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Catalog > Books > Clawhammer Banjo updated June 3, 2008
Art of the Mountain Banjo -- by Art Rosenbaum (with CD) $25.00
96 pages. A survey of traditional banjo styles (frailing, up-picking, old time 2-finger and 3-finger picking) with tunings, playing tips, and musical notes. 43 songs in tablature, many for the first time. Includes demonstration CD of 18 songs, chart of banjo tunings, how-to-read tab.
Buzzard Banjo -- by Dan Levenson (with CD) $17.95
40 pages. Provides the intermediate clawhammer player with a fresh repertoire of 21 traditional and 5 original tunes as played by the author with the Boiled Buzzards Old Time String Band. The book briefly addresses clawhammer basics with a few pages of exercises and scales before presenting the tunes. The banjo tunings in this book are: double C tuning (gCGCD), modified double C tuning (eCGCD), G tuning (GDGBD), A tuning (aEAC#E), D tuning (aDADE), and Double-D tuning drop 5th (f#DADE). Written in banjo tablature only with suggested backup chords.
Celtic and New England Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo -- by Ken Perlman (with CD) $19.95
36 pages. A compilation of favorite solos on Irish, Scottish and New England fiddle tunes arranged for banjo by one of America's foremost clawhammer banjoists, Ken Perlman. Formerly published under the name Basic Clawhammer Banjo. In notation and tablature.
Clawhammer Banjo -- by Miles Krassen (with CD) $19.95
Traditional Appalachian banjo tunes transcribed in tablature and based on the playing of Wade Ward, Fred Cockerham, Henry Reed, Frank George and others. With tunings and all basic right and left hand techniques: drop thumbing, the "Galax lick," pull-offs, slides, and plucking.
Clawhammer Banjo Vol. 1 DVD - The Murphy Method -- by Lynn Morris $29.95
90 minute DVD. Rounder Records artist Lynn Morris has taken the mystery out of clawhammer playing. She has broken the style into small segments for ease of learning. Using the frailing strum, Lynn takes you through 5 songs in note-by-note detail. Introduces double C tuning. No tablature included.
Clawhammer Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus -- by Wayne Erbsen (with CD) $17.95
64 pages. On the 30th anniversary of the publication of the original book, Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus, Wayne Erbsen has completely rewritten this banjo classic, and now it's even better! Clear and humorous instruction. Includes: Cluck Old Hen, Poor Wayfaring Stranger, Sugar Hill, Shady Grove, Little Birdie, Darlin' Corey, Rain & Snow, Cotton-Eyed Joe, Buffalo Gals, Cripple Creek, Cumberland Gap, Little Sadie, Lynchburg Town, New River Train, Old Blue, Old Joe Clark, Polly Put the Kettle On, Red Rocking Chair, Shortening Bread, Sweet Sunny South, more. Includes instructional CD with 85 selections!
Clawhammer Banjo from Scratch -- by Dan Levenson (with CD) $26.95
Southern Appalachian native Dan Levenson and Mel Bay Publications present Clawhammer Banjo from Scratch - A Guide for the Claw-less! This book teaches clawhammer banjo the way we play, not the way others say. It really begins as though you really have NO knowledge of how to play the five string banjo clawhammer style. Based on Dan's innovative Meet the Banjo program, this book assumes no prior experience. Beginning at the beginning, Dan presents a brief history of the 5-string banjo then goes over the parts of the banjo, holding the banjo, right and left hand positions and his basic clawhammer strum. Even the strum is broken down into the steps of the finger and thumb. You are guided through the chords, the scale and then the individual notes of each of 12 jam session favorite tunes from scratch. Includes 2 reference CDs with all exercises, tunes (slow and up to speed), and a fiddle version of each tune.
Clawhammer Style Banjo -- by Ken Perlman $19.95
The complete clawhammer tutor 200 pages, 80 tunes plus numerous exercises
Everything You Wanted to Know About Clawhammer Banjo -- by Ken Perlman (with CD) $29.95
200 pages. One of the world's top players addresses nearly every aspect of the popular 5-string banjo style known as clawhammer or frailing. Chapter themes include fundamentals; advanced and experimental techniques; arranging and backup; how to play reels, hornpipes, jigs and other fiddle tunes; how to approach such genres as ragtime, bluegrass, klezmer, blues, calypso, and a wide variety of national and regional music; alternative tunings; setup and accessories; and historical background. Features 120 tunes along with numerous exercises and musical examples in crystal clear tablature; all tunes illustrated by author on two accompanying CDs.
Frailing the Banjo -- by Eric Muller and Barbara Koehler (with CD) $22.95
96 pages. This is a book for genuine banjo lovers. Full of beautiful photos and hand-sketched tabs, this highly acclaimed text presents a systematic method for playing the unique frailing banjo style. Old-time mountain banjo is taught with clarity and expertise. In tablature only. The compact disc is in split-track format, allowing the student to play along with the old-time string band or the frailing banjo parts.
How to Play Banjo -- by Tim Jumper $14.95
63 pages. Fingerpicking & frailing, mostly old time. 48 tunes in tabulature with guitar chords. Partial song lyrics. Chord dictionary, transposition chart, how to tune, how to read tab. Glossary, discography, bibliography.
Melodic Clawhammer Banjo -- by Ken Perlman (with CD) $19.95
The classic clawhammer tune book. The new edition includes a CD that features all 55 tunes.
Old-Time Festival Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo -- by Dan Levenson (with 2 CDs) $29.95
This book and 2 CD set is intended to be a tune repertoire book. It includes over 100 Old-Time festival favorites. The book contains 2 lines of tablature (one basic and one advanced) as well as standard notation and suggested chords. The basic version should be playable by those with general clawhammer skills. The advanced version will require more time and finesse as it is more ornamental (often more than just melodic) and may include less than intuitive ways of playing some passages.
Round Peak Style Clawhammer Banjo -- by Brad Leftwich (with CD) $24.95
This 104-page book presents more than 70 tunes in the unique highly developed clawhammer style known as Round Peak - named after the Blue Ridge Mountain, North Carolina community where it originated. While not intended for the absolute beginner, this book will benefit players at various experience levels. Tunes in the book are organized according to the specific banjo tuning used, with A and D tunings most prominent. Much of the book's commentary and the included CD recording is directed towards the fretless variant of the 5-string banjo but as these tunes are written in standard 5-string banjo tablature, they can most definitely be played on the more common fretted instrument. Includes tune lyrics and extensive historical and biographical notes plus technical tips and a discography. Written in 5-string banjo tablature only.
Southern Mountain Banjo -- by Wayne Erbsen $15.95
16 Classic Melodies Arranged for Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Clawhammer Banjo. 120 pages. This friendly book is filled with clawhammer banjo instruction, tablature, lyrics, tune histories, chords, playing tips, vintage photos, and more. Includes such classic oldtime tunes as, Soldier's Joy; Cluck Old Hen; Arkansas Traveler; Leather Britches; Mississippi Sawyer; Chicken Reel; Shady Grove; Red Rocking Chair; John Henry; Uncle Joe, more. A companion recording, Southern Mountain Classics, is available on CD.