the idea of...
View ArticlePopcorn style/ Hippie Lick??? Tom Riccio
I love the style/sound of Tom Riccio and I have seen him play in a couple of videos AND I know this has been a topic in the past but......I would like to hear from people who actually like and/or play...
View ArticleTOTW 6/15/12 - The Hog Got Through the Fence With the Whole Yoke On
Well it seems that neither the originally scheduled TOTW volunteer nor his substitute is going to be able to post a tune today, so I'll use one of my emergency back-up tunes. That tune is The Hog Got...
View ArticleWhat style of playing should I explore?
Greetings - I'm a newbie getting used to playing on Nylgut strings on my basic open back banjo, and learning what I can do with my picks. I realize many folks prefer not to use picks on Nylguts for...
View Articleindex or middle?
just for curiosity's sake, i've noticed alot of other pickers saying they prefer the tone they get from using their middle finger as opposed to the index finger and i have found the same thing to be...
View ArticleHold me accountable !
With a tuff divorce 2 1/2 yrs ago & a little add' to bring to the table I've went back and forth BG style, Old Time' banjo, mandolin some, but realize Old Time' is where I want to go & with a...
View ArticleS5-open vs. S1-F5,
I've recently read about and been using the S5-open in place of the S1-F5. This has turned out to be pretty useful. In cases where I would pick S1-F5 then jump back to the frets 1, 2 or 4, I can...
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