How To Play Frailing Banjo

[@ringolake]

i've played "finger-style" banjo for years (pick & 3 fingers) and recently, stretching myself, i've been fascinated and frustrated with learning to frail. your video is the first i've found that demystifies it. thank you SO much!!!

[@hellseeker-inc9756]

Years later and your vid is still helping folks. God i am strugling with the right hand...and rythm too😄

[@christopherrobinson8676]

the rhythm is just out of my grasp. right there, but can't quite get it

[@jacobnowicki3790]

keep practicing gentlemen you will get it i recommend using a metronome

[@venatorus1000]

I knew nothing about banjos or banjo playing. I just listened to Cripple Creek and Mole in the Ground. I was looking for more and came across this. I'm gonna get a banjo now. Excellent post.

[@JimtownSteve]

**This is excellent** I did some frailing years ago and never quite got it. Recently, a friend restrung my 100 year old banjo (no I'm not 100), put a new head on it to replace the old split one, and I thought I'd give it another try. After searching out lessons I came across this and it is so basic that even I can do it. I love how he breaks down the rhythm and has the closeups. I know I'll succeed at it and improve with other instruction once I have this foundation. Thank you very much!

[@theeclecticbanjo]

I really liked how you showed different angles of your strumming. No one beginner video that I've seen has done that, and I've been screaming at them to do it!

[@mikemorton1830]

Daniel Declan 7

[@chrismlastname]

Ive been trying to teach myself banjo for a year and its going well, but this video sums up almost everything i learned in that year

[@moodyblue198945]

Thank you Steve for the enfo..Like I said you are the best I've found on here.I am just learning and hope I can play half as good as you!

[@CringeShortStories]

been trying to get this routine down....you explained and showed it so i finally understood THANK YOU!

[@frankcastle7991]

Iv been struggling with clawhammer for some time after watching your video I think I finally got it thanks

[@dawsonrobbins]

Thank you . You shown me how to start , I can't wait to get frailing.

[@tommyguitar63]

it's gonna be one long month for me, but thanks for giving me a good start.....best way I've seen the techinque explained

[@equality53000]

"...if you make mistakes, just say you did it on purpose." haha I like the way you think, man. some good tips here.

[@StevePlaysBanjo]

Yup, banjo's very easy to learn. Tuned in open G, it doesn't take a lot to find the chords. Most of the work is in the frailing or picking technique. You'll probably be able to keep a rhythm after a month.

[@StevePlaysBanjo]

I can't tell you how happy that makes me to hear that. Now you have to pass it on and teach someone else! :D

[@StevePlaysBanjo]

I use a guitar strap. I unscrewed one of the brackets and poked it through the end of the strap. Seems to work nice and I've had it there for 5 years. Nice and comfy.

[@mikelheron20]

This is by far the best and clearest demonstration of clawhammer banjo on KZbin.

[@hochbob]

Very well done. Thanks for a great tutorial.

[@garrylarose1506]

Honestly one of the best intro to claw hammer videos I've seen. The only thing is you don't say what strings you're striking with your middle finger while you're playing your chords, sounds like you're alternating with 3rd and 4th? D and G?

[@Kosmoski99]

ThanksSteve, that was great, will try each day for 15 minutes for a month and let you know how it goes.

[@nudnac]

Definitely the best video i've found for a frailing tutorial. Just to clarify though, do we hit the 5th string everytime we stroke down? May seem dumb, i'm just confused. Cheers

[@pinkpenguin0923]

@Veronica Delgado it's two different styles of playing. with finger picks the middle and index finger move in an upward motion.

[@BenJamin-pd4mp]

Cool lesson man

[@LeanAngleClothing]

Very nice video lesson. Have also seen Patrick's. Even made me buy his book...lol. I've got a question for you since you have the same banjo I just got. I'm having trouble fitting cradle straps through the bracket hooks. Was thinking of a Neotech strap which just loops around a single hook. What kind of strap do you use on yours and do you like it?

[@moodyblue198945]

Do you have any more lessons on you tube? I can't find any more and you are the best teacher that i have found on here.Please lest me know thank you so much!!

[@StevePlaysBanjo]

+Brenda thanks! Glad you found it useful. I have a smattering of lessons and demonstrations. It's not really organized - pretty random. I did a quick search for "how to" in my channel, and that got a few more to pop up: kzbin.infosearch?query=how+to I'm still learning, so most of what I post are songs and random banjo bits. :)

[@rod1148]

Nice video. I'd long since given up on finger roll. This might actually be doable. Looks like it would require long fingernails though to do it right?

[@veronsky7]

Thanks, just got my first Banjo recently and this was very helpful. Gunna pratice this for a month and see... Dumb question but I noticed you dont have finger pics on so how would frailing work if you did?

[@jacobnowicki3790]

the same way but make sure the finger picks dont get caught under the strungs on your upstroke

[@mattwho1980]

thanks loads, other how too's arn't as clear as yours, thanks from the UK

[@theeclecticbanjo]

Also I noticed most instructor videos have said that either the middle or index finger can be used when striking/strumming, but all the instructors have only ever used their middle finger. Index finger seems like I can get more sound and control out of my playing, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot early on if there's some hidden secret to middle finger striking that makes it superior to index finger striking. Thoughts??

[@scody311]

Fantastic Lesson. Thanks so much!

[@mossbergize1]

hey ive got that same banjo i love gold tone banjos.

[@andrewgraham5338]

Well presented my friend . I also learnt from the master ! Mr Patrick Costello. Are you still playing ?

[@StevePlaysBanjo]

Andrew graham Thanks! Patrick is a great teacher - got a lot of mileage out of those old lessons. Still playing, too. Been playing out more with out musicians has been really helpful, too.

[@moodyblue198945]

Very good instructions!!!

[@Guppyg53]

I can't wait to learn how to play a banjo! I'm looking into it now, the whole reading tab music bit, and making a playlist of everything so I can start at the beginng again when I get my banjo! First, I need to find a place to find a reasonably priced banjo... any ideas?

[@tabby22lay]

how long did it take you to learn the banjo? and is it easy?? because i was thinking of gettting a banjo myself :)

[@MattyVicious1]

Damn, you've bee nuploading for awhile now. You're to under rated.

[@tinicumlegend]

Clawhammer or Frailing style doesn't use fingerpicks. Three Finger Scruggs style relies on them to provide a punchy sound.

[@mypiperwarrior]

Great lesson!! Thanks.

[@pwb0511]

So....frailing and hammer style are the same thing...yes?

[@StevePlaysBanjo]

wise1 for the most part, yep! As a matter of practice, folks who call it frailing emphasize the strum to keep rhythm (one two-and thee four-and). Folks who call it clawhammer, emphasize the drop-thumb technique to beak all the quarter-notes in half (one-and two-and three-and four-and). At the end of the day you play both and mix it together.

[@chazworm]

A great starter lesson. It's all backward to me cause I only up-pick. I just down pick on brush strokes.

[@kpoff5128]

Do you need nails to play the frailing banjo?

[@StevePlaysBanjo]

You'll use the middle finger-nail of your frailing hand. You can usually keep it normal length. You use it like a guitar pick striking down with the back of your nail. You'll want the nail to be just long enough to cover the flesh of the tip of your finger so that the flesh doesn't get caught on the string, muting the sound. Hope that helps!

[@francotoccalino4666]

what do you start playing at 1:59?

[@StevePlaysBanjo]

I think it's a little Cripple Creek. :)

[@coddies1]

Really good helped me heaps, thanks.

[@cannissolis]

what can you play?

[@MrDanoconnor]

Excellent Video, thank You Very Much.

[@MattyVicious1]

Frailing in my opinion is WAY more appealing than finger pickin.

[@estebangaleano2325]

My nail was to short so I used a finger pick backwords and it works great.

[@StevePlaysBanjo]

Great idea! I'll have to give that a try.

[@jonymendoza4190]

Muchas gracias tío!

[@bubbasaucepot]

That was really helpful:-) thanks!

[@yugio1971]

great vid very clear,thanks

[@zonianinexile]

Thanks!

[@joestool7546]

Thank you so freaking much man!!!!!

[@markjordan4593]

Nice!

[@Tim21832]

great help thanks

[@peterstecks7660]

Top guy. Thanks

[@hopewhite4251]

i think my hands are too small,im still having the hardest time with this.

[@wkellling]

easy banjo is easy hard banjo is hard once you get the hang of it you will learn

[@tjones6897]

Thanks, very good instruction, sound was a little low.

[@SuperDude5842]

Look ma! No hands!

[@frednavrotski8936]

volume to low for me

[@cannissolis]

lets see an instructional video then, show us what you can do!

[@Anti_everything_and_everyone]

I was the 666th like. Yeeeee hawwwww

[@StevePlaysBanjo]

😈