BANJO INSTRUCTION BOOKS & RELATED ITEMS

Cape Breton & Prince Edward Island Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer
Cape Breton & Prince Edward Island Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer
Mel Bay Publications

This book features 136 tunes from these two distinct but related fiddling traditions, collected by the author directly from master fiddlers, and arranged note-for-note for clawhammer banjo with as much flavor and nuance as possible. These settings of reels, hornpipes, jigs, marches, strathspeys, airs, and other fiddle tunes are all eminently playable and fully benefit from the author’s half-century of experience playing banjo, arranging for banjo, writing banjo instruction books, and researching fiddle-music traditions.

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Appalachian Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer
Appalachian Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer
Mel Bay Publications

This comprehensive collection features over 100 note-for-note skillfully-crafted clawhammer banjo arrangements of “old-time” Southern fiddle tunes – in clear tablature – with suggested guitar chords at a wide variety of skill levels. It contains most of the tunes played in concert or recorded by author Ken Perlman and renowned Appalachian-style fiddler Alan Jabbour, plus over 50 more classic tunes from Ed Haley, Edden Hammons, John Salyer and many other iconic roots fiddlers.

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Everything You Wanted To Know About Clawhammer Banjo
Everything You Wanted To Know About Clawhammer Banjo
Mel Bay Publications

Based on 20 Years of Banjo Newsletter columns from 1982-2001.

Includes 120+ tunes in tablature, plus numerous musical examples and exercises. Not to mention lots and lots of commentary and explanations.

A set of recordings featuring all the tunes in the book played by Ken is part of this package. In the newest edition these recordings are available on-line through the Mel Bay website via a special access code.

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Clawhammer Style Banjo
Clawhammer Style Banjo
Centerstream/Hal Leonard

The complete clawhammer tutor: 200 pages, 80 tunes plus numerous exercises.

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Companion Video Available Below
  • In DVD format (2 disks, 4 hrs). Companion to Clawhammer Style Banjo book. Illustrates every tune and exercises.
  • In original VHS format (2 video tapes, 4 hrs.). Last few copies available in VHS format.

Note: The Clawhammer Style Banjo video is a supplement to the book; it is not designed to be a “stand-alone” product. If you prefer stand-alone videos see Beginning Clawhammer Banjo and Intermediate Clawhammer Banjo on the DVDs page.

Clawhammer Style Banjo: Companion DVD set
Price: $39.95
Clawhammer Style Banjo: Companion VHS set
Price: $9.95
Celtic & New England Tunes For Clawhammer Banjo
Celtic & New England Tunes For Clawhammer Banjo
Mel Bay Publications

Original title, New England and Irish Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo; also published for several years by Mel Bay as Basic Clawhammer Banjo.

36 pages, 30 tunes. A set of recordings featuring all the tunes in the book played by Ken is part of this package. In the newest edition these recordings are available on-line through the Mel Bay website via a special access code.

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Melodic Clawhammer Banjo
Melodic Clawhammer Banjo
Centerstream/Hal Leonard

The classic clawhammer tune book. Now back in print from Centerstream/Hal Leonard. The new edition includes a CD that features all 55 tunes.

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Devil In The Kitchen Tab Book
Devil In The Kitchen Tab Book
Companion tab book for Ken's Devil In The Kitchen CD (Marimac Music).

This collection includes fiddle tunes from Scotland, Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island played lyrically on banjo, accompanied by Fred Campeau on guitar on the CD.

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Live In The UK Tab Book
Live In The UK Tab Book
Companion tab book for Ken's Live In The UK CD (Halshaw Music).

Recorded in the late ’80s, this is an eclectic collection featuring American, English, Scottish and original tunes, along with several accompanied vocals. CD features guitar accompaniment on the banjo instrumentals by John Rossbach.

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Intermediate Clawhammer DVD
Intermediate Clawhammer DVD

Ken continues your exploration of clawhammer. Techniques included are drop-thumbing and double-thumbing, anticipation techniques, alternate-string pull-offs, and more. Includes a companion tablature booklet illustrating all tunes and exercises.

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Beginner Clawhammer DVD
Beginner Clawhammer DVD

Nobody breaks it down as well as Ken. In this video he shows you step by step how to play this exciting banjo style. Close-ups and clear explanations make clawhammer technique quick and easy to learn. Topics include right- and left-hand positions, chords, tunings, brush-thumbing, the so called “bum-ditty” strum, hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides.

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