clawhammer technique

zivilars

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 4, 2014
Messages
153
Reaction score
1
Hello everybody,

does anybody knows a good source how to learn the clawhammer technique on Ukulele? In my specific case, I'm trying to learn this part and my brain/fingers are still struggling to comprehend the strum pattern:

https://youtu.be/71_dfFiWgEs?t=1m9s

Thanks a lot in advance!
 
Aaron Keim has some good videos on YouTube.
 
Thanks for the hint – will check his videos out!
 
Thank you for the extra input – will study all the videos and keep on practicing! :)
 
Well, heck and phooey, I’ve made a mistake! Many just would not believe it of course. It’s ezFolk.com—my bad. :eek:ld:

;) Thanks for the update, will check out the clawhammer lessons on this site!
 
For the purposes of trying to ask my question I'll be referring to the clawhammer stroke(s) as "bum-dit-ty"

In watching several ukulele clawhammer tutorials, I found that most people taught that the first, single note "bum" portion of the technique was done with a down stroke using the back of your nail. That was followed by the "dit" portion of the technique, another down stroke using the back of your nail. Then I saw that someone taught that the "bum" portion was an upstroke pluck of the single string followed by the "dit" portion which was a down stroke using the back of the nail. Wouldn't the second approach be a lot easier? By plucking the first string in an upward motion, your finger would already be in position to make the "dit" down stroke. With the first technique, you pluck the first string in a down stroke then you have to lift it in order to make another down stroke. Isn't that a bit awkward and less efficient? I don't know clawhammer but I'd like to learn. I'd be interested in hearing the opinions of those who already do it or who are learning to do it.
 
Clawhammer and up-picking have the same rhythmic pattern and look the same in tablature. In other words, a clawhammer tab can be read as up-picking and an up-picking tab can be read as clawhammer.
The big difference between the two are that clawhammer begins with a downstroke with the back of the index or bird finger while up-picking begins with an up stroke with the index finger.
The video in the first post is an example of up-picking, not clawhammer. Some folks call up-picking "Seeger picking" because Pete Seeger's old 1949 banjo instruction book (Our local Long & McQuaid's music store still carries Pete's revised version) called it "the basic stroke". Pete had many different ways of playing the banjo, including clawhammer.
I stick to clawhammer on my banjo, but prefer up-picking on the ukulele; I don't know why.
 
Clawhammer = frailing, up-picking, rapping, knock down, and some other names. In the sixties the term frailing seemed to be in vogue. These days the term clawhammer is more often seen.

Down-picking = Seeger stroke or basic stroke.

We'll count 1 & 2 &

1st beat - CH-down with nail on any long string or rest. UP-up with index finger on any long string or rest

& beat - Rest or hammer-on or pull-off or drop a thumb down to play a long string

2nd beat - Strum with the nail or pick a single string with the nail

& beat - Play the 5th (4th on uke) with thumb or drop the thumb to play a middle string.

The only difference is in the 1st beat where you pick up for up-picking and down for clawhammer.

a basic back up strum is Nail or up on 1, rest on &, strum on 2, thumb on re-entrant string on &.
 
Last edited:
So ultimately, is it just two ways of achieving the same thing sound-wise? It will sound the same but if you are up-picking on the "bum" portion of the technique it just goes by another name?
 
So ultimately, is it just two ways of achieving the same thing sound-wise? It will sound the same but if you are up-picking on the "bum" portion of the technique it just goes by another name?

No, it’s not exactly the same. For one thing, using the up stroke isn’t as loud as the downstroke with the fingernail, and, for another, the “brush” is only one note if one does it as an up stroke. I suppose one could brush more, but my music shows one.

I’m learning 2 finger-Index lead now because my fingernails are old and weak. I’m saving 2 finger-Thumb lead, which is different but similar. With Index lead one can readily use Clawhammer music. 2 finger-Index lead is about what Seegar shows in his book.

I really like Clawhammer better and still use it sometimes, but my nails chip and crack and split—ahhh, well . . . :eek:ld:
 
Down Up Dick, I believe Pete showed both index lead and thumb lead in his banjo book. I don't have my copy handy right now, but I seem to recall both styles making an appearance.
On his TV show, Rainbow Quest, he seemed to do more clawhammer than up-picking. The theme song - "If I had a golden thread. . ." was done clawhammer style.
 
Last edited:
I have Aaron’s book on thumb lead for banjo, but I’m saving it for later. Right now I’m using Sebastian Schroeder’s new book on Index lead because it’s more like clawhammer. Also, I can readily use my banjo tabs.

I really prefer clawhammer, but my fingernails won’t take it. I don’t like fussing with false fingernails, but I am trying different fingerpicks. I’ve even considered Aquila strings. I already bought ‘em, but I dunno if I’m gonna use ‘em. They seem like a lot of trouble to put on, and then they sometimes break. I’ve also considered trying Bluegrass again, but learning new stuff is a slow process for us oldies.

I’m glad that my Irish banjoing is improving (sorta). I shoulda stayed with wind instruments. :eek:ld:
 
I've played clawhammer banjo for about 40 years and to my ears Jere Canote's http://www.canote.com/listen.php book captures the sound best. Aaron Keim's videos are great too. Also, I'd suggest listening to a lot of clawhammer banjo players to really get the sound of the style ingrained in you.
 
Aaron Keim's book is definitely worth to be mentioned here. It's available in the second edition already, through his already mentioned website thequietamericanmusic.com. He sells it through etsy.com, too.
It has very nice explanations of the intricacies of this rather special playing technique. And, I think, a digital and instantly downloadable version is also available.
 
In watching several ukulele clawhammer tutorials, I found that most people taught that the first, single note "bum" portion of the technique was done with a down stroke using the back of your nail. That was followed by the "dit" portion of the technique, another down stroke using the back of your nail. Then I saw that someone taught that the "bum" portion was an upstroke pluck of the single string followed by the "dit" portion which was a down stroke using the back of the nail. Wouldn't the second approach be a lot easier? By plucking the first string in an upward motion, your finger would already be in position to make the "dit" down stroke. With the first technique, you pluck the first string in a down stroke then you have to lift it in order to make another down stroke. Isn't that a bit awkward and less efficient? I don't know clawhammer but I'd like to learn. I'd be interested in hearing the opinions of those who already do it or who are learning to do it.

I play clawhammer banjo, and use my nail on the downstroke for the "bum" of the "bum ditty." For me, it's actually more convenient, because I'm just repeating the same motion twice, and adding the thumb the second time. In other words, the stroke is down, down (thumb). I can switch it to down (thumb), down (thumb); down (thumb), down; or other ocmbinations, and can syncopate downstrokes easier.

Pete Seeger played with an upstroke, and teaches that way in his book. Ultimately, there are more ways to play the banjo than there are banjo players, and each of us have our reasons for playing the way we do. I've done a bit of clawhammer on the uke, and in an open tuning, my technique works quite well. For standard tuning, I'd probably go with something like thumb lead, because my second downstroke is usually a brush, and if the open strings don't match the chord I'd like to be playing, that won't sound good.
 
Top Bottom