Northl - Posted - 11/11/2017:  19:30:47

A new group is starting up for folks learning Clawhammer using Dan Levenson's book, "Clawhammer Banjo from Scratch."
banjohangout.org/group/clawham...omscratch

larrydata - Posted - 11/12/2017:  04:31:14

Thanks...I have just joined. I’m currently working on the drop thumb exercises.

Larry

arktrav71 - Posted - 11/12/2017:  05:35:34

Sounds great! I went to the group and tried to post but it said I had to be logged in, I was. How do I join?

Northl - Posted - 11/12/2017:  05:45:54

@AndyW, Please send link. I saw a join group link and used that.

AndyW - Posted - 11/12/2017:  06:01:41

banjohangout.org/groups/

Click the link above. Then the big blue 'Join This Group' box next to the group..

arktrav71 - Posted - 11/12/2017:  07:32:42

Okay, looks like I'm in! Thanks, J.C. Bryant

Clawdan - Posted - 11/13/2017:  07:14:51

Here is my post on and Thank you to Andy for setting up this group. Basically I see it as "your" group and am honored to be involved.

Thank you Andy for your kind words and for setting up this group. I am not entirely sure how I will interact here.

I will do my best to always answer direct questions to the best of my ability and admit that there is almost always more than one way to skin a banjo - or play a particular passage.

I am thinking about also posting corrections/clarifications to the original book, G/A versions of the exercises and scales and a few G and A tunes in the Scratch progression. (Any requests?)

I think some philosophizing about how and why I wrote the book as well as playing music/banjo might be helpful as well.

Please share your thoughts with me and I'll do my best to add to the discussions in this group.

Again, thank you for making it possible.

Play Nice,
Dan
Clawdan.com

AndyW - Posted - 11/13/2017:  07:44:41

Dan,

I see ownership of this group as being joint by all members unless you want to run it's direction.

I think we all appreciate that as a banjo teacher who quite rightly expects payment for your services we can't expect this to be a 'font of all knowledge' from yourself.

However, I hope I can speak for all of us when I say that any input from yourself will be appreciated. Philosophising welcome!!

What do you mean by 'Scratch progression'. I admit to being impressed enough by your book to already have bought 'Old Time Festival Tunes' as one of my resources
for once I have absorbed 'From Scratch' fully.

Andy

Clawdan - Posted - 11/13/2017:  08:25:14

Correct, Andy. I am hoping and wanting the group to be "in charge" and don't think my "job" here is to "run" things as to respond and advance our knowledge while facilitating the learning.

As to "Scratch progression" I refer to taking a tune an making it a simple double thumb (fifth string thumb) melody, then a drop thumb version and finally a "kitchen sink" one as is done in the Scratch book.

Looking forward to the dialog!

AndyW - Posted - 11/14/2017:  04:47:00

I think that way you have ordered the 'scratch progression' of tunes in the book is excellent. It takes what would otherwise would need to be mindless drilling of double thumb/drop thumb exercises, and turns it into an enjoyable learning experience. It certainly prevents unnecessary constant adherence to bum-ditty which might be burned into muscle memory by other teachers methods.

For me personally, now that 'drilling' has been completed I see no benefit in learning other tunes in the same manner. The full tunes are much more enjoyable to learn and play.

Others may of course take completely the opposite view.