been hanging out with some Clawhammer banjo players lately

[Retropicker]

Zepps is indead a great place and Don Zepp a great guy and exceptional clawhammer player.

[Bikewer]

I hadn't played mine for a while... Too many instruments and too little time...
But I picked up the banjo and tuned it up and fiddled with my clawhammer playing for a bit....
Still didn't sound right.
At work, (it's Spring break at the university and very slow) I pulled up YouTube on my iPad and was looking at some very basic videos from EZ Folk.

Turns out I've been doing it wrong....

I had read through a couple of written instruction things and thought I understood the technique pretty well, but watching the guy do it on the video showed me I was using way too much motion...
Eager to re-try the whole thing now.

[darylcrisp]

Originally Posted by Bikewer

I hadn't played mine for a while... Too many instruments and too little time...
But I picked up the banjo and tuned it up and fiddled with my clawhammer playing for a bit....
Still didn't sound right.
At work, (it's Spring break at the university and very slow) I pulled up YouTube on my iPad and was looking at some very basic videos from EZ Folk.

Turns out I've been doing it wrong....

I had read through a couple of written instruction things and thought I understood the technique pretty well, but watching the guy do it on the video showed me I was using way too much motion...
Eager to re-try the whole thing now.

go here and check out the "clear head videos" for a neat look from the back of the banjo on Clawhammer technique:
http://zeppmusic.com/frameset.htm

d

[darylcrisp]

Originally Posted by Retropicker

Zepps is indead a great place and Don Zepp a great guy and exceptional clawhammer player.

yes and yes...........totally awesome shop

d

[815C]

Agree - clawhammer is cool. I didn't care for it much when I was young. But now I really think it has an awesome vibe to it.

[jeffdelfield]

This is my first message here, because I'm going the other way around. I've been playing clawhammer for about four years, pretty much exclusively. Only in the last month or two have I started playing guitar again.

I'm pretty lucky to live where I live. I have access to lots of old time players and some top clawhammer players. I've been obsessed with fretless for the past couple years. If you haven't heard Frank Lee, of the Freight Hoppers, play, you need to check this out: http://www.greatsmokymountains.tv/Frank%20Lee.html

I build banjos and he used one of mine to do this instructional video for the tune "Hound Chase": http://youtu.be/YPhfnB8YjiM

Jeff

[anton]

Originally Posted by darylcrisp

Brooks is totally responsible for my new affliction:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExYuSFC1G8Q
i found this by accident about a month ago and the bug bit me hard. i picked up a used Ramsey Standard, but still have a hankering for a Brooks.
If you don't mind, share with us the sound you get from it, the specs(nut width) and the particulars. Which model is yours btw?
any chance for a soundclip?

d

This is a bit late but I recently put up a video of my Brooks banjo if you are interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy7Iz...eature=mh_lolz

[darylcrisp]

Originally Posted by anton

This is a bit late but I recently put up a video of my Brooks banjo if you are interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy7Iz...eature=mh_lolz

Anton

thanks so much for this link and performance-sounds great!

tell us about the Brooks(which model, neck size shape?), thats what got me into this from the beginning(a video of a brooks being played).

thanks
daryl

[anton]

Hi Daryl,

Thanks for the kind words. Its his Spartan Model, 11" rim. The neck size and width are just his default specs, of which I am not sure. I played a few of his banjos beforehand and the neck felt good, so I just told him to use the default. The hardware is brass, with a fiberskin head, tuners are his stock ones, and seem very sensitive. Its got a brass tone ring. One thing I like is that the banjo is very light. Ive played some other open backs that seem quite heavier, perhaps due to additional hardware.

The wait time was a 4 months or so and Brooks was great to work with.

[darylcrisp]

Originally Posted by anton

Hi Daryl,

Thanks for the kind words. Its his Spartan Model, 11" rim. The neck size and width are just his default specs, of which I am not sure. I played a few of his banjos beforehand and the neck felt good, so I just told him to use the default. The hardware is brass, with a fiberskin head, tuners are his stock ones, and seem very sensitive. Its got a brass tone ring. One thing I like is that the banjo is very light. Ive played some other open backs that seem quite heavier, perhaps due to additional hardware.

The wait time was a 4 months or so and Brooks was great to work with.

thanks for the info Anton, the Brooks sure sounds good. Been eyeing one lately.

d

[alexevans917]

Just ordered a Sullivan Clawhammer Jam on Tuesday night from the BanjoHangout Classifieds. Can't wait to get started on it

Alex

[leftybanjo]

I am going to the Midwest Banjo Camp, june 8-9. It is put on by Elderly Instruments at Olivet College in Michigan. I hope to learn clawhammer style.