TOTW 05/10/13, Tommy Jarrell's Sail Away Ladies
Are there any Tommy Jarrell fans out there? I know I am one. Both his fiddling and his banjo playing are fantastic. It took a while, but I actually enjoy his singing too! On the CD "The Legacy of Tommy...
View ArticleWound 2nd?
Just getting back to claw hammer after a 40 year break. I have been playing Irish tenor for the past 10 years or so. When I first got into Irish tenor the standard irish set had two wound and two plain...
View ArticleI think I'm just venting? Need encouragement
I am feeling so very frustrated with my banjo playing. You guys are all so helpful, and I am working SO hard. I practice quite a bit, sometimes even a few hours a day (which is a lot for a stay-at-home...
View ArticleWisdom of a 2nd Banjo
Howdy,I play fretless and have a great banjo...a Ramsey custom set up just the way I like.However, I have just come into a little bit of money, enough to easily afford a 2nd banjo....and I'm trying to...
View Articlea different way of playing, at least to me
I wish you'd listen to the link below, and give me your thoughts. This is an idea that just jumped out at me, probably motivated by my liking for old time music I heard when I was a boy -- simple...
View Articlebest radio capture software---for mac
before i can use slowdowner to learn a tune, i often want to capture an old time radio show, but all the systems i've tried either don't work well or have since been removed. Anyone have a good...
View ArticleStroke style banjo
I just watched a video demo of "how to play stroke style banjo". From what I understood, the index finger always hits just the first string, and the thumb is used on the other 3 strings --- similar to...
View ArticleDan Levenson will teach old-time banjo at Rolland Fiddle Camp June 23-29
Rolland Fiddle Camp (www.peterrolland.com) is delighted that Dan Levenson (www.clawdan.com) will again join the faculty at the week-long camp (June 23-29) in Colorado. Many of you probably already...
View ArticlePlaying the same note in clawhammer?
Is there a technique for playing a series of the same note in clawhammer style? An example would be 8th notes D D D D E E F F all on the 4th string. i thought I might just do drop thumb on the same...
View ArticleWhen Do You *Know* A Tune?
Corollary to my crisis thread, I have been pondering a deeper and more ephemeral question - what is it to *know* a song? This isn't a how-to type of question, it's a philosophical one. So left-brain it...
View ArticleRR Spikes: Hook up vs. Hook down
Dotson installs them under the string and pointed down but on stewmac's site - Todd Sams installs them to one side of the string and pointed up.On Zepp :http://zeppmusic.com/banjo/spikes.htmAnother...
View ArticleOldtimejam.com thread resurrection
The previous old time jam thread is now trapped in the archives, so I'm starting up a new one! I'll use this space from time to time for announcements, among other things.The latest news is that the...
View Article5th string POP sound
I've always liked the POP sound that some banjo players get from their 5th string. Yesterday I was giving a basic banjo lesson to a guy whose banjo just didn't have any Life in it.. Soooooooo, I put...
View ArticleOld Time Jams in Minnesota
I'm still a beginner and I've never been to a jam but I'd really REALLY like to go. If anyone knows of any upcoming in the Twin Cities/surrounding area I'd be grateful!
View ArticleWhy does everyone use Double C tuning instead of Open D?
I'm new to clawhammer banjo, though I've played guitar and mandolin for many years. I'm enjoying learning a bunch of tunes in double-C tuning, but it does seem to be a rather quirky tuning, what with...
View Articlebest slow (sad?) clawhammer songs or players?
Hi, I'm now fully on board with the hypnotic effects of playing fast (well, in my case, medium). But I went into this, in part, because of slow, celtic-ish, backup playing on songs that I liked: Eric...
View ArticleClawhammer index question
Hey,I have played scruggs style for about seven months and am just now discovering and loving clawhammer style. My question is that i am far more comfortable using my middle for hitting melody notes...
View ArticleHow do I play different key tunes when tuned to open G
Hello,I am very new to banjo but am quite familiar with fiddle, and transposing tunes to my preferred keys is something I do on the fiddle.It's quite simple, just moving the tune up or down the staff...
View ArticleThumb hiting the head
Hi there, I've been learning the banjo for just over a year now. I started out with ken pearlmans melodic style wich is great and his books are great but have recently switched to more of a round peak...
View ArticleCathy Fink-Clawhammer workshops June 9-14
I'm teaching clawhammer at Steve Kaufman's Acoustic Kamp near Knoxville, TN with an intentionally SMALL class of 5-8. Lots of private time and other staff members are fabulous, including Peter...
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