trahciul - Posted - 05/13/2013:  23:27:32

Is there a technique for playing a series of the same note in clawhammer style?  An example would be 8th notes D D D D E E F F all on the 4th string.  i thought I might just do drop thumb on the same string but found that did not work.

bournio - Posted - 05/14/2013:  02:15:51

Get a fiddler to play the 8th notes.

Im sure there are ways to do it. You could break claw and do a down strum/up pick thing,, might be difficult to get any drive though.

bublnsqueak - Posted - 05/14/2013:  04:52:30

How about not using the right hand at all?  You could do pull offs and hammer ons on the 4th string - you'd be going at double time though which would also compromise drive (if i did it)

There are times where I drop thumb onto the same string I have just hit - feels odd at first; practice etc etc. But that is what I would go for in order to preserve drive. 

I've been looking at Thumb lead recently. I suspect you could do it with just the Thumb and fret appropriately. Its downpicking but is it Clawhammer? (good phrase - "break claw")

Paul

carlb - Posted - 05/14/2013:  05:05:11

I usually drop thumb to the adjacent string which is fingered to produce the same note. Some examples: in aDADE - 2nd fret on the 2nd string and open 1st string, 5th fret on the 3rd string and open 2nd string; in aEAC#E - 3rd fret on the 2nd string and open 1st string.

You can probably figure out many others, but that's the technique I use.

mbuk06 - Posted - 05/14/2013:  05:16:08

Double thumbing is a frequently-used technique for consecutive notes on the fifth string and maintains rhythm and drive. What tuning are you in? And which tune are you playing? In open G-tuning I guess 4th string with an alternate string pull-off on 1st string would be one way to string together D eighth notes. Or drop thumb using the same strings or 4th and 2nd string fretted at 4th fret.

Edited by - mbuk06 on 05/14/2013 05:21:13

chip arnold - Posted - 05/14/2013:  06:14:55

You can certainly drop thumb to the same string as your frailer plays but it produces a sound more staccato than I like. I would use ASPO or do as Carl suggests above.

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 05/14/2013:  08:36:59

I simply don't sweat 8th notes. In fact I rarely play melodic 8th notes at all any more, and certainly not on the 4th string.

That said, I have been dropping thumb to the same string as I frail for decades. Learn this technique if you seriously feel you must play these notes

mbanza - Posted - 05/14/2013:  09:14:33

Try also, with left hand pull offs:  Index, Middle, Index, Middle; hammer 2nd with Index and hold, strike same with right (M or I); hammer 4th with left pinky and hold, strike same with right (M or I).  You may find the left hand technique clutsy at first, but it's well worth pursuit.

etparadox - Posted - 05/14/2013:  10:49:27

If you do thumb down to 4th, you can rapid fire with your thumb only. It's a bit awkward but it works.

trahciul - Posted - 05/14/2013:  12:07:19

Thank you all for your interesting suggestions.  I can't get the drop thumb suggestion to sound good as my thumb mutes the first note.  i am not sure if I could improve on that with practice.  I did not  think of hammering on or pulling off of the 4th string before playing the second note (old age!).  I think the second note would have to be played with the middle finger.  I will try that  tomorrow.  I tried playiing both notes with my middle finger but that did not feel right although sounded good.  Did not think of trying them with my thumb.

The tune I am trying to play is "I'm leaning on the lamp post" which was a tab request some time ago which I thought I would try (perhaps this is a bit beyond my ability)  There are a lot of double notes in this tune which on my first attempt I changed to a drones on the 5th sting and that actually sounds reasonable but to be true to the tune these should be double notes.

Do any of you know any instructional videos on drop thumbing on the same string.  I suppose rather than resting on the string the thumb would have to hover above it and then make a deliberate pluck.. 

plunknplinkntwang - Posted - 05/14/2013:  15:27:44

closing gap between finger and thumb allows me to play the same string.   But as others have said the sound does become staccato - which works really well in Cluck 'Ol Hen

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 05/14/2013:  21:10:28

I used to bring my thumb down on my index finger on the frail stroke, then use the entire hand to strike the string with the thumb - still a down stroke. After a while I stopped coming to rest against the index finger. Now I mostly just keep the thumb real close to the frailer when I thumb the same string as I frailed. And yes it is staccato - how could it be anything else?

John Gribble - Posted - 05/16/2013:  02:08:44

I see repeated notes as an opportunity to do something else. I find that if you keep true to the rhythm with double thumbing, a pull-off, or a hammer passing note to whatever comes next,  the listener's ear will fill in the information.  

banjo bill-e - Posted - 05/16/2013:  08:56:30

  "the listener's ear will fill in the information. " Yes, and it works on our ear, too. What John said is one of the keys to playing clawhammer. You play *what fits* without dropping the rhythm. Trying to get in every possible note is a dead-end street, imo, regardless of the heroic efforts of some melodic players. Keep the rhythm bouncing and play a bare skeleton melody, adding what you can where you can, and don't worry about what's left out. Never sacrifice rhythmic flow for melody. That's how I see it, anyway.

Bill

banjoboyd - Posted - 05/22/2013:  14:09:17

what i have started doing a lot on sustained notes is dropping beat one, so:

bum  -  a  -  dit  -  ty  -  x  -  a  -  dit  -  ty  -  x  -  a  -  dity  -  ty

where the 'a' is a left hand pluck and the 'x' is silence. if you time it correctly, you can also play 3-against-4 patterns:

bum  -  ty  -  a  -  bum  -  ty  -  a  -  bum  -  ty  -  a  -  bum  -  ty  -  a  (or index - thumb - LHpluck etc.)

this particular one fits into 3 beats, since it is 12 stokes. starting with a different stroke and using different permutations will fit it into different #'s of beats. it is a bit tricky to get fast but when you do, it gives sort of bluegrass roll effect.

slc - Posted - 05/22/2013:  16:23:09

All on the 4th string? The closest I get to that is a quick back-and-forth brushing, emphasizing the fourth string. It also brushes other strings and that can be either cool OR horrible, depending on what you're looking for.

I stole this technique from Richie Stearns - though what I ended up with is a bit different than how he does it.



When I first read the post, I read it as being on the 1st string (not 4th). Would you consider moving up an octave? That would be easier - either hammer or (my preference) double-thumb unison notes on the second string. Or do that brushing thing like above, but emphasize the 1st.

Normally I'd do what others suggest - play something else. But if this a style that requires more exact notes - like Irish or Classical - I'd understand wanting to work it out.

Bufo Bill - Posted - 05/23/2013:  13:30:27

What John Gribble and Banjo Bill- e say give me some solace at least. I have struggled with eighth notes on Cluck Old Hen, and always messed up my timing as a result. So I am not giving up on eighth notes, but I 'm not going to try and force them into a tune like before.
The real point I wanted to make was that most difficult techniques will appear in one's playing eventually, especially if you don't stress over it too much. This latter point is about the only pearl of wisdom I have gleaned from my playing, so I 'm not an expert, but I think those with more experience will back me up on this.
All the best from Bill. :D

slc - Posted - 05/25/2013:  01:46:24

OK this will be out of left field, but I made a brief video of the technique I mentioned about - a fast strum over the strings. Kind of like playing a ukulele I suppose :-)

It's not something to do a lot - that's a certain method for not getting invited back to a session - but it's a nice effect in very restrained moderation... It took a bit of practice to get it even and in time.

From what I could hear of the song as played by George Formby, it might work in a tune like that. 

youtu.be/jreezkZg8iY