Dan will be doing a three day banjo workshop July 21-23 in West Michigan, just west of Grand Rapids. Friday night will be a meet and greet and workshop on Saturday and Sunday. Check Dan's website ( clawdan.com/calendar/ ) for more information. As many of you may already know, Dan is very prominent teacher for both fiddle and banjo and is a very prolific writer with many tune books that cover old time fiddle and banjo tunes as well as Clawhammer banjo from Scratch and Fiddle from Scratch instructional material. This will be be a great instructional opportunity to get personal instruction from an old time master banjo player and fiddler.
Any questions can be directed to either Dan or myself.
Nearly 20 years ago, I attended a 3-day weekend workshop with Dan at his then-home in Vinton, OH. I was having trouble playing at dance tempo in the local volunteer band at weekly contra dances. Dan identified several poor habits I picked up in my self-instruction. After several weeks of careful practice, I could see real improvement. I came back a year later for another weekend. I have been a core member in the dance band since then.
Dan made a real difference in my playing. I encourage you to give this workshop a try.
David
Edited by - dbrooks on 05/13/2023 17:40:43
Hi David,
With the position and tilt to the R. H. as Dan suggests, it is good for letting your thumb land on the 5th string but how does he manage to do drop thumb and passing tones/notes? You can get speed from Dan's hand position in his picking hand but I just don't like the idea of tilting your R. H. so severely. I personally would be scared to death of tendon damage/carpal tunnel damage in the wrist...Jack
Edited by - Jack Baker on 05/13/2023 18:17:02
Jack, I'm not sure I can answer your question satisfactorily. I don't recall any discussion of right-hand tilt in our lesson or in his books. He does suggest that you should probably see the knuckles of your index and middle finger as you look down at your right hand. In other words, there is an angle or tilt in that your pinky is further away from the pot than your index finger. Is that the tilt you mean? Even there, I wouldn't say he was dogmatic about it.
Perhaps my biggest issue was that I picked down on the 5th string with my thumb and my thumb traveled below the 4th string. I couldn't recover in time for the next best. (My Travis picking bass thumb stroke did not travel well to the banjo and Clawhammer. ) I changed to flicking my thumb out, not down, as my hand was rising for the next downstroke.
It's hard to describe this in text.
David
I admit this is not as complete an answer as you will get if you get it in person, but I hope it helps. From page 24, Clawhammer Banjo From Scratch:
"My right forearm rides parallel to the strings and the thumb of my hand lands on the fifth
string right at or just above the neck/pot union point (figures 29 & 30). You may find your
hand at the same place or just over the head as in figure 31.
Next, let your hand drift to about a 45 º 60 º angle to the head as
shown in figures 29 - 31.
Don’t let your palm lie flat or parallel to the strings as in Figure 32"
Since I use a loose wrist in a movement in concert with how the wrist joint works, the Carpule tunnel problem is almost eliminated by keeping the muscles and tendons relaxed maintainin an open "tunnel" and minimizing the chance of swelling.
Hope yall can make it to the workshop. I understand it is already halfway full.
Play Nice,
Dan Clawdan Levenson - Original Boiled Buzzard!
www.Clawdan.com
I think this is a good video showing Dan's right hand with double thumbing and drop thumbing https://youtu.be/iEY_pkoQZOM
Thanks Jan & David and Dan,
Yes, the video shows the hand I always use. Dan's wrist does not look twisted, it looks parallel to the banjo head... Perhaps my eyes were playing tricks on me. Dan plays beautifully...
Edited by - Jack Baker on 05/14/2023 06:15:30
Ah, it's the camera angle I think. Also, Dan is favoring the Scoop...Jack
Originally posted by Jack BakerThanks Jan & David and Dan,
Yes, the video shows the hand I always use. Dan's wrist does not look twisted, it looks parallel to the banjo head... Perhaps my eyes were playing tricks on me. Dan plays beautifully...
Edited by - Jack Baker on 05/14/2023 06:50:17
But then again, I play a lot of Chet Atkins tunes so the thumb is certainly parallel to the face of the instrument. For Clawhammer, I do adjust my tilt a tiny bit so that could be what Dan is referring to. No matter how Dan sees it, he gets Results in his wonderful playing ...Jack
Edited by - Jack Baker on 05/14/2023 07:08:26
quote:
Originally posted by Jack Baker.... No matter how Dan sees it, he gets Results in his wonderful playing ...Jack
Thank you Jack! Hope you can make it to the workshop.
Spots are still open for those close and interested
Dan will also be doing a house concert on Saturday night. If you are interested email me for details
Also, a jam after the concert so bring your instrument
Edited by - pjxndvm on 07/17/2023 17:07:58
