I noticed that too. And if you, dear reader, are wondering what Ol' Nickie & I are talking about, take a look at this puff for Wayne Erben's instruction books for banjo: Bluegrass or Clawhammer Banjo - Which is easier to learn?
"Oh, but that's banjo - how do I apply these insights to ukulele?", I hear you cry. Well, like a ukulele, a 5-string banjo has re-entrant tuning. The top, 5th, string on a banjo, is a 'drone' string, never fretted, but just plucked to provide a driving rhythm.
To apply either the frailing (aka clawhammer) or bluegrass technique to ukulele, you need to use the top, 4th, string (g on a gCEA-tuned uke), as the drone string.
Clawhammer rhythm is "bum dit-ty", (bum? pluck any string but 4; dit? strum strings 1,2,3; ty? drone - thumb-pluck 4).
If you want to learn more on clawhammer for uke, there are lots of videos out there explaining how to apply clawhammer banjo technique to ukulele using the 4th string as a drone (though one thing none of them mention, however, is that to play clawhammer uke, your strumming hand has to hit the strings on or about the sound-hole, not over the fretboard).
I don't think there's that many on bluegrass style for uke, so you'll pretty much have to try to modify the banjo tutorials for uke.
Bluegrass rhythm, according to Erbsen, is "thumb-pinch" (thumb? pick a (melody) note; pinch? play strings 1 & 4 together).
If you want to read further, you could do worse than start with What Are Bluegrass & Clawhammer Banjo Styles?.
I noticed that too. And if you, dear reader, are wondering what Ol' Nickie & I are talking about, take a look at this puff for Wayne Erben's instruction books for banjo: Bluegrass or Clawhammer Banjo - Which is easier to learn?
"Oh, but that's banjo - how do I apply these insights to ukulele?", I hear you cry. Well, like a ukulele, a 5-string banjo has re-entrant tuning. The top, 5th, string on a banjo, is a 'drone' string, never fretted, but just plucked to provide a driving rhythm.
To apply either the frailing (aka clawhammer) or bluegrass technique to ukulele, you need to use the top, 4th, string (g on a gCEA-tuned uke), as the drone string.
Clawhammer rhythm is "bum dit-ty", (bum? pluck any string but 4; dit? strum strings 1,2,3; ty? drone - thumb-pluck 4).
If you want to learn more on clawhammer for uke, there are lots of videos out there explaining how to apply clawhammer banjo technique to ukulele using the 4th string as a drone (though one thing none of them mention, however, is that to play clawhammer uke, your strumming hand has to hit the strings on or about the sound-hole, not over the fretboard).
I don't think there's that many on bluegrass style for uke, so you'll pretty much have to try to modify the banjo tutorials for uke.
Bluegrass rhythm, according to Erbsen, is "thumb-pinch" (thumb? pick a (melody) note; pinch? play strings 1 & 4 together).
If you want to read further, you could do worse than start with What Are Bluegrass & Clawhammer Banjo Styles?.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you so much, trent! that has really made my day! :shaka: :cheers: :worship:
Great intro video!
I just want to make one thing clear, however. I do not always use my turn indicators correctly. Often as not, I'll flick the switch for the turn and then forget to switch it back again and I'll then drive half a mile or so with it still blinking. This happens on a motorcycle when you can't hear the click-click of the the blinker.
How to pack a ukulele on a motorcycle...
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The essential difference in the two styles is the finger picks, some claw hammer players will wear a thumb pick, but almost all BG players will wear finger picks on forefinger and middle finger as well as a thumbpick ,either metal or a hard plastic variety .These are what deliver the biting driving sound ,and the three finger "rolls" are what differentiate between Clawhammer and Bluegrass styles.Also the "vamp" which is essentially plucking the strings rather than rolling them.....you cant strum with picks on.... I think that clawhammer is sometimes more melodic and gentle ,whereas BG is often more driving , I like both
Well, I honestly had no idea what bluegrass was before this week other than that it was used extensively in the soundtrack of O Brother Where Art Thou (good movie by the way). After this and Redpaul's musings on the technicalities of bluegrass, I can now say that my head hurts and I'm scared to try to play bluegrass because my attempt might be something else that is similar but not quite right.
you cannot possibly do worse than i'm doing! and yet... and yet... i'm having such a great time! lol!Well, I honestly had no idea what bluegrass was before this week other than that it was used extensively in the soundtrack of O Brother Where Art Thou (good movie by the way). After this and Redpaul's musings on the technicalities of bluegrass, I can now say that my head hurts and I'm scared to try to play bluegrass because my attempt might be something else that is similar but not quite right.
you cannot possibly do worse than i'm doing! and yet... and yet... i'm having such a great time! lol!
you know trying (and failing) to bring bluegrass reminds my of my gazillion year long process of trying to bring the blues. i dunno if i ever DID get there! but i do think i got better at it! of course it did literally take years, and several frisbee fred blues seasons, to even begin to move in the right direction! but again, it was always fun to try!
speaking of trying, and i know i am indeed very trying i was trying to come up with a different strumming pattern, to bring on my next bluegrass attempt, and while i was practising it, this song wrote itself...
next up, i will either try and bring something a bit brisker and chirpier OR maybe i'll just listen to everyone else for the rest of the week, soak up the bluegrass fabulousness other people are bringing, and spare trent's eardrums anymore BEV torture!!
The essential difference in the two styles is the finger picks, some claw hammer players will wear a thumb pick, but almost all BG players will wear finger picks on forefinger and middle finger as well as a thumbpick ,either metal or a hard plastic variety .These are what deliver the biting driving sound ,and the three finger "rolls" are what differentiate between Clawhammer and Bluegrass styles.Also the "vamp" which is essentially plucking the strings rather than rolling them.....you cant strum with picks on.... I think that clawhammer is sometimes more melodic and gentle ,whereas BG is often more driving , I like both
Help! I am completely bereft of thumb picks and finger picks! I'm with Robin on this one ... it took me most of yesterday to pin down what Bluegrass actually IS. And, having found out (vaguely!), I haven't got the faintest idea how to do it. Thank heavens that the great Mr. Monroe (up in Heaven) is not demanding accuracy!