Clawhammer banjo drop thumb tutorial

Here I attempt to explain, as clearly as I can, what the term “drop thumb” means, how to do it, and what to avoid. It’s actually very simple, and I recommend you learn it right away when starting clawhammer banjo.
(Please note: While I’ll be leaving my old instructional videos up on RUclips, I’m very much hoping you might be willing to subscribe to me on Patreon, which is where you can access all my new instructional videos and other banjo-related content. Please check out my Patreon page here: / hilarieburhans Thank you!)

[@janicebrown8159]

Watched about 7 different videos on how to do this and yours is definitely the easiest to understand how to execute!!!
Thank you

[@HilarieBurhans]

I’m glad it was helpful! There’s lots more useful stuff (and more than a hundred instructional tune videos) at www.Patreon.com/hilarieburhans
The cost is $4/month to access everything. Happy banjo-ing!

[@feraltweed]

Thanks for the lesson. I want to learn old time banjo and you make it easy to understand

[@marinevet7273]

You have done the best explanation of the process I have come across, your students and jam session partners are lucky to have you

[@HilarieBurhans]

Thank you!

[@PhotographyCol]

Thanks for this, I will start with this now before I get too many bad habits 😊

[@HilarieBurhans]

Thanks! If you’re not yet a member of my Patreon, which has (so far) about 160 instructional videos, this month (May 2024) would be a great time to join! It’s where all my recent videos are posted. At the beginning of next month, I’ll be raising the membership price to $7 /month for access to everything… but current members and those who join this month will stay at $4/month! Come check it out at www.patreon.com/hilarieburhans (Oh, and paying for an annual membership has a discount, too.)

[@davidwalther1293]

Great explanation!

[@justcant152]

Your banjo has such an incredible, rich sound. I want that sound!

[@Phonesavanht]

Thank you, it was helpful.

[@SpringyTwist]

This has been a great place to start for my drop thumbing! Too many tutorials skim too fast and I’m a total nub

[@JFBolster]

Thanks so much Hilarie - I have always struggled with dropping my thumb - looks like I just need to practice more :-)

[@PLINKER]

Thanks that great way to teach!!!!

[@pwb0511]

Hillary good stuff.

[@josverwiel]

Thanks!

[@sidgriffin813]

I loved this video. I am desperate to learn drop thumb and am finding it difficult. And I never knew who to pronounce Jorma from the Airplane's last name!

[@gourmetgroovy]

This was soooo helpful. Thank you

[@fungusandthebanjo9249]

Right ! Time to practice. Thanks

[@daydays12]

Brilliant lesson! Thank you so much :-)

[@dobrodoc]

thanks so much. this is helpful. I still cant figure out when in a melody to drop the thumb. Any suggestions?

[@patogden856]

Thanks Hilarie , love your banjo what is it ? Love the ,I am guessing ,calfskin hide on it !!! Wow . Just starting at 70 . Great lesson XxPat nz

[@HilarieBurhans]

It's goat :-)
And it's a Marc Horowitz old-time model: carbon fiber neck, all-wood Atlas pot with the Nechville "flux capacitor" attachment system

[@ephemerics]

I’ve watched a lot of videos now on right hand technique in claw hammer. All of these have been shot at this angle -straight on. This way, it becomes clear what the thumb is doing. It is not clear what the finger is doing. I know it strikes the string with the back of the nail but that motion is always hidden beneath the “claw.” I’d like to see this technique shot from an angle over the neck, and in slow-mo to see what the fingers are doing there beneath the hand. It’s not clear if the finger and thumb both grab the melody - do they share the melody so to speak, or is the melody the job of just one of them for the most part? Do you have a video of this nature? Thank you

[@christineweatherford5852]

Also Hilarie, are you wearing finger picks? I can't tell. I am having trouble with short nails and trying to decide what to do.

[@HilarieBurhans]

I have used salon-applied fake nails on my index, middle and ring fingers, for like 30 years. I get tips, overlaid with acrylic, and topped off with a gel that hardens in an LED UV light machine. I have a little UV light at home that I use every couple of weeks so that as my natural nails grow out, I can brush them again with the gel to avoid having my fake nails catch on the strings. Costs me $10 plus tip, about once every 6 weeks, to have them done in a nail salon. Never had any sort of nail fungus or anything in all this time. My own natural nails were total crap, and once I started using these, I've never looked back!

[@d.l.loonabide9981]

I don't know any clawhammer techniques that use picks.

[@d.l.loonabide9981]

Is bum Diddy a sixteenth note pattern? If so, bum=1, did=and, dy=uh.

[@gregerfulgerman7802]

Its quarter/eighth ntoes. Bum (1) did (2) dy (and). Bum a diddy would be four eigth notes. A bum-diddy or bum-a-diddy only takes up half a measure if youre in 4/4

[@WillohtheWisp]

Jorma Kaukonen? Like from the Jefferson Airplane?

[@thedude4594]

That skin! 👀

[@christineweatherford5852]

Hilarie, are you down strumming with your middle finger?

[@HilarieBurhans]

Sometimes middle, sometimes index