Claw-hammer banjo medley.
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- Опубликовано: 24 окт 2011
- Medley of 5 claw-hammer banjo tunes, using standard claw-hammer and drop-thumb style. 3 in "G" tuning: Cripple Creek, Old Joe Clark, and Shady Grove. 2 in "Dropped C" tuning: Soldiers Joy and You are my Sunshine.
If you are interested in learning claw-hammer banjo, check out my intro to claw-hammer video. 
Видеоклипы
Now that's some damn good mountain music. Like my great-grandfather used to play.
Thanks Ben, appreciate it!
I want to thank you so much for this video. My grandfather past last August and he was more of a father of to me than a grandfather. There is not another video that represents his ability to clawhammer more than this video. This is always my go to when I miss him. Thank you so much
You are very welcome.
Would loved to have heard your grandfather play.
john
I am a hillbilly girl, far from home. Thank you for this. I enjoyed it so much!
Thank you Sarah. A hillbilly girl with good taste I might add. ; )
I think this is my favorite clawhammer melody on youtube, which is really saying something!
Thanks Chris! There are some fine players on the Tube!
This medley contains the best versions of each of these songs that I've ever heard. Really captures the spirit of the Appalachian ridges and valleys. Very well done.
I want you to know that I've been coming back to this video for years, probably watched it 30+ times so far - love your version of soldier's joy!
^^^
Thanks Erich, soldier’s joy is one of my favorite banjo tunes. Maybe I’ll do a tutorial on it. Thanks for tuning in.
@@jcurtis30water please do!
His soldiers joy is incredible
@@blllllllllllllllllllrlrlrl7059 I feel like his version really distinguishes itself in the B part where the climbing portion of the melody is accompanied by a second harmonizing voice beneath the usual melody. The pacing and ease with which he plays it are also notable!
I loved all of it; you are my sunshine was my favorite part. I am going to try to learn it by watching you.
You are my sunshine is one of my all time favorites!
I'm sitting down now to see if I can figure it out. I really appreciate this video to have as a resource as well as a pleasure to listen to.
Been pickin Earl's style for years but you have motivated me to learn claw-hammer. Thanks John.
All my favorites. Nice Medley!
elderly instruments is an amazing store. I live right by it in lansing, got my first guitar and my first banjo there. definitely worth supporting
I enjoyed listening to this and I look forward to viewing your other videos. Take care and keep posting.
I especially enjoyed your version of "you are my sunshine"... most excellent!
Well done, Mr. Curtis! Thanks for the demo!
Excellent playing. I love love love the banjo sound
Thank you, banjo was my first instrument. I love the sound too!
super cool job. I totally enjoyed listening to that
Great playing! I especially loved old Joe Clark.
Claw hammer and Old Joe...a classic combo.
I am a Scruggs fan. I never thought this was proper banjo but you make it sound real good!
awesome job I enjoyed it tremendous ly. your timing is perfect
my clawhammer has been improving greatly recently, now i see what i'm aiming for thanks!
Actually the best versions of each of these that I've ever heard.
Appreciate the positive feedback. Thanks for tuning in.
Im smitten by the banjo, thanx for sharing, terrific playing!
Thanks Ken,
Excellent. Love the claw-hammer style. I tried learning this about 11 years ago and gave up. Wish I would have stuck with it.
+Franko S. Thanks Franko, You know what they say, "if at first you don't succeed.....
+John Curtis Thanks John. I have to agree. I ordered a Deering Goodtime banjo this morning and going to lean this style once and for all.
Franko S. I got a Goodtime and clawhammer is easy once you get the knack. Check out the Brainjo tutorials.
@@f1948s I know this is very old but I hope you finally learned it! I love seeing this
Man that made my day!
Cool !
Beautiful. I am a beginner and this is inspiring.
Great stuff. Greeting from Dublin Ireland. You’ve got another subscriber. Thanks for sharing 👏👏👏👏🙏🏿
Thanks for the feedback and welcome aboard!
Excellent!
Truly Excellent!
Thank you # 1 !
Welcome to the wonderful world of banjo.
Just now trying to figure out this whole "claw hammer" thing - thanks for the inspiration.
Good luck with it.
You're welcome, and you'll be glad you did. I have video (along with 10,000 other pickers) on the basics of claw hammer if you need more tips.
Great Job!
I am just learning, but have been learning 3 finger picking. I have to learning claw hammer too. Its wonderful!
You are my Sunshine is the song I almost always learn first on an instrument.
My banjo started teaching me this method last night. Very excited.
I like your banjo!
Got an SX banjo. Can't get used to finger picks. This rocks! Definitely the way forward.
Clawhammer is a great style. I have a tutorial on basic clawhammer as well as many other folks. Look around and see what’s helpful. You can also pick the banjo without finger picks, just sayin. Enjoy!
this is great!
That's what I thought! Thanks John! My Dad used to have one and played it after work at home. I could never forget that banjo!!
It's great to see one in action!!!
The first 1:28 is for aspiring claw-hammer banjo players.
John Curtis
Started playing banjo two years ago look to you for inspiration for clawhammer one day I will be almost as good as you.
Maybe better, keep playing!
Sweet! I like your claw hammer style!
Appreciate it, thanks.
Great! Have fun.
dude, awesome
You do a wonderful job on that banjo
Thank you. Although I play more guitar these days, banjo was my first love!
Thanks Mr Curtis. I experienced joy and had a silly grin throughout.
There are two kinds of people in this world; those that like banjo and those who don’t. You are definitely among the first group.
Thank you!
I too am a huge fan of Earl. This style has been around a long time. I think if you really like banjo, you can appreciate it as well as Scruggs style.
The high (5th) string is used as part of the rhythm.; 1 2& 3 4& ...
The 5th string is the &. If you took it off you'd have to hit something else with your thumb. Check out any beginning claw-hammer video (including mine)
Thanks.
--JC
This is gonna take some doing, cheers man,
Getting there is half the fun! You can do it!
To think that someone who plays music and wants to share with the world on RUclips lacks heart is just mindblowing.
+Miguel Garibay what do you mean?
Your sound is beautiful. I'm learning 3 finger Scruggs right now. But this is making me want to try to learn clawhammer as well.
lVlittens Thanks very much. Glad you enjoyed it.
I play Scruggs style as well. I like most banjo styles including Dixieland.
Guess I'm just a banjo fan.
learn both man. I got both down, and it is the best of both worlds
Pretty good banjo playing! I like the way that you were able to drop into Double C tuning so confidently. Didn't seem to involve "Scruggs tuners" - just a feeling of being totally in command of your instrument. Well done!
Awesome dude
The dude says, "Thanks".
Great!! Thanks from a german guy.
Thank you.
Love claw hammer
Thanks Skip!
Very nice
Thanks Alexandra.
Nice!
Always loved delta blues
And blue grass
Banjo in particar has always been an instrument I've loved and never learned how to play properly.. I know enough to pick one up keep a slow roll going to pass the time but by no means a decent banjo player...
I've played guitar for years and a little bass
Banjo is an entirely different ball game still want to learn.......
Thanks you.
--JC
that was some might fine pick'n.
Love it
+Edward Keating Thanks!
Thanks
Thanks!
Every instructor has a different style. You should sample each (no doubt on RUclips) and decide who is the best fit for you. Any video or book lessons cannot anticipate every students abilities or questions that they might have.
If you have a good teacher in your area, it might be worth taking a few lessons just to get started. Good luck!
--JC
dude, thanks !
--JC
Nice drop down to soldiers joy .....
Thanks, I'm too cheap to get Scruggs-Keith tuners.
John Curtis
A lot of people think it is cool when you retune in the middle of a performance. It's a fun thing. 😊
I would fuck that part up if I could play this. :D
Wow!
Have fun !
--JC
Either finger is fine, whatever feels good.
Thanks,
--JC
Hmmmm. Check out Elderly Instruments. They are on line and have a large selection of banjos new and used. Also, great people to deal with.
Good Luck
--JC
Oops, let's try again. I have no tab but it is very similar to a lot of other versions. If you know another version, just watch carefully and you may be able to pick it out.
Earl Scruggs!!! Yeah Buddy!!!!
Cool❣️🌻
Thanks for tuning in. Glad you enjoyed it.
If there a tab of the melody part to this particular version of cripple creek?
Whoa! really nice. How do you decide when to drop your thumb. It's just not intuitive to me yet? Thanks
+russ rentler That's a good question. I started out just imitating other banjo players. After learning a few pieces w/ drop thumb, I began to get the hang of it. I was also lucky to have an older brother who played so I could steal from him. ; )
practice practice practice, it'll just become second nature and you'll drop it whenever you feel like it.
Just throw that shit in there whenever you feel like it....and when it sounds good to your ear...you'll know you've got it
OK, thanks
--JC
Nice picking...
Thanks any ways, I'll figure it out
For all those wishing to learn Clawhammer, can I suggest that you take a look at "Rocket Science Banjo". It is darn good!
This is the man who can play a banjo, very well too I might add!
This is just fantastic. In fact it's inspired me to learn Clawhammer banjo. Would you be kind enough to recommend some self-teaching material? I understand there's homespun videos, Patrick Costello's How and Tao and Dan Levenson's book/dvd but I'm at a complete loss as to which to choose. Thank you, keep posting music!
Question, what would be a good banjo under 175$ if I'm just learning.
Hi, I really like your version of soldiers joy! Where can I get the tab and/or instructional on that?
I have a tab of Soldiers Joy.If you are interested in purchasing it, contact me at johncurtisstudio@gmail.com
Thanks
It,s a Gold Star copy of a Mastertone from the 1970s.
John, do you attack melody eighth notes on the upstrokes ("ands") with your finger or catch them when you bring your thumb down?
+seasharpdeflat I don't strike any offbeats with a finger upstroke. I either bring my thumb down (drop-thumb) or use a hammer-on or pull-off with my left hand. (fingering hand)
Clawhammer with a resonator?!??! What is this madness :)
Awesome playing, man! Question from a beginning banjo player, are you using your middle finger to hit the strings on your right hand? I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out which finger to use, and my nails are really short which isn't helping.
I use my index finger, but most people tend to favor the middle finger since it is longer. You gotta grow some nails if you want a clean sound. Keep playing!
Thank you for the answer and for the advice! I'm doing my best to stick with it and practice everyday. I really love the way that banjos sound.
Those all sound great! I recently came across a pickup group that does songs like You are my sunshine. What style of music is that called? I am considering buying my first banjo but don't know where to start in terms of what to buy.
Hi Dan. You can do "you are my sunshine" many different ways. Sounds like they are just having fun playing easy songs that everybody knows. Nothing wrong with that.
Many companies make a basic 5 string banjo. Companies like Fender, and Washburn and Gretch. They all start at about $200-$250 and are imported. They are OK, but for a little more you can get a much better instrument. Deering Banjo Co. makes a beginner banjo called the "Goodtime" that is a well made, solid and good sounding instrument. They start @ $400 and are also made in the US, so if there is a problem, it's easy to get it fixed.
A better import line is Gold Tone. They start @ $500 but are worth it.
A good website to check out is Elderly Instruments. They have many banjos have decent prices and know their stuff!
Good luck, John
Thanks a ton. I went with an inexpensive Chinese import one off Amazon, pretty cheap but with great reviews. If I start jamming out with people I will definitely look into these other more expensive starters though.
Superbe......
Thanks,
I have an open back, but this is a much better sounding banjo.
--JC
Hi John,
I have a quick question you might be able to help out with,
Have you had a hard time with clawhammer without metal Picks? I have had an extremely hard time without picks, and with metal picks, many are very uncomfortable, or as I pick they bend off my fingers.
What do you recommend I do?
Thanks very much for your vids, they helped me learn my first song,
Rus.
Finger nails are the way to go. I can clawhammer with picks but only if I have to. There are picks that imitate finger nails ( Alaska picks) but none I’ve tried are as good as the real thing.
In old joe Clark are you sliding on the second string down to the third fret during the drop thumbs? I can get a similar sound by doing that but I can’t tell what your fretting hand is doing. It looks like it’s going second fret second string third fret third string fourth fret first string but I know that’s not the case
Hi Will, I slide or hammer on to the 3rd fret on the 2nd string. I’ll hold that position and when I’m doing the drop thumbs, I’m playing the melody on the 1st string ( open to 2nd to 3rd frets). Hope this helps.
@@jcurtis30water yes it does I love the “full” sounds of this and I figured that out after 2 years as you can see! But just wanted to confirm! Thanks again I’m sure I’ll continue to try and learn more of your flair and precision from this video for more years to come
I really dig this video…
You are my sunshine just didn’t register with me… I had a really hard time hearing the Millatti
Thanks, sorry about sunshine. It worked for me, but I’m a banjo player; )
How do you get the drum to not sound do much and the 5th string so muted?? Gosh.. hope i can play like this someday.
Glad you enjoyed it. Keep on playing!!
Do you always play without finger picks? I prefer the sound and feel of playing without picks, but I don't want to hurt my nails either...
I always claw-hammer without picks. I use a nail hardener that helps protect them. Some people use fake nails if they are performing a lot.
I can play finger-style with or without picks.
Have fun!
just marking the time the music starts. click on the time and it will bring the video to that point.
yee-haw
John, excellent playing! Would love to jam with you sometime if you're ever in Minnesota. I tell my students that there are 200 known ways to play a 5 string. But, none are correct ;-)
Andrew renneker,, I have news for you my friend, there might be 200 ways to play a banjo, so who are you to say that 200 ways are wrong that makes it sound like there's 201 ways and your way is different than the other 200, that is a negative remark my friend. I just thought I'd let you know that didn't sound very nice, and anyway who are you or anybody to say that there's a wrong way, I don't care what kind of musical instrument it is if you're having fun and you're just having a blast and you're making music, who cares how you play it, how do you play it doesn't matter, all that matters is you have fun and you enjoy yourself and the people that are sitting there listening to you they're enjoying themselves if there's anybody sitting there at all, or your neighbors could be sitting out on their porch listening to you play on your porch, yeah music is a strange thing lots of people like it, when one person doesn't like one kind of music there's always someone else that does, just because you're standards are high doesn't mean everyone else is. Well with a friendly conversation going why don't you let us know what you use to play your banjo, what method do you use, I would guess it would have to do with your fingers probably picking or maybe your hands, or your toes, cuz there's not too many different ways to play an instrument you got to use your hands and your fingers, and there's only two hands and two feet on a person, so there really can't be 200 different ways to play a banjo or a guitar unless you use a stick that might give you what a third way for a second way. I'll look into that. Anyway I want you to know something I agree with somebody else that teaches how to play, and they said well I know to be true and that is this, it's your banjo and you can play it however the heck you want to. There's no set of rules you have to go by certain particular order of picking or scratching or rubbing or brushing or fanning or whatever you want to call it, you can do anything you want in any order you want. Just have fun just have fun. Oh you haven't got my goat none. I'm not even worked up. I'm just doing some casual talk and letting you know. And I'm sure you could tell by my language that I'm fine, and I am fine, you haven't got the hair up on the back of my neck and or any place else and my blood pressure is perfectly fine in fact it's probably on the low side., You know I don't let anybody bother me anymore anyway, just because somebody's got an idea about something doesn't mean it's always true just because they say so hey what's true for you is true for you or true for somebody or true to whoever is saying whatever they're saying that's all I'm saying, yeah when something's true for somebody else doesn't mean it's true for me or the guy next to me, okay so I'm still interested in how you play your banjo without your hands or your feet and curious about how many different ways you could use your fingers in your hands to play the banjo or to pick the strings or push on the strings to make noise I just would like to see that and learn of all these different ways, because I say if there's 200 different ways, well I'm glad somebody knows about them. I'm going to start inquiring from everybody I know in the music business because that is one question that has never came up but we're going to find out from different people going to do a poll to find out how many people know more than three or four ways of play a banjo. Just to see what they say, just to take that poll and I'll tell him that I'm on a pole here we're taking a pole and we need to know what you think that's what I'll tell them. Anyway you have a good night or better tomorrow or a better day or better anything, keep playing your banjo and or your guitar and anything else you play, and pass whatever knowledge you have down to one of your neighbors or the neighbor kid or two or three of the neighbor kids in the neighborhood get kids involved in music why you still can anybody, that's one of the best things to do is get people involved in music music is powerful. People been playing music using spoons sticks drums grass reeds all kinds of things over the last couple thousand years, in fact people have been making noise with stringed instruments probably long before Jesus walked the Earth. Yeah in fact I'm absolutely right long before Jesus walked the Earth there was musical instruments. As long as there's been people, so you figure for at least 12 or 13,000 years there's been people and there's also been music of one form or another. Okay so that's a different subject for another day I guess. Okay I got to go do a little bit of practicing myself right now and give myself about a half hour to 40 minutes. You have a good evening out there. Be safe, be smart, make good choices, and remember of the two births, one birth brings you into this world, and the other birth takes you out. And that's another subject for another day as well. But seriously remember we only have one life while we're here on Earth in this body and let's all make the best of it and everybody needs to get along. So everybody get out of musical instrument and start playing. I'm going to do that right now bye now
I have no tab for this, but it is b
What’s that banjo you’re using?
It’s a Gold Star mastertone copy from 1976.
Well done john Curtis well done even a drop tune don't really get the native jealous ruthless comments but that case hammer is a knack you can either master it or not and you sound great to me irespective of what style of banjo you are using just some people think they know it all yes f__k all wheres there up loads let's see what there claim to fame is possible just trolling lol 😀👏👏👏👍👌cheers made my night toy from Scotland
Thank you Tony!