question about old time strumming

[mandocrucian]

i've been looking for a way to emulate clawhammer banjo on the mandolin.

On recordings:
On Fire & Ready!" - Niles Hokkanen #("Little Sadie Revised")
Into The Fever Rain - Jerry Rockwell & Niles Hokkanen #("Soldier's Joy")
Commando Sessions Vol.1 - various artists #("Over The Waterfall")

From the Mandocrucian's Digest contents breakdown (by category)

<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>Bluegrass and Old-Time:
Interviews:
Baker, Kenny (issue #4)
Blake, Norman & Nancy (6)
Clark, Bobby (profile) (18)
Gaudreau, Jimmy (3/op)
Lawson, Doyle (10)
McLaughlin, Dave (1/op)
O'Brien, Tim (7)
O'Connor, Mark (11)
Ostroushko, Peter (15 &16)
Rowan, Peter (1/op)
Watson, Jim (14)

Instructional Articles:
The Transposing Game (20)
Developing Rhythmic Elasticity (21)
Variations On A Theme: Ideas/Approaches for Soloing (22)
Playing For Square and Contra Dances w/Larry Edelman (13-14)
Articles about the Mandolin-Banjo (19-21)
Instructional Columns:
Bluegrass w/John Baldry (1-4, 6-11, 13-22, 27)
Eldred Hill guest column (13)
<span style='color:red'>Clawhammer Mandolin w/Niles Hokkanen (4-6, 11)</span>
Old-Time Fiddle Tunes For Mandolin w/Judy Hyman (6-9, 11)
New England Tunes For Mandolin w/David Surette (13, 19)

Miscellaneous:
"3 Ponies" (tune by Nancy Blake)
Remembering Bill Monroe (27)
Bluegrass tunes from readers (5, 7, 9, 22, 27)
Texas Fiddle Style Mandolin ("Wagoner") (4)</span>

Issue #5 (Cajun) is sold out. #Special through Aug 15, 06 - All Digest back issues 33% off. Minimum order (for discount) is $30 (pre-discount).

There are also some "clawhammer mandolin" examples in the books The Mandola Sampler and in Hot Solos For Bluegrass Mandolin ("Shady Grove").

Isn't that about like a cook trying to get top sirloin to taste like ground chuck? #
It can possibly play the notes and the ryhthm, but it just falls short on good clawhammer tone.

John - just cause Curtis Buckhannon doesn't do it doesn't mean one can't get fairly close to that sound. #

The right hand moves are not mechanically the same as frailing, and you work up and down the neck with the left hand a lot. #What you are after is an emulation of the note sequences and overall sound qualities you hear in old-time banjo. Once you understand how some of that banjo stuff lays out verbatim on a mando neck, then you can develop the ideas in a more mando-tuning friendly way. #

The only other guy that I know of who explored this was Larry Rice. Larry had worked up a few tunes in a similar approach back in the early 80s when I did some stuff with him; at the time I was also(independently) adapting old-time fiddle and banjo sound to mando. Andy Irvine was also influenced by frailing banjo and there are some similarities/commonalities in his across-the-strings playing and what I'll do as "clawhammer mandolin.

About ten years ago, Radim was interested enough in the technique to ask me to show him some of approach. (He worked some of those type licks into a track on his next record too.)#

Niles Hokkanen

[glauber]

Just a quick suggestion about strumming: listen to Dave Grisman. He uses all sorts of different strums when he's not playing bluegrass (e.g.: the "Not for Kids Only" album).

[cooper4205]

this has been one of the most informative threads i have seen. thanks for the easy to understand and applicable posts guys

[Loren Bailey]

Cooper4205,

I'll echo your sentiments. I've enjoyed this thread and will use many, if not all, of the suggestions. I realize now that I started learning music/mando the wrong way. Like many others, I assume, I started out wanting to learn the "leads" and melody. I wish like mad someone had told me to practice rythym and strumming chords first. Would have made life a lot easier. Now coming back and learning this is really helping my timing. Thanks to all who have contributed.

Loren