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14 Aug 08 - 09:53 AM (#2413481) Subject: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo From: fretless 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? |
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14 Aug 08 - 09:58 AM (#2413491) Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo From: Roger in Baltimore I think clawhammer style banjo may predate the invention of Baseball. Call me a skeptic. Roger in Baltimore |
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14 Aug 08 - 10:09 AM (#2413501) Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo From: fretless 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. |
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14 Aug 08 - 10:45 AM (#2413537) Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo From: GUEST,Hootenanny 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. |
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15 Aug 08 - 02:29 AM (#2414298) Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banj From: Artful Codger Imagine what he could have done with only one! |
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15 Aug 08 - 03:37 AM (#2414318) Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banj From: skarpi 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 |
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15 Aug 08 - 05:30 AM (#2414374) Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo From: nickp 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 |
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15 Aug 08 - 05:31 AM (#2414376) Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo From: nickp And more about Charlie in this current thread here |
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15 Aug 08 - 10:01 AM (#2414556) Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo From: The Sandman This is interesting,thanks. Dick miles |
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18 Aug 08 - 10:27 PM (#2417415) Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo From: GUEST,Zhenya 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. |
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19 Aug 08 - 04:24 AM (#2417537) Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo From: GUEST,BanjoRay 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 |
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19 Aug 08 - 06:24 AM (#2417575) Subject: RE: Folklore: How to learn to play clawhammer banjo From: banjoman 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 |