ubicaritas - Posted - 09/02/2010:  21:00:47

hi friends!

I've got a newbie question (which hopefully isn't something that you've answered lots before)

So I've not my new-used banjo and am loving it and struggling with it.
I've tried to teach myself 2 or 3 clawhammer tunes and have really been struggling with the technique. I am wondering if this is because I am left handed (I plan to play normally and not try to string anything up in reverse).

I'm pretty accustomed to doing things with my right hand, but often these are things that involve the use of my fingers and not my whole hand. So I am having trouble using my whole hand/wrist while playing clawhammer. Every time I pick I move my fingers separate from my hand and I can't seem to command my muscles to not do this.

I've been working on some bluegrass tunes and have found that to be a lot easier muscle-wise (but not brain wise! my mind gets all mixed up in the rolls), but I really do love the sound of clawhammer.

Mostly I'm just curious if there are any other lefty banjo players out there who have encountered similar issues.

thanks!

mr special - Posted - 09/02/2010:  22:11:08

Personally, I think getting the clawhammer motion down at the beginning is just hard anyway, regardless of whether you are a righty or lefty.

I would stick with it a little longer, it may be a lefty issue, but I bet its just a clawhammer issue ;)

bluegrass fingerpicking was definitely a little easier to pick up at the beginning for me as well, but i much prefer the sound of clawhammer so i stuck with it.

maneckep - Posted - 09/03/2010:  03:49:47

I am a lefty and play clawhammer righty. It just made sense to me since there are so many great used banjos that are right handed. I tried bluegrass first and thought clawhammer was easier since there is basically just one motion as opposed to many different bluegrass rolls to memorize. I'm no expert but I sure have fun playing. I can't imagine trying to fret with my right hand. Keep at it - it gets easier with time.

SoggyBottom - Posted - 09/03/2010:  03:55:55

as a fellow lefty ... I have noticed some folks are more "lefty" than others ... I play right handed and it feels quite natural to do so but there are some things that I just can't do right handed. I'd say keep at it a while ... in all likelihood you'll master the technique and then all should fall into place .... it does take a while though

Ashkettle - Posted - 09/03/2010:  06:21:55

I'm a lefty learning clawhammer and here is my theory...
There is a lot of work from your left hand in Clawhammer as you start playing. Pull offs, hammers, slides...do you have any idea how much easier it is for us lefties to manage that part? Learning to hit a string (or a couple) and your thumb is much easier than all that in my opinion.

pickinchik - Posted - 09/03/2010:  08:10:22

I'm a lefty too. The only things I do with the left though are write, eat and brush teeth. All sports and musical instruments I've ever done have been right handed.

I agree that the claw motion is just hard in the beginning. It feels really awkward either way. Just keep at it and one day it won't feel so awkward and it will be natural.

Good luck!

Mandy

minstrelmike - Posted - 09/03/2010:  11:05:50

Strum first. Do not frail. Do not pick.

Strum the banjo open-handedly until you can get a good basic guitar-like rhythm.
That's Down pause down-up. It sounds like boom-shukka. Once you have the rhythm felt (by both hands) and your wrist moving instead of your fingers. the frailing motion may be easier to grok.

stringbeaner - Posted - 09/09/2010:  12:58:58

I have to say that CH seems to be a much more natural movement than any BG roll, but then, I also have to say I heard my Grandaddy Tom playing CH practically from day one. As far as playing left-handedly, most folks play right-handed banjers so consider whether you just want to play 1 banjo only.

fred davis - Posted - 09/09/2010:  22:45:24

I'm also a lefty and play righty since both hands are used the left picks the notes and chords most inportant the right strums I pick a P Seger style ( up with index finger --brush with third andstrum with thum on 5-6 strings and easy rythem way of playing he also has book on it keep looking here . Try to pick some chords C-D-F AND THE D7 and G and G7 will fall into place simple if you have played any instrument. if not Just tune it g DGBG and open G tuning scales would be 4 string D open 2fret E third F 3string G open 2string C 2string B open 1 fret C and first string D open 2nd E and 3rd F 5th G struming all strings for chords play chords when singing Pm me Iff you want more info fred

majikgator - Posted - 09/10/2010:  07:40:10

well i am definitely opposite from Stringbeaner, rolls were very natural to me from years of playing folk finger style guiar, clawhammer motion was from another planet for me, i was not one of those people that had it down in a week or a month. i am extremely right handed and the ONLY thing i can manage with my left are finger board motions.
i am not sure "easier" should dictate what you play, i badly wanted to learn clawhammer and only learned the tiny bit of BG banjo i know because at the time thought some banjo instruction was better than none and didn't know where to look for clawhammer instruction or the word clawhammer for that matter all i knew was the word frailing and a sound i loved. The word easy is used pretty often in the forum, none of it was all that easy for me but i don't let that (or not knowing what i'm doing) stop me.

minstrelmike - Posted - 09/10/2010:  07:55:48

Don't learn clawhammer/frailing as a separate movement.
To avoid that, don't try the boom-shukka, try just shukka-shukka.

Hold your hand in the correct claw position,
1. Strum down across the strings with fingers (all or one or two fingers, don't worry about it)
Try to use a wrist-twist motion so as to
2. catch the thumb behind the 5th string (between the string and the head).
3. Twist the wrist back to pull the thumb off the 5th string, thereby 'plucking' it.

Do this 'shukka' over and over until the thumb doesn't move unless the wrist moves it.

Then use a forearm movement to try plucking the 'boom' note.

slabounty - Posted - 09/10/2010:  12:48:24

I thought we weren't allowed to discuss politics and even so, I don't think either your liberal or conservative tendencies have much to do with playing banjo ... what Ohhhhh that leftie. Sorry.

Seriously though, many, many very good clawhammer players are left handed (Dan Levenson for one (pick up his DVD, Clawhammer From Scratch Vol. 1 for clawhammer right hand technique help)). I play both banjo and guitar right handed and I'm left handed too.

Scott

rendesvous1840 - Posted - 09/11/2010:  13:27:02

Because of the location of the 5th string tuning peg, it's not really practical to turn the banjo upside down and play left handed. Reversing the strings isn't practical either. However, if you don't already play some other stringed instrument left handed,both hands are beginning at step one, and are learning something they were never asked to do before. There's a certain amount of muscle memory involved before the hands feel comfortable at these new tasks. The reality is that since both hands are learning new tasks, it really doesn't matter which hand gets which assignment. In time, they will both learn what they need to do, and all will be well. But all us righty's started out with the same set of untrained hands. Those who played guitar, mandolin, etc first, found a certain amount of that learning already in place when we started banjo. We went through the awkward face with guitars or whatever, but it wasn't necessarily any easier on our first instrument. You'll get it,so don't sweat the early stage of learning. I consider the fretboard hand to have the harder job, so playing backwards may be an advantage.
Paul