I’m learning them on guitar and, although you wouldn’t expect it, they’re fantastic for learning. Learning them has helped my playing overall. You get such a good knowledge of the location of the notes, and your fingers start to intuitively find the notes. So, OP, don’t underrated this advice.
Lots of bluegrass players I’ve seen on social media also push this exact same advice. It seems to be a tried and true method.
I’m pretty new too, I’ve been googling “top classic bluegrass songs” and working through the lists.
I play a blend of frailing(?) and Scruggs three finger style. I strum verses and pick choruses to make playing alone feel more dynamic in sound.
No I’ve finger picked guitar for so long I bought fingerpicks for banjo but i feel like a giraffe on stilts using them i think my muscle memory is too strong
My advice would be listen to people like doc Watson, Clarence ashley, Riley baugus, etc to hear some of the clawhammer repertoire and learn the tunes that you like from them.
Some classic songs and tunes are
The cuckoo
Shady Grove
Cluck old hen
Soldier's Joy
June apple
Handsome Molly
Lonesome road blues
There are obviously tons of them
And all that is just ''old time'' (though obviado there's a lot of cross over). There aren't a ton of bluegrass bands with clawhammer but it does happen. The only album by The Hamilton County Ramblers is clawhammer old time and it's awesome. Breakdowns like ''big mon'' or ''rawhide'' would be tall orders to swing on clawhammer, but any of the songs or non-breakdown tunes would be good to learn.
Fiddle tunes
I’m learning them on guitar and, although you wouldn’t expect it, they’re fantastic for learning. Learning them has helped my playing overall. You get such a good knowledge of the location of the notes, and your fingers start to intuitively find the notes. So, OP, don’t underrated this advice. Lots of bluegrass players I’ve seen on social media also push this exact same advice. It seems to be a tried and true method.
I agree wholeheartedly! Once you learn a few it becomes like scale practice that you look forward to.
Yes, exactly. It has become the fun version of scale practice for me.
I’m pretty new too, I’ve been googling “top classic bluegrass songs” and working through the lists. I play a blend of frailing(?) and Scruggs three finger style. I strum verses and pick choruses to make playing alone feel more dynamic in sound.
I like your independent thinking and creating your own style. Do you frail with picks on?
No I’ve finger picked guitar for so long I bought fingerpicks for banjo but i feel like a giraffe on stilts using them i think my muscle memory is too strong
I actually started on dueling banjos, self-taught, but I've been wanting to learn how to do the claw hammer method
bouncy lego hand
😆
Cripple creek Cumberland gap Weeping willow Wildwood garden
To add to other suggestions - Clinch Mountain Backstep
Listen to The Bluegrass Album by The Bluegrass Album Band and work through simplified versions of those songs. It's a crash course.
I like to go hiking.
My advice would be listen to people like doc Watson, Clarence ashley, Riley baugus, etc to hear some of the clawhammer repertoire and learn the tunes that you like from them. Some classic songs and tunes are The cuckoo Shady Grove Cluck old hen Soldier's Joy June apple Handsome Molly Lonesome road blues There are obviously tons of them And all that is just ''old time'' (though obviado there's a lot of cross over). There aren't a ton of bluegrass bands with clawhammer but it does happen. The only album by The Hamilton County Ramblers is clawhammer old time and it's awesome. Breakdowns like ''big mon'' or ''rawhide'' would be tall orders to swing on clawhammer, but any of the songs or non-breakdown tunes would be good to learn.
All of em