Toni,

The distinction between frailing and clawhammer is a bit fuzzy at best.
The definitions I have heard are that frailing generally involves a
strum type movement with the right hand in conjunction with the thumb
staying up on the fifth string all the time. Clawhammer, on the other
hand, generally involves playing more individual notes with the down
stroke and involves "drop thumb" which brings the thumb down on the
interior strings of the banjo allowing a more melodic type of playing.

The reason that I gravitated to this type of banjo playing is that I
always felt that bluegrass banjo sounded like it needed some backup
(which I often could not find), whereas the older forms of banjo playing
seemed to grow out of an individual performer idiom. I am a blues
guitar dude myself (mostly finger style) and I guess that I gravitate
towards individual types of performance.

Get a CD of a man named Dwight Diller called "O Death". Listen to it
several times. If this sounds like a direction you might want to
pursue, let me know (or the list) and you will get a long list or
recommended listening. The CD is available from Dwight (google his name
for his website...he was in a car accident recently so may be a bit slow
to respond) or Elderly Instruments (www.elderly.com).

All the best,

Kelly

toni vines wrote:

> Hi Kelly, thanks for taking the trouble to get in
> touch. OK, I'm really new so help me please!
> Clawhammer and Frailing, are they the same? Can you
> please suggest some players I should listen to please?
> I got into banjo firstly from seeing the old film
> 'Bonnie & Clyde'. Then the next time it hit me was in
> the film 'Deliverance'. I've got into Don Reno 'cause
> of his son in Hayseed Dixie. I really need to learn
> about more than just the picking.
> Would be glad of any pointers please?
> Thanks all,
> Toni.
>
>
>
> Sing like no-one's listening,
> dance like no-one's watching,
> work like you don't need the money
> & love like you've never been hurt.
>
>
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--
Delaware USA
http://www.celticharvest.com/ (our band)
http://www.delfolk.org/ (Delaware Friends of Folk board member)
Irish Sessions the second Saturday of each month at W.T. Smithers pub in Dover,
Delaware http://www.delfolk.org/map.htm (the map)



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