old time two finger/ appalachian way of picking

[73scamp]

Good job, I just started about a week ago..........maybe it will sink in

[kekru184]

Wish we could see your picking hand.

[magnussmitt]

Love the flag in the background!! Deo Vindice!

[oldhatband]

Your style is fine. It appears to be a thumb-lead with a Maybelle Carter scratch that she used on guitar. I play clawhammer, but sometimes use a two-finger index-lead. A good friend who plays Scruggs-style told me that "there are no rules", so be comfortable with what you like!!!

[daveycard]

forget about yo dog and yo hair... just pick ya damned banjer

[HillbillyWayne88]

Everyone has their own way of playing the banjo some might be clawhammer,some might be playing with 3 fingers and some might be with 2. But GOOD JOB MAN of playing that banjo.I also play with 2 fingers

[banjolisterine]

@HillbillyWayne88 well thank you, I appreciate it.

I haven't done a whole lot with that style, most people jamming don't know what you're doing, so I just keep it to myself.

[HillbillyWayne88]

@banjolisterine Oh mybad i didn't mean to mess everyone up i was just saying everyone has a different style of playing a banjo sorry though i confused anyone

[banjolisterine]

@HillbillyWayne88 naw didn't mess anyone up, I agree with ya.

[HillbillyWayne88]

@banjolisterine How long have you been playing

[banjolisterine]

@HillbillyWayne88 a good while, probably 7 years,

[HillbillyWayne88]

@banjolisterine Awsome I been playing for about a year

[hambonesE]

Sounds like round peak style except for the slides. I could be wrong, I'm used to hearing it in A.

Here's an example:

search "Lonesome Road blues banjo"

the uploader's name is fretless fury

[Wehategod]

My Fiance Grandmother is From Columbus. Nice Pickin. Appalchain and Claw Hammer are Simliar but Applachain is more softer and moutain esk while as Clawhammer is loud and Fun to play. I don't actually Play Banjo I just am a Fan of Country Music and Other music too. I also like Stringbean and Grandpa Jones

[banjolisterine]

yea a lot of people think that in the mountains they played clawhammer on the banjo, and they did some, but there were different stroking styles, some times they pulled up instead of keeping everything aiming down.

[starsandbarsDixie]

Clawhammer is mostly played in the mountains. I'm from the middle of em and it's the most popular. However, there's still a lot of three finger (not Scruggs style), two finger, variations of Seeger and up-picking etc. you name it, it's probably been played that way.

[longchalk74]

LOl as I was watching I was gonna type how about a little workshop on your style but I guess not..........Still it sounds great.......Nice genuine post n a nice pooch too; greetings n thanks from the U.K.

[BarnacleBillsBastard]

It's alright. IT's definitely original I love the cool ghosty sound.

[fredcoonbanjo]

I also play a two finger style and you might want to hear the differences and similarities on my you tube site: fredcoonbanjo. Keep up the good work!

[mostlymike]

I wonder why his name is Puddles. LOL

Never heard of two finger pickin' before

thanks brother.

[Whitelightng]

can not even see your cotton pickin' fingers!

[banjolisterine]

sorry man, I might make another vid. with a def. view of the fingers

[artistfood]

That was great! I like your style. I do a lot of clamhammer and can play it similar to your 2finger.

Can you do it slower? Id love to learn it.

Thanks! :)

[banjolisterine]

thank you, about the only way I could tell you how to do it is learn the mother maybelle scratch on the guitar, then transfer it to the banjo.

[rmiller0830]

second song sure sounded like Darlin Cory, like how Dock Boggs or Roscoe Holcomb played it

[MartellAl]

Dude, you rock! Same Beam from Iron and Wine uses a similar two-finger style on the guitar. He's not bluegrass though, he's folk. It's amazing how full a sound that you can get with only two fingers. Keep it up man, I dig it.

[bigdjindustriez]

I thought I was the only one who played the banjo like that lol, good job.

[banjolisterine]

yea, it's just a different style, since there is basically no set way of doing, it basically brings out the true personality of the picker instead of just following a set of rolls already explored by someone else. not that I don't like 3 finger or anything.

[just2w4tch]

Nice video.

[pete584]

remo weatherking westfiled longneck

[pete584]

just starting to learn the banjo got myself a westfeld do you think thats the best for a beginer or do you suggest something else p.s keep sending your clips in thanks

[banjolisterine]

I took a look at the westfield, what model is it? to me it looked like a good banjo. I started out on a harmony banjo, don't know the model, my mom just found it. what'll make it sound good is getting all set in right. but to me it looked like a good banjo. I'll try to get some more videos, I'm just very swamped with school right now. thanks for commenting

[clairelucido]

how long did it take you to get to play like that? im just starting to learn...I've almost got Skip to my Lou down

[banjolisterine]

well that particular style I made up. It took me maybe a few minutes to get it, it's a combination of a two finger/carter scratch deal. I can't explain it much, it's easier than it looks.

[clairelucido]

no i meant, how long did it take you to learn to play just the banjo. like, from when you first picked up the instrument, not knowing how to play it.

[banjolisterine]

oh, well I'll never be finished "learning" to play it. but to get to a point where it sounded like I could play it took about a year. I still had problems with timing and such but just recently I've gotten a lot of that down on certain songs. any more questions? I like being asked about it :)

[MSfeller]

Ya have to bless us with a fiddle video too, man! That would be awesome.

[MSfeller]

That's alright. I spend a lot of time trying to prove that the Confederate flag is not a symbol of hatred, but freedom. It's my flag, your flag, every Southerner man and woman flag. I really don't mind when I am called a racist, but you buy a ticket to hell when you call my flag racist, you know? But some folks just waste your time, they will never understand, or don't want to. Well, and I don't care, let 'em bark, it ain't coming down!

[MSfeller]

And by the way, I just noticed, you have two banjos, huh? My instinct says that one is for finger picking and the other one for clawhammer, is that a fact? How 'bout the fiddle, do ya play too? Darn it, I loooove fiddle, hoss!

[banjolisterine]

That banjo on the wall is the first one that was ever gave to me, I also have that one there I'm playing for college, I don't want my first banjo stolen. I do play fiddle also. But I'll do any kind of picking on those banjos. thanks for commenting.

[MSfeller]

Oh, okay. Do you need to tune your banjo differently when ya play clawhammer? Pardon my ignorance, just curious. What's that thing y'all fix on the neck, what's its name and what is its purpose? And finally, ya have to upload a fiddle video for us too, bubba! And you're welcome, my pleasure watching and leaving comments here.

[banjolisterine]

THe thing on the banjo on he neck is a capo. you clip it on your neck and it will put your banjo in a different key. you can leave the banjo in any tuning you want to in order to play clawhammer, it's the way how you pick or strum the banjo. I'll try and get a fiddle video loaded as soon as I can, I'm glad you like my picking. don't worry your questions are good ones

[MSfeller]

Ok, thanks a lot for the information, buddy.

[MSfeller]

I'm from the South and I always find funny when somebody call the Rebel flag "stars and bars", and a lot of Southerners do, but to me, and a lot of other Southern folks that understand CSA history, Stars and Bars would be our 1st National Flag. Anyways, that's how they use to pick in the old days, huh? Well, sounds darn good to me! Great job!

[rpeek]

Oh don't I know it! I grew up there. I live in Maine now. It can be 10 below zero here and warmer than it is in Ga when it's 20... Nice pickin' and it's good to see the stars and bars on the wall. You pick real good.

[rpeek]

Real good. Didn't realize it was so cold in Georgia.. Good pickin'

[banjolisterine]

I've been to places like Chicago and Indiana, the difference between up there and down here is that down here it's a humid cold, and it's miserable.