How to learn to play clawhammer banjo

Subject: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo
From: fretless
Date: 14 Aug 08 - 09:53 AM

Years ago, I heard someone describe one of the pioneer generation of OT clawhammer banjo players as someone who, while playing baseball in his youth, tried to field a line drive with his right, ungloved hand. He muffed the catch and broke all his fingers, which healed poorly. Thereafter, he could never fully extend his fingers to open his hand. The result was that he could never play bluegrass or finger-picking styles, but his hand was perfectly configured for clawhammer banjo. In later years, when someone asked him how to learn to play OT banjo, he would reply, "Well, first, you've got to break all the fingers in your right hand."

It's a great story. Is it real? Who was the musician?

Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 14 Aug 08 - 09:58 AM

I think clawhammer style banjo may predate the invention of Baseball. Call me a skeptic.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo
From: fretless
Date: 14 Aug 08 - 10:09 AM

No doubt -- that's why I labeled it "folklore." My understanding was that the musican in question was referring to himself, and not to the invention of the playing style in general.

Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 14 Aug 08 - 10:45 AM

According to Albert Hash there was a banjo player in south west Virginia who as a child fell into a fire and burnt his hands so badly that the sinews were damaged which caused his fingers to curl inward.
This man went on to become very influential on the younger banjo players of the area.
If anyone in the UK gets to see the Whitetop Mountain Band on their tour here in September (and I reccommend that you do)you could check the story out with Albert's brother-in-Law Thornton Spencer, I believe his wife Emily was a pupil of the man in question.

Django Rheinhardt of course was another musuician who was unfortunate enough to damage his hands in a fire. He went on to develop a style of playing with the use of just two fingers of his left hand. Amazing.

Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banj
From: Artful Codger
Date: 15 Aug 08 - 02:29 AM

Imagine what he could have done with only one!

Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banj
From: skarpi
Date: 15 Aug 08 - 03:37 AM

I learned to play claw hammer on my guitar , and then one day I saw
a banjo in a store and I had to try it , and it was easy to start playin
? maybe becouse I learned before on the guitar??? dont know

but there are some pretty good Banjo players here so they could help
you , and me I am planning to get me a banjo :>)

so ATB Skarpi

Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo
From: nickp
Date: 15 Aug 08 - 05:30 AM

The story is for real. It was Charlie Poole - although it isn't necessary to do that to play clawhammer!!!

How to play like Charlie Poole - by Pete Peterson

Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo
From: nickp
Date: 15 Aug 08 - 05:31 AM

And more about Charlie in this current thread here

Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo
From: The Sandman
Date: 15 Aug 08 - 10:01 AM

This is interesting,thanks. Dick miles

Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo
From: GUEST,Zhenya
Date: 18 Aug 08 - 10:27 PM

OK, some posts are pretty funny, but clawhammer is about as natural a way to play as any...e.g., African akonting players. Down picking is a normal rhythmic pattern and curving the hand, naturally, to permit a middle or index finger to grab a string on the way down is just normal. No fire necessary, no gloveless hardball catch neither. Just pick up a banjar and start banging on it.

Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo
From: GUEST,BanjoRay
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 04:24 AM

Sorry Nick - don't think it could have been Charlie Poole - he never played clawhammer, and he was from Eden, North Carolina, not South West Virginia.
Ray

Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo
From: banjoman
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 06:24 AM

All sounds feasible?? I adapted my playing style after developing serious problems which stopped me using all but my thumb & first finger and managed to work out a sort of clawhammer style which works well but I have difficulty explaing to others how it works.
Keep on Picin!
Pete