easy clawhammer - old timey - frailing basic banjo lesson - sourwood mountain

[countorlock100]

Hello sir !, Greetings from England.Thank you for this post. Great playing and great teaching ;-) Peace and respect

[duececaboose]

@countorlock100 thank you for watching! it's nice to hear that the video has been of some help to my friends across the pond! happy pickin' man!

[clima614]

Been wanting to get a banjo, this lesson has sold me. Doesn't sound quite as cool on my guitar!

[duececaboose]

@clima614 good man! just get one and dive in. you only live once! good luck and post a video once you get the hang of it.

[jspenco2]

Nice post i like that you are not talking down to us new to the banjo folk like most other videos do. Thanks

[duececaboose]

@jspenco2 thank you for enjoying it. i used to teach high school. the best way to teach someone is by doing it, not talking about how to do it. it sounds crazy but it works! happy pickin'!

[ja1843wv]

Thanks Man for the new Pickin,You can come and jam with the boys and i here in the hills of wild and wonderful West Virginia we got the shine you bring the beer! Hillbilly HellYea

[indiemotronic]

Wow, thank you so much for posting this. You explained it in a way that made it easy to understand. I can't wait to spend the rest of my Saturday working out this song :))) You are one cool guy!!!

[duececaboose]

@indiemotronic thank you for watching, i'm glad i could be of help to you and happy pickin'!!

[jgenens]

Thanks a lot for this video! I'm new to the banjo, and this helped a lot with picking up the basic frailing technique. This song is a so much fun to play! I agree with everyone else who commented on your ability to explain things much better than other people on youtube. Definitely going to follow your channel!

[duececaboose]

@jgenens i'm glad it was a help to you and everyone else! i'll try to post some more lessons in the future. happy pickin'!

[pixelcarpenter]

Thanks so much for that video. I have been having a problem with my right hand and have been trying to hit the initial string and the strum with the back of my middle finger. I tried the way you demonstrated with the index finger and that seemed far more natural to me. It's a wonderful gift to share your talents with others. As for the beard thing... well I'll just have to work around that handicap since I'm female :)

Lori

[duececaboose]

@pixelcarpenter i'm glad the video has been a help! many players (bearded and non) use either their middle finger, index, or alternate between both. There is no "right" way per se, rather, it's all about what makes sense to you. after you have the basic rhythm pattern down, you can practice increasing the tempo and then you'll be off to the races. good luck and happy pickin'!

[complexrhythm]

Great job man. I just started ch a week ago and it's fun as hell. About how long after you started did it take to get some speed behind it like you show here? Just curious.

[duececaboose]

@complexrhythm thank you man. everyone has their own path with regards to progress, but if you put in an hour or so of practice a day, it won't take you too long to build up speed. i've been playing so long, i've forgotten exactly how long it took me to advance. but i'd say less than a year, easily. the real key is to keep your rhythm steady and learn how to play a couple of songs smoothly. the rest will fall into place. best of luck to you man!

[noahvachon]

Hey Man,

I just started playing banjo yesterday and was looking though a bunch of videos and boy was I happy to stumble across yours. Not too chatty or preachy, just right. I'm already gettin the hang of sourwood mountain and eager to learn the other tunes you've posted. Thanks so much for helping me get started!

[duececaboose]

@noahvachon awesome buddy! awesome! i love hearing that! let me know if you have any other questions and i'll try to answer them as best as I can.

the basic frailing pattern is, hands down, the hardest part of learning the banjo. after you have that, you'll be on your way.

[Donkeyarmer]

Ive seen man official videos from famous banjo pickers showing what they do, but i didnt learn much.. i really learned a lot fomr this, thank you so much, my Irish Folk band will benefit from this so much!

[duececaboose]

@Donkeyarmer hey man, thank you so much, buddy. unfortunately, in many MANY videos, there is way too much talking. the only way to learn is by SHOWING, LISTENING and DOING. I could probably write a lengthy essay on meter, rhythm, etc. but no one would ever learn anything that way.

i'm really happy you got a lot from this video.

[Pilchadium]

Cheers man for sharing this! Helped a lot :)

[duececaboose]

@Pilchadium my pleasure! i'm glad it helped

[graiypz]

man i wish i was just amazing at banjo like, yesterday. i got mine about 2 weeks ago, and im loving it with a passion. i use picks because i like the sound (and its easier for me than clawhammer) but i love both styles. thanks for filling me with inspiration :D

[duececaboose]

@graiypz thank you so much for the kind words! both styles are great. don't let anyone tell you otherwise! too many banjo players get caught up in defining the perceived "benefits" of different styles. The bottom line is: play what you love and love what you play. If picking with finger picks makes you happy then do it. If playing clawhammer makes you happy, then do it. Whatever you choose, just enjoy the journey!

[nightfrailer]

I've been trying to learn this song from tab for two weeks and it sounds dry as dirt. Thanks for a nice walk through of how to loosen it up! And I think my playing could benefit from a beard and a beer.

[duececaboose]

@nightfrailer beard, beers, and banjos. they all go hand-in-hand, my friend!

[nightfrailer]

@duececaboose crap, well, that explains a lot that is wrong with my banjo. cheers.

[Rusked]

thans this really helped! :D i've just got my banjo but when you started to pick up the tempo was your right hand still playing the same rhythm but you left started playing tabs? :)

[duececaboose]

@Rusked that's exactly right. the right hand plays the exact same rhythm. what you're hearing at tempo is that original rhythm pattern sped up. the left hand then holds down (and releases) the appropriate strings for the melody. i just received a new camera for christmas and will probably post a new instructional video in the next few days.

[Timothydlol]

hey thanks this is pretty helpful im finding clawhammer near impossible

[duececaboose]

@Timothydlol hey timothy. don't give up. the hardest part about learning clawhammer is the initial frailing pattern. once you have that down the rest starts to fall into place. i would also advise - initially, at least - to try learning by ear. reading charts on the basic frailing pattern will most likely be more confusing than helpful. good luck!

[frithroad]

hey man a banjo teacher with a sense of humour. Nice lesson, beer and banjo's GREAT ALBUM TITLE

[duececaboose]

@frithroad agreed. let's call warner brothers and run it past them. (are they even in business anymore?)

[dyingtreeee]

ive watched as few vids on banjo...just got mine...beer technique is great! thanks for the help!

[duececaboose]

@dyingtreeee i'm glad it helped. i try to multitask as much as possible.

[1962amanda]

Thankyou for the lesson. I'm playing along on a banjolele very much appreciating your effort. You're a great teacher.

[duececaboose]

@1962amanda thank you! i really appreciate that!

[Spreemusik2]

Great video! 

[duececaboose]

@Spreemusik2 thank you! i'll try to post more in the future

[Knockdownbanjo]

What a great video.....You teach very well.

[duececaboose]

@Knockdownbanjo thank you so much!