Reddit reviews Clawhammer Style Banjo

I was actually in this exact situation when I started playing - was a highschooler with free time and just wanted to learn banjo.

1. Get a banjo: If you don't have one already, then this part is sort of a requirement. A standard 5-string is the best place to start. This Deering is a fantastic beginner banjo (and not too bad for performing either), but if price is an issue, I've heard that Gold Tone's work just fine as well.
   
2. Get some books/material: This book is by the master himself (Earl Scruggs). It's sort of an essential for anyone looking to play classic 3-finger (Scruggs style) banjo. If you're looking to play Clawhammer perhaps, this is a very good book for learning.
   
3. PRACTICE: It can seem difficult at first, but I recommend practicing as much as possible. When I first started, I practiced for about 1-2 hours everyday for a solid month. I was able to improve very quickly. And the best part is that I enjoyed every bit of it. That's another thing, if you really enjoy playing, then practicing shouldn't be verry difficult for you.
   
   Good luck, and have fun!

I've tried a bunch of books and the best one I've found is Ken Perlman's Clawhammer Style Banjo, which I see recommended pretty often. https://www.amazon.com/Clawhammer-Style-Banjo-Ken-Perlman/dp/0931759331

I used YouTube videos until I could get the motion down, now I'm learning via the book.

If you are wanting to learn clawhammer style, I recommend Clawhammer Style Banjo by Ken Perlman. I've been teaching myself with this book so far and it's very helpful.

If you're looking for a book, I highly recommend Ken Perlman's Clawhammer Style Banjo. It starts with the basics but goes into intermediate methods. I'm still making my way through it.

I'm not sure why everyone is always recomending the How and Tao book.. I have just about every clawhammer book you can get (i can get them for free so why not) and there are much better books out there.

I would suggest either this one or anything by Ken Perlman, maybe this one: or this

the first one is really good for beginners, but you'll quickly outgrow it, but it'll teach you the right hand motion. The second and third are more intermediate to advanced stuff but really really good stuff.

I also have Clawhammer Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus. Use that in combination with Youtube videos on frailing technique and you're golden. Once you outgrow that book pick up a copy of Clawhammer Style Banjo which will cover advanced stuff too.

I'm quite surprised that you've come across anything for banjo in standard notation. Outside of the minstrel tutors (which are from the 19th century) I've never seen banjo materials written in anything except tab. Especially for old time, where the so many tunings are used, reading standard is almost useless (unless you want to read out of fiddle books).

Anyway, my favourite resources would be Ken Perlman's Book and Art Rosenbaum's. Rosenbaum's comes with a fantastic CD which makes it worth the price alone. It's not really a beginner book, but it's still a great resource which covers a range of old time styles (clawhammer, 2-finger, and 3-finger)

Clawhammer style banjo by Ken Perlman. Best $20 you can spend on clawhammer knowledge.

http://www.amazon.com/Clawhammer-Style-Banjo-Ken-Perlman/dp/0931759331/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426131101&sr=1-1&keywords=ken+perlman

Yep! If I may suggest a fantastic book to help you along:

Clawhammer Style Banjo https://www.amazon.com/dp/0931759331?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I've played for several years, and am in town for a couple of weeks. I mostly play fingerstyle nowadays (not Scruggs style, but a derivative). If you want to play bluegrass stuff, learn your rolls, and it all comes from that (as you may already know). If you want to learn clawhammer, this is a good book (http://www.amazon.com/Clawhammer-Style-Banjo-Ken-Perlman/dp/0931759331/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1374621780&sr=8-3&keywords=clawhammer+banjo).

what kind of banjo do you have?

addl banjo resources: http://www.banjoutah.com/styled-14/iframe/
www.banjohangout.com

I'll be pretty busy for the rest of the time I'm here but I'd be interested in jamming a bit if you're up for it. Alll you have to know is a few chords (G, C, D) and we can play Cripple Creek and do some noodley jamming as well.

I'll tell you something - the online lessons didn't work for me at all. I bought this book (http://www.amazon.com/Clawhammer-Style-Banjo-Ken-Perlman/dp/0931759331/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1333467612&sr=8-2) and made it a chapter or two in. Then I went to Africa for six months, took my banjo and what little knowledge I had formed a jam group. I learned more from doing that than anything else. That said, invest in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Parking-Lot-Pickers-Songbook-Banjo/dp/0786674911/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1333467621&sr=8-4

I got it as a gift, and it's awesome. There aren't a lot of clawhammer songbooks out there, but this one has most of the popular songs in melody-only tab, so you can pick them any way you want. It's the single most useful book I've ever looked at in trying to learn banjo.

I've heard good things about Brainjo, as suggested already, but I've never tried it. What has really worked for me over the last few month's has been Ken Perlman's Clawhammer Style Banjo book. For some reason, it just clicked with me and I'm around half-way through the book and have picked up maybe 30 tunes or so. There is an accompanying DVD available for around $28. I picked it up also, but mostly just refer to it occasionally if I need clarification on something. I've also seen multiple recommendations for Dan Levenson's Clawhammer Banjo from Scratch, but haven't used that one either.

Also, I think I found my recommendations at the time with a search for "clawhammer books" on the Banjo Hangout Forums. Plenty of info and helpful people there also.