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When
you first try playing clawhammer style it will seem awkward, and maybe
even a little weird. It’s possibly the only style of playing a stringed
instrument in which all of the notes are plucked downward, either with
your middle finger or thumb. Unlike standard fingerpicking in which you
move your fingers to pluck the notes, in clawhammer you hold your hand
partially closed and the only movement is in your wrist, much the same
motion as knocking on a door. As odd as that sounds, once you get the
basic motion down it’s easy, and it’s a great technique to learn
because it not only adds a new dimension to your playing but it also
adds a technique that will enable you to play many songs that you’re
not able to play in other styles. Since it’s a combination of strumming
and single string picking it can also sound much more complicated than
it really is.
I
don't want to oversimplify the bum-ditty, as it is probably the single
most important element in playing the clawhammer style, but I don't
want to make it sound overly complicated either -- it's not that
difficult. Basically I believe it is just a matter of learning the
basic stroke, then practicing it a few thousand times until it becomes
second nature.
When
playing the bum-ditty on the banjo, many players strum partial chords
(either 2, 3, or 4 strings) on the “dit” part of the bum-ditty. On the
Dulcijo, however, since we don’t ordinarily hold chords, it usually
sounds better to just play the melody note again on the “dit” part. An
exception to this would be when playing the melody on the 2nd string,
at which time it usually sounds better to include the 1st string along
with the 2nd string melody as a drone. We’ll talk about that more in
the tutorial on “Playing the Melody on the 2nd String.”
Remember,
the first two parts of the bum-ditty are accomplished using the back of
the fingernail of one finger only -- either the middle finger or the
index finger. Try it both ways and pick the one that suits you best.
The
thumb should automatically go to the top string (3rd string) as the
middle finger strikes the melody note (1st or 2nd string), all in the
same motion. After the “dit” the hand pulls back slightly while the
thumb plucks the 3rd string. If you have a hard time visualizing this,
think of the top of the Dulcijo as a door and make a motion like you
are knocking on the door. The movement is very similar. Note that when
knocking on the door, the forearm does not move, but rather the hand is
bent at the wrist. The hand is pulled back only slightly, no more than
an inch or so off the strings.
Except
for the bending at the wrist, the hand is basically held rigid. The
position of the fingers should remain in a claw-like position, letting
all of the movement be done with the wrist.
Practice
the exercise above with all open notes on the first string until you
get a feel for it. Then try the exercise below, which takes you up the
diatonic scale on the 1st string and then back down.
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