Clawhammer Banjo. How I learned to "drop thumb" and why it's worth it!
Cerddoriaeth Fynyddig / Mountain Music
2,242 views
Hopefully this helps. If you haven't learned to use your thumb off the fifth string, this might help. It's hard trying to think back to when I couldn't do this, but it was recent enough in the past to remember what worked for me.
When I learned to drop thumb, I found
@meredithmoon had a video where she said she just decided to focus on learning the technique, and didn't play anything that didn't help her learn for two weeks. I heard that, and thought I'd give it go. I could play plenty of tunes before then, but just decided to go back to sounding awkward and shaky while I trained my right hand to work differently.
And it took two weeks for me too.
My top tip?
Practice a basic strum "bum ditty" where you miss the "dit", so you play "bum _ty" using the fifth string for the "Ty".
Lots of tunes use this pattern of notes, so it's useful anyway. But it also gives your brain a little bit of time to think and use your thumb on other strings.
So try "bum _ty" and thumb the second string.
Try other strings too, but the second is a good one start with.
Keep going, don't worry about tunes, just play chords or single strings.
Soon enough you will add back that "dit" and will have retrained your brain / thumb.
20 Comments
Absolutely love that celtic folk sound towards the end.
Thanks for these videos!
God bless
Nathan
Anyway, I’ve watched your Hard Travelin’ video more times than I care to admit, slowing it way down, to try to figure out just what you’re doing. I know you’re using drop thumb, but there’s a syncopation in there that I wasn’t able to replicate until I watched this video. I just couldn’t make it sound right. Now, after watching this video several times, I’m finally able to get that rhythm that’s been so obsessing me! Thank you so much. I’ve watched tons of videos by many good clawhammer players, and few are as expressive with rhythm as you. In my opinion, anyway. Your playing is what I aspire to. Someday!
Clawhammer Banjo. How I learned to "drop thumb" and why it's worth it!
Cerddoriaeth Fynyddig / Mountain Music
2,242 views
Hopefully this helps. If you haven't learned to use your thumb off the fifth string, this might help. It's hard trying to think back to when I couldn't do this, but it was recent enough in the past to remember what worked for me.
When I learned to drop thumb, I found
@meredithmoon had a video where she said she just decided to focus on learning the technique, and didn't play anything that didn't help her learn for two weeks. I heard that, and thought I'd give it go. I could play plenty of tunes before then, but just decided to go back to sounding awkward and shaky while I trained my right hand to work differently.
And it took two weeks for me too.
My top tip?
Practice a basic strum "bum ditty" where you miss the "dit", so you play "bum _ty" using the fifth string for the "Ty".
Lots of tunes use this pattern of notes, so it's useful anyway. But it also gives your brain a little bit of time to think and use your thumb on other strings.
So try "bum _ty" and thumb the second string.
Try other strings too, but the second is a good one start with.
Keep going, don't worry about tunes, just play chords or single strings.
Soon enough you will add back that "dit" and will have retrained your brain / thumb.