Reso Mando / Mando Banjo

[Jim M.]

It seems to me that a resonator or a mando banjo would be loud enough to play without a pick. I've always liked the clawhammer style of banjo playing. Is anyone using that style on a mando? Are there any good books or DVDs that might teach the technique?

[John Flynn]

I don't know of anything on mando, but here are two sites devoted to clawhammer guitar and Mel Bay ahs a book on it. I am sure some of the techniques would apply:

http://www.angelfire.com/folk....cs.html (http://www.angelfire.com/folk/stadler/clawhammer_guitar/Clawhammer_Guitar_Basics.html)

http://www.frailing.com/

[fred d]

:laugh I have a mando banjo and yes it is loud I also attempt to play clawhammer banjo: I find that the strings are tigher on the mando banjo and closer together so the don't ring the same

[Bob DeVellis]

I would think playing a mandolin clawhammer style would be murder on the fingers unless you modified the strings. Also, to me, the charm of clawhammer banjo comes from the high G-string droning away. The low (relative to other strings) G on a mandolin wouldn't have the same effect, although I suppose you could restring in a re-entrant tuning with a high G up there. My experience has been that, when you never hear of a certain instrument being used in a certain way, there's probably a good reason. But heck, it's not a big deal to give it a try. If you do, let us know how it works out.

[mandroid]

I find 4 string mando banjo works in clawhammer , approach, somewhat,
higher G would be rather wire strung Uke like, since #3 is lowest pitch on those.
may be interesting to try with a spare A string..