* The Murphy Method Clawhammer Banjo, Taught by Lynn Morris (2 volumes)
Cheers,
Rose
This two-volume set comes without tablature and is designed to teach clawhammer by ear. Lynn Morris takes you very slowly through basic clawhammer technique up to double-thumbing. Each tune is played up to tempo and then Lynn talks you through the fingering. I found this overly painstaking, but if you want to avoid tablature and you're an absolute beginner, this pair of tapes will provide you with lots of information and won't leave you stranded wondering "How did she do that?". The two tapes include about 10 standard tunes (such as Skip to My Lou, Old Molly Hare and Turkey in the Straw).
* Ken Perlman's "Clawhammer Style Banjo" (2 volumes)
This one's sub-titled "A Complete Guide for Beginning and Advanced Banjo Players", and it really does start at the beginning, covering everything from the names of the banjo parts, to how to hold the banjo and attach a strap, to detailed left- and right-hand techniques. There's a huge amount of material in here: loads of tunes played up tempo and then half speed; lots of exercises; lots of techniques (from the usual pull offs and slides to harmonics and improvisation). This is the one video that really requires the accompanying book, as Ken refers to it constantly. Make sure you get the correct book ("Clawhammer Style Banjo") and not Ken's more famous "Melodic Clawhammer Banjo" book. The production has a lot of rough edges, but you get 4 hours of material packed in.
* Bob Carlin's "Learn to Play Clawhammer Banjo" (2 volumes)
One of the best videos for beginners who don't want to proceed at a snail's pace. This is the closest thing to having a teacher right there. Bob does a great job of slowing things down so that it's easy to learn the techniques and to pick up the tunes. The accompanying tablature booklet is almost unnecessary because of the detailed instruction on the tape, but it's a great reminder when you don't have the tape around. (Homespun)
* Frank Lee's "Old-Time Banjo, Clawhammer Style"
Frank's tape contains some fascinating, not-so-common tunes and is great for beginners who already have a little grounding in technique. He doesn't do as much hand holding as Bob Carlin, so if you're good at learning by ear you may find this tape moves at a better pace. He includes a bunch of exercises for improving left-hand technique, info on banjo set up, all sorts of interesting licks, and the key to getting that great clucking sound. Comes with a tablature booklet. (Homespun)
* David Holt's "Clawhammer Banjo Repertoire & Technique" (2 volumes)
These two tapes are designed for intermediate banjo players who want to add shading and shape to their basic picking. The tapes move at a fair pace, with David introducing techniques and ideas which you can then try out yourself. Although the tapes come with tablature booklets, they're really designed to take you beyond playing tab and into playing music. There's some great stuff in these tapes. (Homespun)
Two videos that include some coverage of clawhammer together with other
old-time styles are:
* Pete Seeger's "How to play the 5-string banjo"
While Pete Seeger manages to demonstrate a whole variety of picking and strumming techniques in this video, it's more a documentary and a great accompaniment to his book of the same name than a straight instructional video. Pete talks, sings and picks his way through an amazing array of banjo techniques, everything from clawhammer to blues to flamenco. (Homespun)
* Mike Seeger's "Old Time Banjo"
Like his brother Pete's tape, this video covers a whole bunch of styles, including clawhammer. Mike provides an introduction to the history of the banjo and runs through 2-finger, 3-finger, up-picking, clawhammer and all sorts of variants. Many of the styles are illustrated with tunes played by Mike or one of his special guests, who include Doc Watson and Etta Baker amongst others. This is a great video for getting an overview of old-time, and for picking up some basic techniques. Mike provides much more detailed information on how to accomplish certain techniques than you'll find in Pete's video. A tablature booklet accompanies it and is useful as most of the tunes are played up-tempo, with only a few slowed down on the tape. (Homespun)
One of the delights of all these tapes is the distinctive personality of each teacher, ranging from Frank Lee's unassuming charm to David Holt's upbeat showmanship. The production on the Homespun tapes is definitely the best. Homespun also uses a smooth, picture-in-picture technique to show left- and right-hand technique simultaneously.
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Rose Vines
E-mail: rosevines@email.msn.com
Web: http://www.geekgirls.com