The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #6392   Message #188442
Posted By: Hardiman the Fiddler
02-Mar-00 - 07:14 PM
Thread Name: What is clawhammer style
Subject: RE: What is clawhammer style
You get the "clipetty, cloppity," by developing a roll---three fingered style---which unfortunately means getting used to using picks. I hated the picks at first. But then, when I got more used to them, I began to love the volume of sound that you could get out of the banjo. Now, I never play without picks. To develop a roll, first you got to remember to keep your two little fingers anchored on the head of the banjo---otherwise your hand goes sailing around all over the place, like a fresh caught trout. Second, you gotta develop a smoothness in the timing of the roll. Start slow, then you can build up speed. I used to use a metronome. Once you built up speed, you can varr syncopate the roll to get the clip clop sound. Hardiman the Fiddler