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clawhammermike - Posted - 08/06/2008: 04:48:33
I had my first beginning clawhammer student yesterday and what fun it is to show someone brand new the ropes that i learned myself the hard way. The only thing is that when I went to do the most basic bumditty stroke from the book I could barely do it. To not embelish a song and just frail away at chords was too much for my brain. and all those brush strokes. I always considered myself to be more of a bumditty guy but found out that I have over the years really eliminated the brush stroke. It was shocking to the system to go back to square 1.
Edited by - gottasmilealot on 08/06/2008 14:39:34
Chaoscat - Posted - 08/06/2008: 05:56:17
It's like asking you to go back and play a fiddle tune SLOW, just doesn't work very well. You've trained all your movements and reflexes to move a certain way. Changing them is like starting over.
jazz-phil - Posted - 08/06/2008: 06:19:43
I've just started teaching a beginner and, after more than 30 years of playing and with a large part melodic, bum dittying was certainly a challenge. Coincidently a dancer I play for asked for something more rhythmic to accompany his flat footing. I resolved both requirements by learning to 'cluck'. I normally play index style with the rest of my hand spread out, rather than curled, which is no use for clucking, so learning the technique forced me to think about and rework my whole right hand approach. So now not only can I demonstrate bum dittying for the student and add bounce for the flat footer, I have also expanded my range of techniques, so everyone's a winner.
Clawdan - Posted - 08/06/2008: 06:36:12
That is why I wrote Clawhammer Banjo From Scratch (MB book) because I found that virtually everyone who played in the southern appalachian ot style played some version of the double thumb stroke as the basic stroke. SO I teach it first. I even sat in on a workshop where TWO instructors said "basic stroke is bum ditty" while THEY were doing bump A ditty. I asked why the said one thing while doing something else, they both said, "I don't know, that is what we have always been told".
It is amazing what one learns when one starts to teach. I might suggesting teaching from CBFS which teachers can get directly from Mel Bay at a special rate.
Play nice 
,
Dan "Ain''t no bum-ditty" Levenson
www.ClawhammerBanjo.us
Come to Clawcamp!
Banjomando - Posted - 08/06/2008: 09:32:50
As a music teacher the hardest thing is teaching simple arrangements. One of my beginning mandolin students took a "beginner" class from a respected mandolin teacher in the area and she showed me the arrangements he gave the class for Soldier's Joy and I was very surprised. The song was embellished almost beyond recognition, far beyond what a beginner would be able to play and there was no emphasis on the basics of the song.
For beginning students I like to find simple arrangements of tunes so they can learn the basics and then I gradually introduce more ornamentation into the tunes.
I''d be pretty good if my fingers would go where I want them to...
http://www.myspace.com/stevequattrocchi
Edited by - Banjomando on 08/06/2008 09:34:09
R.D. Lunceford - Posted - 08/06/2008: 14:41:13
There are different teaching methods, and eventually they often intersect.
I do use the bum-ditty pattern in my playing (though not usually with a brush).
To me, the "bum-ditty" is merely useful as a point of reference as is the 1215 drop-thumb pattern.
R.D. Lunceford- "Missourian in Exile"
Model 1865 Bowlin Fretless Banjo
****************************************************
"Drink from the Musselfork once, and you''ll
always come back." -Dr. Bondurant Hughes, 1917
Edited by - R.D. Lunceford on 08/06/2008 14:42:12
oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 08/06/2008: 15:10:33
Instead of teaching they way you learned - teach the way you play. If you have a copy of Rocket Science banjo, note that the Bum Diddy is considered an "Advanced" stroke" - and for a good reason. Bum Diddy is a compound stroke "Bum-dy Bum-dy" or "Did-dy Did-dy" would be a basic stroke.
I teach drop thumb before Bum Did-dy. And I tend to pass over it pretty quickly because Bum Did-dy can nterfere with playing the melody.
BTW If you wish to use any materials from RSB in your teaching feel free - RSB is free to all.
If you are interested in what I say and would like to know more, it ony cost the price of an email. Write me at:
oldwoodchuckb@yahoo.com
and I will send you a copy of the entire Rocket Science Banjo with all the text now in PDF, plus all the exercise tabs and jpgs as well as "25 tunes" (which is now up to about 38) in banjo tab, playable with the MIDI built into your computer, so you can play along at whatever speed you choose to set.
put RSB in the subject line.
I neither keep nor re-use your email
You can watch the videos for some Rocket Science Banjo subjects starting here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdRuf4X0X7g
Banjo Brad is hosting How To Mold A Mighty Pinky adn other material at
http://home.thegrid.net/~fjbrad/id20.html
fretlessinfortwayne - Posted - 08/06/2008: 17:01:36
I would show "students" the basic clawhammer motion real slow, over and over and over again. Then I would point them to some videos on the net to refer to, including some where the camera is shot through a clear head. I would tell them, "Look this might take you hours, or it might take you days, weeks or even months to get this basic motion or stroke down. Once you get this stroke down, once you have mastered it, then I will take your money and we will work on some tunes. But until you get this basic clawhammer stroke motion or whatever you want to call it down, I can't take your money." That's just the way I feel about it.
Dean
"Hooray Jake, Hooray John, Breakin'' up Christmas all night long."
fernando - Posted - 08/07/2008: 01:16:09
Maybe out of topic, but, what is to 'cluck'?
Thanks
Fernando
fernando - Posted - 08/09/2008: 01:17:53
Cool! Intersting!
Thanks Phil.
Another intersting thought here is Dan's comment about bum-ditti and the double thumb stroke. I'll have to look around to see if what I think they are coincides with tradition. I may have to come back to ask about it. First I'll check the videos here and see what's on Youtube; the problem there is that all the oppinions may not be too well informed. To me the contribution of videos to this site is invaluable! Just like Zepp's one.
Thanks again.
clawhammermike - Posted - 08/10/2008: 12:58:35
I have been at the Mbotma festival all weekend taking so I haven't got back sooner but I found all of these insights helpful from you teachers. Since that time i have sat for 2 days with riley baugus who has completely changed my world at how I look at clawhammer. You will now not here for me for months as I lock myself in the basement while my kids scrounge for food. I must find a way to implement all the tools he taught me.
gottasmilealot - Posted - 08/10/2008: 13:32:16
quote:
Instead of teaching they way you learned - teach the way you play.
That makes a lot of sense. Learners probably came to you because they like the way you play. This whole stroke naming thing seems to cause a fair amout of confusion. Find someone who's sound you like, sit with them and have them show you how to do it. Buy them lunch.
Keith
Banjo Hangout Rules and Guidelines.
rinemb - Posted - 08/12/2008: 08:18:20
I have enjoyed this discussion. I have attempted to "teach/demonstrate" clawhammer banjo to some locals, only because I have no professional to send them to around here.
***What I have learned is, that as an amateur, I lack the powers of observation (of what the student is doing) when we are together. That is a valuable part of a lesson from a pro-IMHO. ***
The most value I have to offer is to encourage the student to invest in CDs, DVDs and books of instruction, Youtubing, BHO'ing. There is so little live OT music around here. 
Brad
May not the incidence of success, nor the pretense of retirement-
Lessen the want of enlightenment.
