Clawhammer is a banjo technique where the hand is held like a claw, and the fingernail strikes down on the strings, and the thumb catches the 5th string on the offbeat. It is the old-time banjo style, also called frailing, and it gives the banjo its rhythmic, percussive sound.
What is clawhammer technique?
Clawhammer is a banjo technique where the hand is held like a claw, and the fingernail strikes down on the strings, and the thumb catches the 5th string on the offbeat, and it gives the banjo its rhythmic, percussive sound. It is the old-time banjo style, also called frailing, and it is different from the bluegrass style, which uses fingerpicks and plays up, because clawhammer plays down, with the nail, and the thumb catches the drone string, and the rhythm is the melody, not just the accompaniment. The hand is held like a claw, with the fingers curled and the thumb tucked, and the middle fingernail strikes down on the strings, playing the melody, and the thumb catches the 5th string, which is the short drone string, on the offbeat, giving the rhythm its bounce. The 5th string is tuned high, to G, and it is the drone, the note that rings underneath the melody, and the thumb catches it after every downstroke, so the banjo sounds full and rhythmic, with the melody and the drone together. The G major guitar chord and the C major guitar chord are the chord shapes the clawhammer pattern is built on, and the metronome keeps the beat steady.
How clawhammer works
Clawhammer works by striking down on the strings with the fingernail, and catching the 5th string with the thumb, in a rhythm called bum-ditty, which is the basic clawhammer pattern. The downstroke, the bum, is the melody note, played by the middle fingernail striking down on the strings, and the ditty is the thumb catching the 5th string, and the rhythm is bum-ditty, bum-ditty, with the downstroke on the beat and the thumb on the offbeat. The hand moves in a steady rhythm, down, thumb, down, thumb, and the banjo sounds rhythmic and percussive, with the melody and the drone together. The downstroke is played with the nail of the middle finger, or the index finger, striking down on the strings, and the finger comes to rest on the next string, or it brushes across the strings, playing the melody note and the chord together. The thumb catches the 5th string, which is the short drone string, tuned to G, and the thumb plucks it on the offbeat, giving the rhythm its bounce. The D major guitar chord and the A major guitar chord are the chords the clawhammer is built on, and the I–V–vi–IV progression in G major is a good progression to practise it with.
Worked example — the bum-ditty pattern. Hold a G major chord on the banjo, and strike down on the strings with the middle fingernail, playing the melody note, G, on the beat, one, which is the bum, and then catch the 5th string with the thumb, playing the drone note, G, on the offbeat, the and after one, which is the ditty, and repeat, bum-ditty, bum-ditty, with the downstroke on the beat and the thumb on the offbeat. The rhythm is bum-ditty, bum-ditty, and the banjo sounds rhythmic and percussive, with the melody and the drone together, and the pattern is the foundation of clawhammer. The key of G major lists the chords the clawhammer is built on.
How to practise clawhammer technique
Practise clawhammer slowly, learning the downstroke first, and then adding the thumb, so the bum is steady before the ditty is added.
- Practise the downstroke alone, striking down on the strings with the middle fingernail, on the beat, one, two, three, four, until the downstroke is steady.
- Add the thumb, catching the 5th string on the offbeat, the and after each beat, so the pattern is bum-ditty, bum-ditty, and the rhythm is steady.
- Practise the bum-ditty pattern on a G major chord, and then on a C major chord, changing chords on beat one of each bar.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in G major with the bum-ditty pattern, and listen for the banjo to sound rhythmic and percussive.
- Practise with the metronome at 60 beats per minute, and increase the tempo by 5 beats per minute when the pattern is steady at the current tempo.
Common mistakes
- Striking up instead of down — Clawhammer strikes down, with the nail, and striking up will make the banjo sound like bluegrass, not like clawhammer, because the rhythm is different. Strike down, with the nail, and let the thumb catch the 5th string on the offbeat.
- Forgetting the thumb — The thumb catches the 5th string, the drone, on the offbeat, and forgetting it will make the banjo sound thin, because the drone is missing. Catch the 5th string after every downstroke, so the banjo sounds full and rhythmic.
- Holding the hand too stiffly — The hand must be like a claw, curled and relaxed, not stiff, because a stiff hand will strike the strings harshly, and the rhythm will be choppy. Relax the hand, curl the fingers, and let the nail strike the strings smoothly.
Quick reference
This table shows the bum-ditty pattern for one bar, with the beat, the hand, and the note for each position, so you can see the downstroke and the thumb working together. The downstroke is the melody, on the beat, and the thumb is the drone, on the offbeat, and the two together make the clawhammer rhythm.
| Beat | Hand | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Beat 1 | Downstroke (nail) | Melody note (G) |
| And after 1 | Thumb | 5th string (G, drone) |
| Beat 2 | Downstroke (nail) | Melody note (G) |
| And after 2 | Thumb | 5th string (G, drone) |
| Beat 3 | Downstroke (nail) | Melody note (G) |
| And after 3 | Thumb | 5th string (G, drone) |
| Beat 4 | Downstroke (nail) | Melody note (G) |
| And after 4 | Thumb | 5th string (G, drone) |
Use the table to practise the bum-ditty pattern: strike down on the beat, catch the 5th string on the offbeat, and keep the hand like a claw, curled and relaxed, so the banjo sounds rhythmic and percussive. When you can play the table without looking, try the pattern on C major, and then on D major, and the clawhammer will be yours.
Frequently asked questions
What is clawhammer technique?
Clawhammer is a banjo technique where the hand is held like a claw, and the fingernail strikes down on the strings, and the thumb catches the 5th string on the offbeat. It is the old-time banjo style, also called frailing, and it gives the banjo its rhythmic, percussive sound.
What is the difference between clawhammer and bluegrass banjo?
Clawhammer strikes down with the nail, and the thumb catches the 5th string, while bluegrass uses fingerpicks and plays up, with the fingers picking the strings in a pattern. Clawhammer is the old-time style, and bluegrass is the newer style, and the two sound different.
What is the bum-ditty pattern?
The bum-ditty pattern is the basic clawhammer rhythm: the bum is the downstroke, the melody note, on the beat, and the ditty is the thumb catching the 5th string, the drone, on the offbeat, and the pattern repeats, bum-ditty, bum-ditty.
Do I need a banjo to learn clawhammer?
Yes, clawhammer is a banjo technique, and it needs a banjo, with its 5th string, the short drone string, tuned to G. The technique can be practised on guitar, but the sound will not be the same, because the guitar has no drone string.
Is clawhammer hard to learn?
It takes time, because the hand must learn the claw shape, and the thumb must learn to catch the 5th string, but the bum-ditty pattern is simple, and a beginner can learn it in a few weeks, with short, frequent practice.