Time for a finger nail question

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Beginning Clawhammer

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The Claw thing, for absolute beginners or long time players who have managed to evade down picking until now

189 Members, Created 1/31/2011 -

Administrators: oldwoodchuckb (owner)

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From Scott Barnbilly56 on 2/19/2012 6:41:53 PM

I'm not brand new to finger pick'in with picks but love clawhammer style too and new stuff to me . Now i have the bumb ditty bump style down and the drop thumb style and use them to songs doing the chord changes and having a blast . The thing is i started out using my middle finger to hit the strings and switched to index finger and like better for me . The problem i'm having is my middle finger nail gets wore down in the center part of nail and gets to a sore finger part when nail gets short enough . Does any of this sound famillar and how or what did ya do to stop the wear down middle finger problem . My middle finger would like to know .

8 Comments
	somarmd says: 2/26/2012 7:12:32 AM Hi Scott, Im new to banjo and have been learning both bluegrass and clawhammer. I find that my index finger nail sounds better (to me) than my middle finger. I also feel like I have better control hitting the strings with my index finger. I have viewed and read many sources. They all say it doesn't matter. Whatever is most comfortable to you. Happy playing!
	Scott Barnbilly56 says: 2/26/2012 12:21:48 PM Ya that's what i'm doing also and switched from middle to index and better but have that middle nail wear down problem . I use the middle finger as part of my brushes so not sure why it wears down like that . I've been pick'in scruggs bluegrass style for over a year and a half and have a bluegrass banjo for that but like frailing clawhammer style also and the new banjo for that should be here wednsday so i can quit using a junky clawhammer banjo i got .Glad to hear others are doing both styles of playing . Take care . Scott barn'billy
	somarmd says: 2/26/2012 1:52:57 PM Thats great! Which banjo did you decide to go with?
	Scott Barnbilly56 says: 2/26/2012 4:43:31 PM I already have had a gold tone orange blossum 250 which is one of gold tones high end bluegrass banjo and it's a heavy one to but sounds real good . I decided to get for clawhammer banjo a gold tone open back white ladye 250 and that's on the way from Janet Davis music store and should be here wednsday . I got the one with the clouds on the neck instead of the vine of life etching stuff . I have 5 string capos on both and capo user here . What "Y"all scratch'in dem strings on ???
	Scott Barnbilly56 says: 2/26/2012 5:10:17 PM This is me playing the mountain dew song on my resinator gold tone orange blossom 250 in a clawhammer style instead of pick'in which i do mostly . Can't wait for the open back comming . Note > new at this too . youtube.com/watch?v=ACsjFLkx1Q...ure=share
	Scott Barnbilly56 says: 2/29/2012 4:57:30 PM It's here and yes it's love at first site ! I'm talking about my new gold tone white ladye 250 open back i ordered a few weeks ago . Got the wayne erbsen -clawhammer for the complete ignoramus book also and it's way cool to go with the new banjo .
	somarmd says: 2/29/2012 5:47:53 PM Congrats! I am using that book also. It's very good for us newbies. I started with Cripple Creek so I could stay with open G tuning for now.
	Scott Barnbilly56 says: 3/1/2012 5:27:31 AM I have played in that c tuning before so long as ya do the chords diffrent in that tuning your ok and capo guy here so will dothe d capo in c tuning so can put on 2 fret otherwise it would be on the 7th fret way up there . Will be right behind ya on the cripple creek song in G and sing and play diffrent versions so like doing famillar ones . Let me know how it goes . Scott barn'billy
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