Clawhammer

This article is about a musical picking style; other articles are available about the claw hammer (a type of hammer) and Athlon 64 (codenamed "Clawhammer").

Clawhammer and frailing describe a class of fingerpicking techniques used by banjo and, rarely, guitar players. The two terms are mostly used interchangeably, those some players make a distinction.

Clawhammer is a highly rhythmic and common component of American old-time music. The principal difference between clawhammer style and other finger picking styles is the picking direction. Traditional picking styles, including those for folk, and classical guitar, consist of an up-picking motion by the fingers and a down-picking motion by the thumb; this is also the technique used in the Scruggs style for the banjo. Clawhammer picking, by contrast, is a mostly or completely down-picking style. The hand assumes a claw-like shape and the strumming finger is kept fairly stiff, striking the strings by the motion of the hand at the wrist, rather than a flicking motion by the finger. In its most common form on the banjo, only the thumb and middle or index finger are used and the finger always downpicks, flicking the string with the back of the fingernail.

21st century musicians who utilized the clawhammer style of picking include Bob Carlin, Dwight Diller, Dan Levenson, Brad Leftwich, and Abigail Washburn. Early practioners include Clarence Ashley, Tommy Jarrell, and Wade Ward.

More detailed description

A common characteristic of clawhammer patterns is the thumb does not pick on the downbeat, as one might in typical fingerpicking patterns for guitar. For example, this is a common, basic 2/4 pattern:

Pick a melody note on the downbeat (quarter note)
On the second beat, strum a few strings with your strumming finger (roughly an eighth note)
Immediately following (on the second half of this beat), pick a note with the thumb, usually the shorter fifth string. (roughly an eighth note)

Here, the thumb plays the high drone on the second "and" of "one and two and". This combined with the middle finger strumming provides a characteristic "bum-ditty bum-ditty" banjo soundFrailing vs Clawhammer by Don Zepp, describing the distinction between the two terms on the banjo, whether actually played on a banjo or on a guitar.

Banjo players often also use the left hand, the fingering hand, to pick. Using a motion similar to a pull-off, the left hand picks up at the top of the neck, usually on the second half of the first beat. The result is a change from the "bum-ditty" sound to a "bum-pa-ditty".

Clawhammer vs. frailing

Many people use the terms "clawhammer" and "frailing" in all their senses interchangeably. Other old-time players, however, draw a distinction between the two. On the banjo, the most common definitions are that frailing means always picking the drone string, and clawhammer allows you to pick other strings with the thumb, which is also called "drop thumbing". Some players even distinguish between "drop thumb" and "clawhammer", in which the thumb plays rhythm in drop thumb, but melody in clawhammer. There are yet more variations of the distinction between "clawhammer" and "frailing", but they usually refer to the same general style of playing. The term "double thumbing" is sometimes used interchangeably with "drop thumbing", but more accurately, double thumbing refers to striking the fifth string after every beat, rather than every other beat.

Confusing the nomenclature further are the various other terms that are used by some people for perceived variations on the method. These include "flailing," "knockdown", "banging," "rapping," and "clubbing." This is reflective of the informality of old-time music in general, as each player develops a style which is comfortable for him or herself.

Clawhammer on guitar

Although both "clawhammer" and "frailing" are primarily used to refer to banjo styles, the terms do appear with reference to guitar. "Frailing guitarist" Steve Baughman, defines "frailing" as using the index finger for picking melody (which is done by up-picking) and the middle finger for strumming, and "clawhammer" as using only downstrokes with one finger as is the usual technique on the banjo.Steve Baughman's Frailing Guitar website In one variation, often taught for guitar, the index finger is used to up-pick melody notes while the middle fingernail is used for rhythmic downward strumming.

Another usage of "clawhammer" in guitar circles refers to a style in which the pinky finger or the pinky and ring fingers are used to brace the hand and the index finger, middle finger, and thumb are used to pluck the strings. The index and middle fingers are held in a claw shape and they do resemble the two prongs of a claw hammer, but this is an uncommon and arguably incorrect usage of the term "clawhammer". See fingerpicking.

References

External links

Charles Kelly's Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo, with 217 free tablatures
Video demonstration of clawhammer style of banjo playing from Google Video

Musical performance techniques

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Clawhammer

More detailed description

Clawhammer vs. frailing

Clawhammer on guitar

Further reading

References

External links