boatymacboat - Posted - 09/06/2025:  09:10:37

High there, been hanging out here a while but this is my first post on the forum.

Been playing (practicing?) clawhammer about a 3 weeks and have got "fairly" comfortable at the basic frailing bum ditty and can play through a few simple songs now.

When I started I decided to follow the Deering How To on you tube with Barry Hunn as I felt this was nice and slow and well explained.

I have now started to delve deeper as I'm progressing and I see that I may be doing it wrong.

In the Deering video the instructor does not land his thumb on the 5th string every time he plays the hit/strike or (bum). Therefore, that's how I have learned to do it.

Just about every other youtube instructor insists on landing the thumb in the "home position" (5th string) on every stroke even if not sounding the fifth.

I have been trying to alter my technique to follow this "take the thumb home every time" mantra but it is a struggle now after 3 weeks, to say the least!!

Any advice you guys can give me?

Lew H - Posted - 09/06/2025:  09:36:43

I'm no help. I've never done it "right," but it hasn't stopped me from having fun and learning a lot of tunes and songs.

DerekGoodman - Posted - 09/06/2025:  09:46:20

First off its important to say that there is no right or wrong way to play.



Secondly, having just watched the video in question I'd say thats an uncommon style and a strange thing for Deering to put up as a beginners lesson in my opinion.



I think landing with the thumb every stroke and learning to control when you sound the string and when you dont while lifting off is very helpfull and is absolutely what I'd teach if I was showing someone how to start playing.



Good news is you caught this after only a few weeks!

Edited by - DerekGoodman on 09/06/2025 09:46:55

Bill Rogers - Posted - 09/06/2025:  11:27:28

It’s a matter of practicing until it sounds right. Your ear will tell you when that happens. Don’t go too slowly. Practice at a normal, steady speed. Just start alternating your thumb between 5th and 2d strings You’ll get the hang of that alternation, then let your thumb go where it needs to for the notes you want.

Culloden - Posted - 09/06/2025:  11:43:00

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lew H

I'm no help. I've never done it "right," but it hasn't stopped me from having fun and learning a lot of tunes and songs.

---

I have met many great clawhammer banjo players over the years and I have never heard one say that they play "the right way."

adamINmn - Posted - 09/06/2025:  11:56:09

I’ve been playing about a year and half. I learned to land my thumb on the fifth string each time and I found that this gave me a strong rhythmic foundation when I learned double thumbing and drop thumbing.

jsinjin - Posted - 09/06/2025:  12:11:49

I found that my ability to time and react, whether drop thumb or standard fifth string, was much much faster and better if my rhythm included landing the thumb every time. And I did t try it both ways when I started.

R.D. Lunceford - Posted - 09/06/2025:  13:10:43

I'd highly recommend checking this video out:

Clawhammer Banjo - Three Different Right Hand Approaches

Mister Lucky - Posted - 09/06/2025:  20:48:06

A curious video indeed. From my perspective it is not so much about the right or wrong way to play, it is about how to make it easier on yourself. Clawhammer banjo teachers instruct to land the thumb on the fifth string, and that is what I have done from the beginning. It seems easy and natural. And on a personal note, I would never take banjo instruction from Deering, there are much better sources. 

Edited by - Mister Lucky on 09/06/2025 20:49:33

boatymacboat - Posted - 09/07/2025:  00:57:18

Thanks for the replies guys.

I checked out that video JD. Very helpful.

I shall put some effort in to try to get the thumb to rest on that 5th every stroke as this seems to be the preferred approach for the majority...so there must be good reasons for this.

I play with my index finger as it just seemed far more natural for me in the beginning. In the video he indicates that playing with the thum landing every stroke is more tricky for folks who use index. We'll see how we get on.

Mister Lucky - Posted - 09/07/2025:  12:15:50

"The video indicated that playing with the thumb landing on every stroke is tricky for people who play with index." If that is what he said, it is absolutely absurd. This guy has no idea what he is talking about. And yes, I play with my index finger.

carlb - Posted - 09/07/2025:  13:43:48

quote:

---

Originally posted by adamINmn

I’ve been playing about a year and half. I learned to land my thumb on the fifth string each time and I found that this gave me a strong rhythmic foundation when I learned double thumbing and drop thumbing.

---

I'll second that.

Spudwheat - Posted - 09/07/2025:  23:59:32

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mister Lucky

"The video indicated that playing with the thumb landing on every stroke is tricky for people who play with index." If that is what he said, it is absolutely absurd. This guy has no idea what he is talking about. And yes, I play with my index finger.

---

You took the words right out of my mouth... I also play with my index finger.

Spudwheat - Posted - 09/08/2025:  00:07:54

quote:

---

Originally posted by boatymacboat

High there, been hanging out here a while but this is my first post on the forum.



Been playing (practicing?) clawhammer about a 3 weeks and have got "fairly" comfortable at the basic frailing bum ditty and can play through a few simple songs now.



When I started I decided to follow the Deering How To on you tube with Barry Hunn as I felt this was nice and slow and well explained.



I have now started to delve deeper as I'm progressing and I see that I may be doing it wrong.



In the Deering video the instructor does not land his thumb on the 5th string every time he plays the hit/strike or (bum). Therefore, that's how I have learned to do it.



Just about every other youtube instructor insists on landing the thumb in the "home position" (5th string) on every stroke even if not sounding the fifth.



I have been trying to alter my technique to follow this "take the thumb home every time" mantra but it is a struggle now after 3 weeks, to say the least!!



Any advice you guys can give me?

---

Landing your thumb every time gives you spacial proximity of the other strings. If you aren't doing this, then you're mostly getting lucky when you hit the right string. I think it would be much harder to play accurately if I didn't land my thumb every time. Here is a great beginner video about this very subject: youtu.be/6FbtT-UoAmI

That's Lukas Pool. He's got a whole series of beginner lessons for free. I also use my index finger. It really doesn't matter if you use your second finger or index, it is personal preference. I prefer this because I think it is a much cleaner presentation and it is more natural when learning the distance for various notes. That's my personal opinion, so if you're out there reading this and you're using your middle finger... Well, don't get yer knickers in a wad... :-)

Dan Gellert - Posted - 09/08/2025:  17:43:38

Keeping the thumb stuck to the thumb string unless it has to be doing something else is the way I play. Not only does it facilitate accuracy, but it gives you control of the thumb string's volume and sustain, which is IMO a good piece of what makes the difference between keeping steady time and making the banjo talk.

jojo25 - Posted - 09/10/2025:  07:46:18

Hi Dave...for me it is not so much that you MUST land the thumb...somewhere...every time...but that the thumb is ready to land on any string you choose on any particular stroke...and if...from the get go...you are NOT landing your thumb half the time...which is what one does in bump ditty...then you are self limiting...and why would you want to do that? The bump ditty is important to know and to master...but you now need to liberate yourself from that technique's inherent limits. I am a proponent of what I call "thumb liberation"...let your thumb flop all over the place...I even drop down and use the thumb on the 1st string sometimes...and I will use the thumb to play the same string I just struck with my nail on the down stroke...which allows me to play single string runs without using so many hammers and pulls...which are NOT bad things...so...I humbly suggest you join The Thumb Liberation Alliance:)

Hoosieroldtime - Posted - 09/10/2025:  16:20:55

I would like the join the Thumb Liberation Alliance, let it flail and frail!

Now if only my thumb didn't want to be so percussive...