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Jim M.
Aug-12-2005, 11:17am
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
Aug-12-2005, 6:56pm
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
Nov-08-2005, 9:02am
: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
Nov-08-2005, 1:39pm
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
Nov-11-2005, 5:32pm
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..

Josh Brown
Jan-17-2013, 1:17am
Sorry to but in but I'm not sure I'm familiar with clawhammer, I've hear the term before and I guess I just inferred that it meant playing with your fingers. thats not right it is?

John Flynn
Jan-17-2013, 8:56am
Sorry to but in but I'm not sure I'm familiar with clawhammer, I've hear the term before and I guess I just inferred that it meant playing with your fingers. thats not right it is?
Yes, clawhammer is playing with the fingers, but in a very particular way. The picking hand is in a claw shape and the strings are struck in a downward motion with the side of the thumb and the fingernail of the middle finger. If you look up clawhammer on YouTube, you will see many examples of clawhammer banjo playing that illustrate this unique style.

Jim Garber
Jan-17-2013, 9:26am
I agree with Bob D... clawhammer might be hard on a mandolin. Having double strings and at that tension and close together might make it hard. I do want to see if it is possible, tho, and whether it might sound interesting.

There are a few folks who use the technique on guitar:

SmCoVwJeOgY

Y8r23eEikxo

Josh Brown
Jan-17-2013, 9:28pm
oh right on, I got a manjo that that'd sound cool on. I'll start workin on it - wish me luck.

Mando.Hobo
Jan-18-2013, 2:36am
I tuned mine down to GDGD and played in a clawhammer fashion for a while, though my D and A strings are nylgut. There's a guy on youtube who plays "tenor banjo clawhammer", which makes it seem like a possibility for a banjolin or what have you.