Snide remarks to the contrary, clawhammer or cla-whammer banjo is REAL banjo. Much more creative than Blue Grass banjo. More tunings, more "attacks". Ah yes, it is a much more sophisticated style, also older, also more peaceful, also more fun to play!

But seriously, Ms DB, It is the more traditional style of playing and is flexible enough to allow a great degree of very personal development for the banjoist. I doubt that any two banjoists play within the clawhammer style in the same way. Those of us who have been playing for a while usually have a dozen (thereabouts) tunings and probably a half-dozen different "styles" of clawhammer. These both will change from tune to tune. John Brown's Dream is played differently than "Marching Through Georgia" and "Country Blues" from "Cluck Old Hen" or "Ducks on the Millpond"

Check out MIKE Seeger's CD "Southern Banjo Sounds" for a real nice sampling of older style banjo.