I really enjoy your videos! The way that you demonstrate what you're doing, and how you speak to your listeners is not only understandable, but kind. You have a non-condescending demeanor that helps me to believe that I can learn. Thank you so much!
Love, love, love this video! The most helpful I've found yet. It's a good place to go once you're ready to actually learn a song. You have a great way of presenting that makes it easier to follow than some of the other videos I've come across. Thank you so much for posting!
Thanks, you make this really easy compared to anything else I've watched on here. I immediately recognized that clawhammer pattern as something I was already doing, having stumbled upon it by accident trying to imitate other stuff I've heard. I picked up banjo the December before the pandemic & set out to learn Scruggs's style from out of his book, but found it really difficult to get a handle on and never could do much with it. I think I can get a handle on it from this and maybe finally learn a song or two, and why not Johnny Cash!
Nice Overview of How To Clawhammer ANY Song! Really well done. You have a knack for teaching (as well as playing!). Thanks for putting this out there for those of us less musically inclined. Much appreciated!
EXACTLY. When he said "just find the lyrics and chords" it opened my eyes to many possibilities. Like, if I want to learn a new song all I gotta do is find the chords and lyrics and add the old time frailing and that's it.
Steve, as always, thank you for sharing your breadth of knowledge. It's surprising how many talented banjo players are on YT that don't teach. Much obliged, friend.
Monique Derrick glad to help. I think you can approach learning any folk or country song the same way. Find the chords, practice singing, as rhythm, and work up from there! 😄
I love this....but I really need a close up of the strumming. I have never played an instrument in my life but I have always wanted to play a banjo...I need all the help I can get. Thank you for your videos.
Yes, I could frail the chords, throw in slides, pull offs and drop thumbs, in short see what I could come up with as you suggest. However I watched this video to find out how Steve Harrison did it. In short I would much appreciate a description of the actual fingeings that produced that enviable song backing
Sorry you didn’t find what you were looking for. I’ve made about 40 how-to videos that focus on technique and how I play. You might find something there worthwhile: ru-vid.com/group/PLyE2ghwXNwbhw3JqfH3RuL1fn3E6qaD5r At the end of the day, I don’t do breakdowns of individual notes or tabs, because that would only get in the way of your progress. I never play a song the same way twice. Instead I explore the rhythm and melody off the chord shapes using a small set of dynamics (left and right hand). It ends up sounding a lot more sophisticated than it really is; when you sing, the listener adds more to the song than is really there. Or maybe you’ve already got the hang of clawhammer banjo. I’ve found that nearly every player I enjoy listening to end up having their own signature way of playing. That’s the essence of folk music. I would much rather here Joanne’s version of this song than to hear yet another copy. There are a bazillion great banjo teachers out there, so I’m sure you’ll eventually find what you’re looking for. Keep on playing! 😊
Your 2nd cord seems to make a much deeper sound than mine on my new banjo? I’ve checked my tuning multiple times and even checked other videos and it sounds fine there.
I think that’s because the banjo I’m playing has a 12-inch pot with thicker bass strings. The notes are the same, but just a deeper tone. That’s why I fell in love with this particular banjo. 😊
I started with a Silvertone (the brand Sears used to sell), which is a decent beginner banjo if you don't want to shell out much $$ to start with. On mine, I found the action way too high and needed to sand down the bridge.
You know im just beggining banjo and i have went through so many begginer videos that are too hard to understand and they dont explain at a level begginger understand but you just tought me a song in 10 minutes