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.

Acknowledgements
Introduction - Clawhammer From Scratch: A Guide for the Claw-less
Beginning at the Beginning
Basic Structure of this Book
Banjo Basics
Knowing Your Banjo
Tablature
"With Your banjo on Your�" (holding your banjo)
Left Arm and Left Hand Position
Right Hand and Arm Position
Tuning I
Fretting the Notes
Tuning II - Other Tuning Methods
   The Tuning Fork; Pitch pipe
Double Thumb
The Metronome
Chords
   Tab - Example 4 - Brush Thumb Exercise
The Fiddle Tune and Old Time Banjo
Your First Tune: Spotted Pony
   Tab - Example 5 - Brush Thumb Spotted Pony - chorded version
Double - Thumb II - Finger to individual strings
   Tab - Example 6 - Double Thumb exercise - individual strings
   Tab - Example 7 - Double Thumb exercise - 1st to 4th
   Tab - Example 8 - Double Thumb exercise - 4th to 1st
   Tab - Example 9 - Double Thumb exercise - 4th to 1st to 4th, 1st to 4th to 1st
Your First Scales
   Tab - Examples 10 & 11 - Basic and Extended double C scales
   Tab - Example 12 - Extended C Plus Scale
Double Thumb Spotted Pony in C
   Tab - Example 13 - Double Thumb Spotted Pony in C
Tuning III - Double D Tuning
   Capo
Review in D
   Tabs - Examples 14 & 15 - Chords in D; Chorded Pony in D
   Tab - Example 16 - Double D scale
   Tab - Example 17 - Double Thumb Spotted Pony in D
Rest of the Tunes - The Double Thumb Collection
   Angelina Baker (Angeline the Baker) - Double thumb version
   Arkansas Traveler - Double thumb version
   Forked Deer - Double thumb version
   Fortune - Double thumb version
   Mississippi Sawyer - Double thumb version
   Old Molly Hare - Double thumb version
   Over the Waterfall - Double thumb version
   Rock the Cradle Joe - Double thumb version
   Soldier's Joy - Double thumb version
   Spotted Pony - Double thumb version
   West Fork Gals - Double thumb version
   Year of Jubilo (Lincoln's Gunboats) - Double thumb version
Drop Thumb
   Tab - Example 18 - Drop Thumb 1-2-1-5 Example
   Tab - Example 19 - Drop Thumb Exercise
   Tab - Example 20 - Brush Thumb, Drop Thumb Spotted Pony
   Tab - Example 21 - Drop Thumb D scale
Drop Thumb Collection
   Angelina Baker (Angeline Baker) - Drop thumb version
   Arkansas Traveler - Drop thumb version
   Forked Deer - Drop thumb version
   Fortune - Drop thumb version
   Mississippi Sawyer - Drop thumb version
   Old Molly Hare - Drop thumb version
   Over the Waterfall - Drop thumb version
   Rock the Cradle Joe - Drop thumb version
   Soldier's Joy - Drop thumb version
   Spotted Pony - Drop thumb version
   West Fork Gals - Drop thumb version
   Year of Jubilo (Lincoln's Gunboats) - Drop thumb version
Beyond Basics
Single Thumb
   Tabs - Example 22 & 23 - Single thumb examples
   Tab - Example 24 - Single thumb exercise
   Tab - Example 25 - Single Thumb Brush Thumb Pony in D
Rests and other holes in the music
   Tabs - Examples 26 & 27 - Rests
Hammer-ons, Pull-offs and Slides
   Tabs - Examples 28 &29 - Hammer-on examples; hammer-on scale
   Tabs - Examples 30-32 - Triplet example; Pull-off examples; Pull-off scale
   Tabs - Examples 33 & 34 - Hammer-on, pull-off combinations; Slide example
   Tab - Example 35 - Hammer-on, pull-off and slide exercise
The Kitchen Sink Collection
   Angelina Baker (Angeline Baker) - Kitchen sink version
   Arkansas Traveler - Kitchen sink version
   Forked Deer - Kitchen sink version
   Fortune - Kitchen sink version
   Mississippi Sawyer - Kitchen sink version
   Old Molly Hare - Kitchen sink version
   Over the Waterfall - Kitchen sink version
   Rock the Cradle Joe - Kitchen sink version
   Soldier's Joy - Kitchen sink version
   Spotted Pony - Kitchen sink version
   West Fork Gals - Kitchen sink version
   Year of Jubilo (Lincoln's Gunboats) - Kitchen sink version
Afterward - Final Thoughts
Appendix 1 - Playing well with others - Jam Etiquette for the recently clawed
Appendix 2 - Resources
Appendix 3 - Listen, listen, listen - A non-comprehensive discography
Dan Levenson products available