Saw Mill Banjo Picking

Subject: Saw Mill Banjo Picking
From: lloyd64
Date: 08 Mar 01 - 10:40 PM

Saw Mill Banjo Picking

An old timer told me he picks his Banjo Saw Mill Style. I think he is pulling my leg, but he did have a nice sound with only a thumb and index finger and no finger picks. He claims that before Claw Hammer the Mountain Banjos were picked Saw Mill Style.

Should I believe him?

lloyd62

Subject: RE: Saw Mill Banjo Picking
From: Les B
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 12:10 AM

Interesting. I haven't heard of "saw mill" picking, but the G Modal or "mountain minor" (gDGCD) banjo tuning is called "sawmill" tuning.

Subject: RE: Saw Mill Banjo Picking
From:
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 04:13 AM

There are records of Clarence Ashley using sawmill tuning. It doesn't sound like his picking style is different from other things he does.

Subject: RE: Saw Mill Banjo Picking
From: mcpiper
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 05:21 AM

Maybe after a few years of working in a saw mill, the only fingers remaining might be the thumb and index finger, certainly the case with some sawmillers I've met.

Subject: RE: Saw Mill Banjo Picking
From: lloyd64
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 08:42 AM

Thanks to all.... Saw Mill Tuning must be the proper term, and Saw Mill hand shaping must have created the style.

Now only one question remains, is Saw Mill one word or two words, but who cares!

Thanks again

Bye....Lloyd

Subject: RE: Saw Mill Banjo Picking
From: GUEST,poo on a stick
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 12:02 PM

oh no the fuzzy green playboy bunny is after my feet and he wants to kill me with a tooth pic I am running and running then I run into a door and my ear flys into a dog house that eats popcorn on friday with no eyes

Subject: RE: Saw Mill Banjo Picking
From: chip a
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 01:37 PM

Yes, it's got to be sawmill tuning. Also sometimes called graveyard tuning around here. (N. Ga.) But you say he picked with thumb & index? Are there any other 2 finger pickers left out there? Let me know.

Subject: RE: Saw Mill Banjo Picking
From: lloyd64
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 02:09 PM

chip a, post a thread for two finger pickers, as I would also be interested. I pick with two fingers and many in my area do. Like me, many are below average, but you do have a number of good two finger pickers...

lloyd62

Subject: RE: Saw Mill Banjo Picking
From: GUEST,Jim Krause
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 03:33 PM

The minstrels of the 1830s onward picked with two fingers, thunb and index. Later this was called stroke style and it evolved into modern clawhammer. Stroke style can be very intricate at times, switching leads from index to thumb, and back to index again. The old 19^th century minstrels could even play jigs or other tunes in 6/8 time, a feat most modern clawhammer players shun like the flu. There are a couple of reprinted banjo instruction books out. One is Tom Briggs' Banjo Instuctor written in the 1850s by Tom Briggs, the other is Banjo with or without a Master and I forget the author's name. The second book was first published about 1866, I believe. If you get either of these books, be prepared to read music. They weren't written in tablature.
Jim

Subject: RE: Saw Mill Banjo Picking
From: GUEST,Les B
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 03:59 PM

So saw mill picking might be a variant of double thumbing ? Or are there brush strokes with the back of the index finger, like Carter style guitar picking ?

Subject: RE: Saw Mill Banjo Picking
From: chip a
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 04:00 PM

O.K. lLoyd62, I started a 2 finger thread. Where are you from that people still play this way? Do you use index lead or what? Let's hear more about it!