Homespun

David Holt has long been considered one of the finest players and teachers of old-time clawhammer banjo. He learned his craft directly from some of the original masters who lived and played near his home town in the mountains of western North Carolina -- Byard Ray, Fred Cockerham, Kyle Creed, Tommy Jarrell and other legendary players. The combination of David's knowledge and desire to pass on the real musical traditions, with his ability to communicate his techniques clearly and enthusiastically, make his clawhammer lessons truly unique.

David starts his lesson with the fundamentals of clawhammer playing, providing an overview of the specific nuances that will make your renditions acurate and true to the traditional old-time sound. He covers important right hand techniques such as single- and double-thumbing, "continuous" picking, double-thumb rolls and the all-important "clicking" sound that comes from down-picking the strings with just the right hand position.

You'll also learn a variety of tunings, filler licks, hammers and pulls, and how to "shade" a tune correctly to get that authentic sound. Best of all, you'll be playing nine terrific arrangements of popular clawhammer tunes: Cotton-Eye Joe; Handsome Molly; Cripple Creek; Train On the Island, Jawbone, June Apple, Ducks On A Pond, Mole In The Ground and Sugar Hill.