Clawhammer Banjo from Scratch: A Guide for the Claw-less!

Dan Levenson

Jan 2011 · Mel Bay Publications

About this ebook

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 (where Dan brings 15 banjos and teaches players who may have never held a banjo), 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 access to online audio with all exercises, tunes (slow and up to speed), and a fiddle version of each tune.

Ratings and reviews

Great book! I've been playing a while and this book took my technique to a new level. Good for beginners too.

About the author

Dan Levenson is a Southern Appalachian native who has grown up with the music of that region. Today he is considered a respected master teacher and performer of both the Clawhammer banjo & Appalachian style fiddle. Banjo Newsletter's R.D. Lunceford describes Dan "as an interpreter, rather than a music re-creator". Fiddler Magazine's Bob Buckingham described him as "an accomplished fiddler and ...one of the best clawhammer banjo players in the country." Ken Perlman has called him "The Johnny Appleseed of the Banjo".

Dan has won awards on both instruments including a 2017 Master Artist Award from Arizona's Southwest Folklife Alliance, first place at the 2005 Ohio Clawhammer Banjo Championship and Grand Champion at the 2010 Ajo, AZ Fiddle Contest. He's made numerous recordings both as a solo artist and with his bands.

Dan performs and teaches regularly throughout the world. In addition to the US Dan has performed and taught fiddle, clawhammer and stringband workshops in England, Ireland, Israel and Brazil and many music schools and camps including in the John C. Campbell Folk School, Mars Hill, Maryland Banjo Academy, The Ozark Folk Center at Mountain View, AR, Banjo Camp North, The Rolland Fiddle Camp and Dan's own Clawcamp instructional weekends at various locations throughout the country.