Jigs are difficult for a calwhammer or 2 finger banjo picker. The basic patterns are not suited to 6/8 time at all. Clawhammer pickers get the downbeat with the finger, not the thumb. ONE two three, FOUR five six requires that you get every other downbeat with your thumb! You can skip notes or get some with hammers, pulls, slides etc. to keep yourself on a finger lead but this can be kinda hard on the melody. Ken Perlman (and Charcloth too, I'll bet)is proof that it can be done very well indeed. But it ain't easy and requires tricks that aren't really part of the basic clawhammer/two finger kit. The other problem with most jigs is that they are very "notey" and a faithful playing of the melody requires a linear, melodic style of playing. Hardly the traditional sound most associated with early banjo.

I'm not a fiddler but I suspect the bowings needed for jigs present some of the same problems.

I was very fortunate to get to play in a couple of jams with Mr Perlman 2 weeks ago when he was at John Campbell Folk School. He is a master at melodic playing and jig time seemed effortless for him. I do hope to master 6/8 time one day.

Chip A.