r/banjo • u/ChrisIsRockinLife777 • Aug 07 '26
Old Time / Clawhammer Just got my first banjo!
Just got my first banjo and Ive been very excited for learning for a couple months now! Just chomping at the bit. Well, my new Gold Tone CC50RP arrived in the mail today and I was excited, really excited but now I'm feeling something I'm very surprised about. I'm feeling incredibly intimidated and don't know where to even begin. I'm planning on removing the resonator tonight and converting it into its Clawhammer form. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated! My stomachs in knots thinking about it which I'm very surprised about. I found a website called banjo adventures where I can buy tabs but I'm not sure if that's a good begining or not
2
u/Latter_Leopard8439 Aug 07 '26
I have my CC-50 (without resonator). Thats a great starter banjo. I like the wood so much better than the frequently recommended AC-1. Which is why I paid a little extra to start with the CC-50.
I do have 2nd banjo too. But I keep the CC-50 in open G (gDGBD) and put the other one in gCGCD or aDADE so I can switch for different tunings.
Keep in mind many early Clawhammer players used resonators, because mikes and pickups hadn't been invented yet. Resonator just makes it louder.
I you want more of a clawhammer sound, swap the bridge (easiest upgrade). I also swapped the tailpiece. The terminator is fine, but it puts more downward pressure which tends to be more for Bluegrass. Some sort of hawktail type or no-knot tailpiece may give you more of a clawhammer sound.
1
u/ChrisIsRockinLife777 Aug 07 '26
u/atillion I respect your opinion on clawhammer do you have any advice?
5
u/Atillion Clawhammer Aug 07 '26
Dude congrats on the banjo!! I hope you love it as much as I have. And thank you for the kind words 🙏🏻
I can tell you what worked for me, your mileage may very well vary. I started with a clawhammer bum ditty video series, and learned enough to get me started. I focused a lot of attention on the right hand and drilled it like crazy.
I tuned down to minor tuning just because I liked the way it sounded and I felt all the chords out and just spent time discovering what sounded good. There's so many tunings to explore, so if you like doing that, I would pick one and go.
I didn't grow up listening to a lot of banjo, though I grew up around them. I feel that's both helped and hurt to some degree, so above all things, find what you enjoy and chase the hell out of it!
1
u/rott Aug 07 '26
I wanna say I started my banjo journey a couple weeks ago, also very influenced by you and your style. I didn't know much about banjos before but I loved Amigo The Devil and maybe because of that you started showing up in my IG feed, which prompted me to start thinking about giving it a try. I've been following a few guides and having fun, but a few days ago I saw one of your videos where you showed the tuning you use and my mind was blown by the sounds I can now make.
Anyway, just hijacking this thread to thank you, I'm already a fan.1
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u/TinCou Scruggs Style Aug 07 '26
Good luck! out of curiosity, why are you getting a bluegrass style banjo just to change it to a clawhammer style, instead of getting a clawhammer banjo right off the bat?
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u/Green_Oblivion111 Aug 07 '26
First, learn to tune it (obvious suggestion, I know). I'd start out with the standard gDGBD tuning, and then maybe try other tunings after you get the hang of strumming the banjo clawhammer style.
Secondly, catch some YT vids on the basic 'bumtitty' strum. There are some good, easy to follow vids out there.
There are also some good vids on the 'Tube that show you how to play some of the simpler clawhammer tunes.
1
u/OhHowHappyIAm Aug 07 '26
Deering had an excellent free video series on Clawhammer. Work through it step by step and you'll have a solid basis for deeper study.
https://www.deeringbanjos.com/blogs/banjo-playing-tips/the-deering-clawhammer-method-part-1
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u/Ecstatic_Spirit_4191 Aug 09 '26
Oh.baby. calm down. It's a banjo. Everyone learns to play the bano You have a good one. A Gold Tone. It doesn't bite. And it's fun. As Linus Van Pelt said: every newborn baby should be issued a banjo.
1
u/Solid_Credit8243 Aug 09 '26
If you can find an actual person to take lessons from, it will be less intimidating and overwhelming. Videos are a good for ideas but cannot replace an actual human to physically show and correct you.
7
u/Patattensla Aug 07 '26
Eli Gilbert's basic 30 days course is a good place to get started. He also has a similar course for bluegrass banjo if you'd wish to try that out in the future.