Playing
Techniques for Banj-Mos, Banjimers, & Banjo-Dulcimers
Drop Thumb Banjo style: Example MP3 music file, Cluck
Old Hen
Drop thumb style on a banj-mo or banjimer is
done by literally dropping your thumb from one string to another.
Start by moving your thumb across the strings
from melody to bass,
using an aggressive but controlled 'brushing' motion so that you are
sounding all three strings sequentially, but in very quick succession.
When you have achieved a sort of rolling rhythm dropping your
thumb across the
strings, then begin to drop your thumb only across two strings, and
start learning to use your index finger to pluck the bass string. Try
to
maintain the same timing on all three strings, but give a slight
emphasis to the bass string by plunking with the inex finger, which
increases the 'rolling' effect. For quick sequences of melody
notes, pluck each note with the thumb without dropping to the
next
string. It takes some time for most people to get the timing
right to achieve the desired effect.
Frailing (Claw Hammer): Example MP3 music file, Skip
to My Lou
Frailing or claw hammer is a banjo style which can be adapted as a
banjo dulcimer playing style. Hold your strumming hand over the
strings with the fingers curled in sort of a claw shape with the thumb
out and almost beside the treble string. Hit or strum the strings
from the treble to the bass string with the backs of the fingernails of
the index, middle and ring fingers, occasionally coming back with the
fingertips and plunking the bass string or several strings while
bringing
the fingers back to the original position. Every so often, as the
effect is desired, you can emphasize a melody note by bringing the
thumb
up next to and slightly under the treble string and plunking it with
the thumb at the end of the frailing(outward) motion with the
backs of the nails. To do this 'correctly' most of the
motion should be wrist action, with the hand in a rather static claw
shape. If this is painful to your wrist, or if it is just plain
unfathomable how this could be done through wrist motion, it will
suffice to open and close the fingers together to achieve the strums,
and reach down with the thumb to plunk the melody string. In that
event, it might be called more of a 'flailing' style than a 'frailing'
style, but do whatever works for you.
Strumming Style: Example MP3's, Grey Cat on a
Tennessee Farm, In the
Pines
When strumming a Banj-Mo or banjimer, you can lay down a
considerable
din and general racket if you strum continuosly across all strings,
whatever your strum pattern of bums, diddies, or bum diddies. It
will generally give a nicer banjo-ey effect to emphasize the melody by
hitting the melody, or maybe melody and sometimes middle strings much
more than full strums across all strings. Use full strums for
accents or to fill in
longer time value notes(since the banjo sound is more plunkety and
naturally somewhat short on sustain). If you are playing with
softer instruments as most mountain dulcimers are, you can tone down
your banjo dulcimer by using a thin pick or even one cut from a
flexible rubber butter dish lid, and lighten up when you strum if
you're an aggressive player.
One can also put a small towel or rag in the back if you have an open
back model. Be aware that this will not only quiet them, but also
muffle the
sound by nearly eliminating sustain.
Fingerpicking Styles: Example MP3 music file, Battle Hymn
of the Republic
The banj-mo or banjimer sounds good when using the same fingerpicking
patterns you may have learned on the dulcimer. You also can play
the melody line on the middle string
while tuned to DGD or DAD, fingerpicking the open treble and bass
drones. You will get a
very old-timey, or some might say, more 'modal' sound,
playing in this manner with open drone
strings. Example MP3, Pretty
Polly
A couple of suggested patterns are: Melody(middle)
, bass,
melody, treble, or: Melody(middle)
, treble, melody, bass.
You can alternate freely between these patterns, use only
part of a pattern, or melody note only for short notes or quick
sequences of
notes.
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