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Southern Appalachian native Dan Levenson and Mel Bay Publications present Clawhammer Banjo from Scratch - A Guide for the Claw-less! This book teaches clawhammer banjo the way we play, not the way others say. It really begins as though you really have NO knowledge of how to play the five string banjo clawhammer style. Based on Dan's innovative Meet the Banjo™ program (where Dan brings 15 banjos and teaches players who may have never held a banjo), this book assumes no prior experience. Beginning at the beginning, Dan presents a brief history of the 5-string banjo then goes over the parts of the banjo, holding the banjo, right and left hand positions and his basic clawhammer strum. Even the strum is broken down into the steps of the finger and thumb. You are guided through the chords, the scale and then the individual notes of each of 12 jam session favorite tunes from scratch. Includes 2 reference CD’s with all exercises, tunes (slow and up to speed), and a fiddle version of each tune.

save a couple of bucks, 24.95

FINALLY! An instructional video that starts from the beginning! Clawhammer From Scratch begins as though you really have NO knowledge of how to play the five string banjo clawhammer style. Beginning at the beginning, Dan presents a brief history of the 5-string banjo then goes over the parts of the banjo, holding the banjo, right and left hand styles and his basic clawhammer strum. Even the strum is broken down into the steps of the finger and thumb. Based on Dan's innovative Meet the Banjo(TM) program where Dan brings 15 banjos and teaches players who may have never held a banjo, this video assumes no prior experience. Using one tune, Spotted Pony, you are guided through the chords, the scale and then the individual notes of the tune. This video ends with a few tips and frequently asked questions and even a chance for YOU to play with the fiddle and guitar just like in a private jam session. If you have been looking for that one instructional recording to get you started, this is the one for you. If you already have many books or videos but still can't seem to get the basics, this is the one for you, too! A 2-page pamphlet is included.

save a couple of bucks

27.95

Old Time Gospel Songbook
by Wayne Erbsen

Southern gospel classics that will warm your heart, fill your soul,and even get your toes to tapping. Most of these religious songs come from American soil, but the imagery of the poetry, and some of the twists and turns of the melodies have been borrowed from unknown songwriters in ancient times and foreign lands. The book includes a historical survey of the roots of gosel music--shape-note hymns, religious folk songs, camp meeting spirituals, and sentimental religious songs. All songs are in melody form with lyrics and guitar chords.

Book 9.95

This CD is a vocal/instrumental recording of many of the classic gospel songs found in Mel Bay's Old Time Gospel Songbook. Vocals include solos, duets, trios and quartets. Old-time instruments used throughout the recording include 5 & 6 string banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, autoharp, jews harp, washboard and bass.

CD 12.95

During the folk music revival which spanned the late 1950's-70's, legendary old-time artists were rediscovered and previously unheard exponents of this tradition were found and brought to perform at folk festivals. It was an exciting epoch which coupled 'living legends' like Clarence Ashley and Tommy Jarrell with younger incarnations of the old time spirit (New Lost City Ramblers, Red Clay Ramblers, etc.). This rare video collection presents some of the finest old time musicians playing in a variety of ways with banjo, fiddle, guitar and dulcimer. The musicians are seen playing solo as well as in string band settings.

22.95 save a couple of bucks

Introduction to Old-Time Clawhammer Banjo

This is contributed by Wayne Erbsen.

Native Ground Music
~ Historic American Music & Folklore~

Here are the basic steps to learning old-time clawhammer banjo.

1. With your right hand over the strings of your banjo, curl your fingers up as if they were holding a baseball bat.

2. Strike down on the 1st string with the nail of your middle finger. (This is your melody note). With your hand still in motion, let your right thumb come to rest on the 5th string.

3. Then lift up you right hand and quickly brush down on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd strings with the nails of your middle and ring fingers. Again, your thumb will come to rest on the 5th string, as it did above.

4. Finally, your thumb will strike the fifth string.

You’re trying to get a rhythm that sounds like "claw ham - mer." If you’re tapping your foot, it will be "down, down-up, down, down-up."

Tips:

a. Keep your right hand fairly stiff.

b. The first note of the clawhammer is your melody note. It could be on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th strings. I suggest using you middle finger of your right hand for the 1st string, and your right index finger for the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th strings.

Tunings:

Old-time Clawhammer banjo often uses different tunings to play the tunes. One of my favorite is G Modal tuning which is sometimes called "sawmill" tuning.

1. Start in G tuning: gDGBD.

2. Tune the 2nd string up from a B to a C by fretting the 2ndh string at the 2nd fret and tuning it up until it matches the 1st string played open.

"Red Rocking Chair" is an old southern mountain tune that is also known as "Rain and Snow." In western North Carolina, it was one of the favorite tunes of banjoist Obrey Ramsey.

Here is a link for the tab for Red Rocking Chair in JPEG

You can hear Wayne play this tune on the banjo on his recording entitled "Southern Mountain Classics."

You can get more information about learning the old-time clawhammer banjo style from Wayne’s two books: Southern Mountain Banjo and A Manual on How to Play the 5-String Banjo For the Complete Ignoramus!

Wayne also has two popular bluegrass banjo books: Bluegrass Banjo Simplified! and Starting Bluegrass Banjo From Scratch.

He has also produced a number of songbooks that would be useful to both old-time and bluegrass banjo players. The books include the melody in standard musical notation (not tab), lyrics, chords, song histories, jokes, vintage photographs and stories. They include

Front Porch Songs, Jokes & Stories

Backpocket Old-Time Banjo

Backpocket Bluegrass Songbook

Cowboy Songs, Jokes, Lingo ‘n Lore

Outlaw Ballads, Legends & Lore

Log Cabin Pioneers

Old-Time Gospel Songbook,

Singing Rails

Railroad Fever,

Rousing Songs of the Civil War

For more information, visit www.nativeground.com

Note: "Red Rocking Chair" is from Southern Mountain Banjo by Wayne Erbsen, published by Mel Bay Publication, Inc., used by permission

Mike Iverson - Clawhammer banjo instruction - beginning to advanced.

Ogden, Utah

Mike Iverson
558 West Harrisville RD
Ogden, UT 84404
(801)782-0534 bluesage@relia.net

www.bluesageband.com

For free downloads of clawhammer banjo tabs, MP3s, and instruction,
visit Mike Iverson's clawhammer banjo page on the Blue Sage Trio
website:

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