How to Play Two Finger Banjo
Two-finger banjo, or clawhammer, is a banjo-picking technique whereby the player uses his index and middle fingers, along with his thumb, to pick melodies accompanied by a drone note. Two-finger banjo has been one of the most popular styles of playing since the instrument's early days, especially in bluegrass circles. Many players feel the two-finger, or clawhammer, is the easiest way to learn how to play banjo. With practice and patience, almost anyone can master this style.
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Instructions
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Hold your banjo with the body resting on one knee and the neck at a 45 degree angle. Anchor your thumb over the lowest (thickest) string of your banjo. Curve your third and fourth fingers almost to your palm to get them out of the way and allow your index and middle fingers to form what resembles the claw end of a hammer. These are the two fingers you will use to pick all but the lowest (thickest) banjo string, which will be covered by your thumb. This is the basic two-finger banjo position.
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Pick a melody note (about a quarter note value) on the downbeat of the song with either your index or middle finger. It's easiest to assign your index finger to the two strings above your thickest string and your middle finger to the highest (thinnest) strings of your banjo. As you become more adept at playing, you may vary the strings you use your fingers on, but this is a good way to get used to the two-finger technique without complicating the method.
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Pick several quicker notes (half the length of the initial melody note) with your index and middle fingers, then follow those notes with a note played on the lowest string, with your thumb. Play this pattern throughout, which will have you playing a melody line with your index finger, quick fills with index and middle finger, and a drone, or bass line, with your thumb.
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Practice the clawhammer technique by playing as much banjo sheet music as you can. You can purchase a beginner's banjo book in a music store or some bookstores. You can also find free banjo music online (see Resources). The best way to improve is to practice, and there is no better practice than to play songs written out specifically for two-finger banjo.
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References
Resources
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Comments
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Wow this throws completely up in the air everything I've been learning about banjo for the past two years... Umm... For me clawhammer (frailing) and two-finger playing are not the same thing at all - two finger playing plucks up with the finger, frailing whacks down - and this article says to use BOTH first and second fingers, which sounds more like bluegrass (Scruggs) style... Umm, am I going mad or is this article just extremely confused.
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totally wrong, you pick the highest string(yup 5th string) with the thumb, not the lowest note,
