i've played "finger-style" banjo for years (pick & 3 fingers) and recently, stretching myself, i've been fascinated and frustrated with learning to frail. your video is the first i've found that demystifies it. thank you SO much!!!
**This is excellent** I did some frailing years ago and never quite got it. Recently, a friend restrung my 100 year old banjo (no I'm not 100), put a new head on it to replace the old split one, and I thought I'd give it another try. After searching out lessons I came across this and it is so basic that even I can do it. I love how he breaks down the rhythm and has the closeups. I know I'll succeed at it and improve with other instruction once I have this foundation. Thank you very much!
I knew nothing about banjos or banjo playing. I just listened to Cripple Creek and Mole in the Ground. I was looking for more and came across this. I'm gonna get a banjo now. Excellent post.
I really liked how you showed different angles of your strumming. No one beginner video that I've seen has done that, and I've been screaming at them to do it!
wow, 10 months ago I watch this Video per chance while I`m watching Folk- Song - Videos. Because of this Video I play the Banjo for 9 Months now and it was the best decision of my life :)
Yup, banjo's very easy to learn. Tuned in open G, it doesn't take a lot to find the chords. Most of the work is in the frailing or picking technique. You'll probably be able to keep a rhythm after a month.
I use a guitar strap. I unscrewed one of the brackets and poked it through the end of the strap. Seems to work nice and I've had it there for 5 years. Nice and comfy.
Honestly one of the best intro to claw hammer videos I've seen. The only thing is you don't say what strings you're striking with your middle finger while you're playing your chords, sounds like you're alternating with 3rd and 4th? D and G?
Of course, one of my best friends learn to frail now, we sit every wednesday in my garden (just now in summer of course :D) to learn and play together ;)
Definitely the best video i've found for a frailing tutorial. Just to clarify though, do we hit the 5th string everytime we stroke down? May seem dumb, i'm just confused. Cheers
Do you have any more lessons on you tube? I can't find any more and you are the best teacher that i have found on here.Please lest me know thank you so much!!
+Brenda thanks! Glad you found it useful. I have a smattering of lessons and demonstrations. It's not really organized - pretty random. I did a quick search for "how to" in my channel, and that got a few more to pop up: ru-vid.comsearch?query=how+to I'm still learning, so most of what I post are songs and random banjo bits. :)
Very nice video lesson. Have also seen Patrick's. Even made me buy his book...lol. I've got a question for you since you have the same banjo I just got. I'm having trouble fitting cradle straps through the bracket hooks. Was thinking of a Neotech strap which just loops around a single hook. What kind of strap do you use on yours and do you like it?
Thanks, just got my first Banjo recently and this was very helpful. Gunna pratice this for a month and see... Dumb question but I noticed you dont have finger pics on so how would frailing work if you did?
Also I noticed most instructor videos have said that either the middle or index finger can be used when striking/strumming, but all the instructors have only ever used their middle finger. Index finger seems like I can get more sound and control out of my playing, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot early on if there's some hidden secret to middle finger striking that makes it superior to index finger striking. Thoughts??
Andrew graham Thanks! Patrick is a great teacher - got a lot of mileage out of those old lessons. Still playing, too. Been playing out more with out musicians has been really helpful, too.
I can't wait to learn how to play a banjo! I'm looking into it now, the whole reading tab music bit, and making a playlist of everything so I can start at the beginng again when I get my banjo! First, I need to find a place to find a reasonably priced banjo... any ideas?
wise1 for the most part, yep! As a matter of practice, folks who call it frailing emphasize the strum to keep rhythm (one two-and thee four-and). Folks who call it clawhammer, emphasize the drop-thumb technique to beak all the quarter-notes in half (one-and two-and three-and four-and). At the end of the day you play both and mix it together.
You'll use the middle finger-nail of your frailing hand. You can usually keep it normal length. You use it like a guitar pick striking down with the back of your nail. You'll want the nail to be just long enough to cover the flesh of the tip of your finger so that the flesh doesn't get caught on the string, muting the sound. Hope that helps!
