wormpicker - Posted - 04/11/2007:  23:16:22

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I know that many of you have used or are using Dan's great instruction book (or DVDs), "Clawhammer Banjo From Scratch" as your first introduction to clawhammer and old-time banjo. It's the book I've been using for the eight months or so since I started learning clawhammer. For those of you who have "started from scratch" and gone through the whole book, I'm curious how long it took you until you could confidently and smoothly play all the tunes (Kitchen Sink versions).

I spent most of my first six months working on mastering about 6 of the songs (Angelina Baker, Forked Deer, Soldier's Joy, Fortune, Mississippi Sawyer, and Old Molly Hare). Now (inspired by the recent Spotted Pony Thread), I've started to go back and work on all the ones I've left simmering on the backburner. I think I can play them all pretty decently by looking at the tab, and am hoping I might be able to get them all under my belt by my one year mark in August. I realize that getting through CBFS is only one (albeit important) aspect of learning clawhammer. It teaches the rhythm and mechanics of the left and right hand, and ingrains many important licks and other building blocks. What it does not teach (I now realize, in my attempts to play with others) is who to keep up with other musicians, recognize and feel chord changes, and improvise. I guess those are some good goals to focus on in my second year.

Paul

Obsession is a great substitute for talent. -Steve Martin

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 04/12/2007:  02:09:42

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Paul
Playing with others can't be taught in a book. You've found the best way to learn - by playing with others. Baptism into that particular church is by fire and fire alone - but there are a few things you can learn that will help. I hope others will add to my little list. It is late, I'm still fairly sick with the flu and I never have been overly organized

1) Work simple - instead of pulling out the most decorated and complicated version (I know your book has multiple versions) work with something simple that you can play as close to speed as possible.
2) If you still have trouble with a tune -- simplify further. You can take out melody notes whwen you are playing with others as they are playing the melody
3 You can go VERY simple if you are still having trouble. Learn the chords to tunes and just Bum did-dy along. Patrick Costello's book has a lot on that subject and a bunch of songs. Unfortunately he only deals with G tuning but Mike Iverson's site has chords for other tunings - you need Double C (for the keys of C and D) at very least and I recommend learning a few chords in Sawmill tuning - Later I recommend you drop those chords but until you can play melody you can at least join the guitars.
If you play guitar you have a golden bit of knowledge as you know all those chords - take the time to translate them to the banjo in the tunings of G and Double C for the keys of G, D, A , & C. Most song sessions will be mostly in G and C, most old time sessions will be mostly in D and A.
That's it for now. The brain isn't working well. I'll post a few more things tomorrow if others haven't covered them.

The Whiskey Before Breakfast variations and a few tunes in "F" tuning are now available on the web at:
http://home.thegrid.net/~fjbrad/id20.html

dbrooks - Posted - 04/12/2007:  08:59:37

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Paul,

I had been learning clawhammer for a couple of years before I met Dan at IBMA in Louisville. I got his book even though I thought it was probably a bit too basic for me and learned some of the tunes -- mostly those I wanted to learn to play with the contra dance band. Later, I went to Dan's summer workshop, and he suggested a lot of changes to my right-hand position, so I went back to the book. I also had a copy of Buzzard Banjo.

Clawhammer from Scratch helped me a lot, but I'm not sure I can play all of the "kitchen sink" versions well today. I still tend to pick and choose the tunes I want or feel I need to learn. I am working mostly from the Festival Tunes book supplemented by recordings of tunes by various people. But I am still surprised when I go back to Clawhammer from Scratch or Buzzard Banjo to see how much my playing may have drifted from the original. In some cases, I forgot some nice licks. In others, I chose to do my own thing.

As I mentioned in another thread, I tink the tunes you have posted on your homepage are probably more complete and more consistent than some of my playing. You are internalizing the basic techniques Dan uses in those tunes, and they will serve you well as you move to others.

I expect I'll continue to go back to Clawhammer from Scratch from time to time to refresh and review, but I don't have a goal today of mastering all 12 of the "kitchen sink" versions. After listening to your versions, though, maybe I should.

David

BANJOJUDY - Posted - 04/12/2007:  09:32:00

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My favorite in that book is Rock The Cradle Joe. My husband liked the way it sounded so much, that he really got into it, and now, our group in our Appalachian Music class is actually perfomring it. Try it - you'll like it.

See you in Las Cruces - eh Dan? Let's get all the AZ and NM folks together for a housewarming party.

Judy

wormpicker - Posted - 04/12/2007:  11:06:00

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quote:

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Originally posted by BANJOJUDY

My favorite in that book is Rock The Cradle Joe. My husband liked the way it sounded so much, that he really got into it, and now, our group in our Appalachian Music class is actually perfomring it. Try it - you'll like it.

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I do like Rock The Cradle Joe. It's one of the ones I'm working on building up my speed and drive. More than any of the other tunes in the book, I think, RTCJ really needs some speed and good drive to sound its best.

Paul

Obsession is a great substitute for talent. -Steve Martin

Clawdan - Posted - 04/12/2007:  12:23:51

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quote:

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Originally posted by BANJOJUDY

My favorite in that book is Rock The Cradle Joe. ...

See you in Las Cruces - eh Dan? Let's get all the AZ and NM folks together for a housewarming party.

Judy

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Sound's like a plan. Soon as we close, we'll make a post.

Play nice,
Dan "Ain't no bum-diddy" Levenson
Old Time Music and Dance
www.ClawhammerBanjo.us
Author of Clawhammer Banjo From Scratch, A guide for the claw-less - a MelBay Publication
and Old Time Festival Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo (MelBay 20313) - 117 tunes tabbed for clawhammer banjo with standard notation and suggested chords.
Tune list at http://www.folknet.org/dan/FestTunesBJBook.htm

wormpicker - Posted - 04/12/2007:  12:27:59

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Hey Dan, you're invited to chime in too. I presume you have a pretty good idea of how long it takes for your students to get through CBFS.

Paul

Obsession is a great substitute for talent. -Steve Martin

JS Coffman - Posted - 04/12/2007:  13:01:05

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I've been working on Rock the Cradle Joe and Over the Waterfall from CHBFS in order to be able to play them with a group of OT folks I just found a few weeks ago. I'm finding that the kitchen sink versions are just that - some form of just about everything you could put in the tunes. They sound great played solo but I can't play all those notes at jam speed - and if I try to get too many of them in there the drive suffers. It's been fun to work on finding the basics of the melody and still be able to keep the drive. I'm finding that what sounds good for solo doesn't necessarily support the group.

Playing along with Dan's fiddle versions is great practice and has really helped me identify what I want in the tune when I play with others.

Joel

dbrooks - Posted - 04/12/2007:  13:08:32

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Banjojudy and Dan,

"Housewarming party?" "Soon as we close?"

Dan, have you acquired property in Las Cruces? Are you putting down roots?

David

tonehead - Posted - 04/12/2007:  13:23:23

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You folks that have CBFS do you have the book or DVD's or both?



Be significant.

dbrooks - Posted - 04/12/2007:  13:24:54

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Tonehead, I have the book (with CDs) only.

David

banjo_brad - Posted - 04/12/2007:  15:25:54

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I don't have CBFS, but have seen and played some of the tabs from it. The Kitchen Sink versions, as has been said, are just that - all the tricks and techniques rolled together in one tune.
Good for solo playing, but not really what you want for group stuff. I started learning from several sources, and was trying to add all the nice little goodies into the tunes I learned. Once I decided that I was going to start our Circle, I realized that I needed to go back to a simpler style and be more flexible in how I played. I think this has helped me loosen up and make any tune more my own. I usually can lead it off with a nice solo version and then fall into the fiddle/banjo thing easily, letting the fiddle do the hard stuff while I just play along and add the little things from time to time.
Not that I've reached the "good" stage yet, but I feel I'm getting there.

Brad


"Banjos and Fiddles and Guitars, Oh My!" (me)
http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/5
www.PricklyPearMusic.net

JS Coffman - Posted - 04/12/2007:  16:55:14

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quote:

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Originally posted by tonehead

You folks that have CBFS do you have the book or DVD's or both?



Be significant.

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I just have the book with included CD's.

Joel