Chords for Bum Ditty for Clawhammer Banjo

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The bum diddy is the foundation of the claw hammer banjo style that's taught on Easy Folk.
It's actually a simple movement with your right hand, but because it's different than
other styles of picking, it's sometimes perceived as a difficult technique that's hard to master. _
I don't believe that's true at all.
The bum diddy can be learned in just a few minutes,
and at the end of this short video, you'll know how to play it. _
Now having said that, once you learn the basics, it's up to you to practice until the movement
becomes second nature.
That won't happen in a week or two, and probably not even in a
month or two.
Over time though, if you stick with the basics, this will become a very intuitive
and natural motion, and you'll be amazed at how easy it is to play claw hammer banjo. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ If you've done any finger picking on the banjo or guitar or other similar instruments, you're
probably used to playing some notes with your thumb in a downward motion. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ And you've used
one or more fingers to pick other strings [Bm] with an upward motion. _ _
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In claw hammer, the
thumb [G] still plays notes with a downward motion, so that's basically the same.
The other notes,
however, are also played with a downward motion.
_ [D] Because all the notes are hit with a downward
motion, some people call it down picking instead of claw hammer.
And there are other names
for this style as well, such as frailing, and some people _ _ make fine distinctions _ with
the different names, but to me it's all claw hammer, and that's how I refer to it. _ _
_ _ _ _ And here are the basics of playing the bum diddy.
You'll use your thumb, and either your
middle finger or index finger.
You might want to [Ab] try your middle finger for a while, and
then try your index finger for a while and see which one you prefer.
_ Now for me, I started
out back in the 1970s using my middle finger, so that's what I've always been comfortable
with.
However, a lot of people use their index finger instead, and I think you might actually
get more volume with your index finger, and if I were starting out again, I'd probably
try the index finger first and see how it works out, [G] then maybe try the middle finger
some and see which suits me best.
I'll leave that determination up to you.
There's no perfect
way to do this.
If you'll watch different players, you'll see a lot of different ways
they play to achieve somewhat similar results.
Keep in mind that playing banjo is an art
form, and finding what works for you, then creating music that's uniquely yours is a
good thing, so don't be afraid to experiment. _
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_ _ _ _ To play the bum diddy, you should hold your
hand in kind of a claw position.
Now some people hold their hand pretty rigidly in that
position, but I prefer to keep my hand just a little loose.
_ Something you don't want to
do is pluck at the strings opening your hand.
You don't want to do that.
You want to leave
your hand in a claw-like position.
If you're like me, your hand's going to be a little
loose as you do that, just a little movement maybe as you bring it down, but not much.
If you hold your hand rigidly in that claw position, then possibly there won't be any
perceptible movement at all as far as opening your hand.
I personally like just a little
looser than that.
Either way, most of the movement in your right hand should be the
result of bending your wrist.
_ _ Think of it as knocking on a door. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ Since I'm using my
middle finger, that's what I'll refer to, but it's fine if you're using your [Bm] index finger
_ instead.
Now here's the basic movement.
With the back of the fingernail, my middle finger,
I'm hitting the first string.
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_ _ As I hit that first string, I want you to [G] notice a couple
things.
First, as I already mentioned, most of the movement's coming from [Bm] the wrist.
You
see that? _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ The other thing I want you to notice is that as I bring my hand down and hit the
first string, with the back of my fingernail, my thumb comes to rest on the fifth string.
_ _ _ See? _
Make sure you rest your thumb on that fifth string every time.
You have to practice
it slowly to get in the habit of it, [G] and then gradually build up your speed.
When you get
to the point that you're playing at a normal speed, it happens so fast, _ it [Bm] won't really
be perceptible, but it's very important that your thumb lands on that top string every
time.
It's not flying up by itself in the air somewhere, because it'll be out [G] of position
that way, and you don't want that.
_ _ Playing the first string [Bm]
like that is the bum, in
the bum-ditty.
So the bum is just a single note.
It can be either of the first four strings.
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_ [Bm] _ _ _ Something else I want you [E] to see is that when you're playing a single [G] note on the second,
third, or [Bm] fourth string, you come to rest on the string below [B] it.
If I hit the second
string like this, my finger actually stops on the first string.
_ _ It doesn't actually rest
there, but because coming straight down and hitting the string at the back of the nail,
it should just naturally stop at the next string below it.
Again, when playing up to
speed, this won't be noticeable because it'll be so quick, but practicing it slowly that
way will help you so you don't develop the bad habit of trying [Abm] to avoid the next [Bm] string
by flicking your finger _ and moving your hand out of position.
You don't want to do that.
[B] Just make sure and come [Bm] down.
Of course, this doesn't apply to the first string because
there's not a string below it, but you'll still want to maintain your basic position.
The first string will kind of be caught by your thumb there. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ On the _ bum, you just lift
your thumb up without making a sound. _
You don't play it.
The ditty part is kind of like
a strum.
It's most often played on the count of two and four when you're playing in 4-4
time.
That's similar to a country strumming pattern or Carter style on the guitar where
[G] you're playing boom, chaka, boom, chaka, boom, chaka, boom, chaka, boom, _ _ _ _ boom, boom,
ditty, boom, ditty, boom, ditty, boom, ditty, boom, ditty, boom, ditty, boom, ditty, boom.
It's pretty much the same thing.
It results in a similar sound.
So the ditty part is simply
this.
After you've played the individual note, the bum, you bring your hand back up without
sounding the fifth string.
Then you come back down, strum the first few strings, the back
of your middle finger now.
Make sure to rest your thumb again on the fifth string.
This
time though, instead of just lifting your thumb without making a sound, you want to
pluck the fifth string as you come off of it.
That's the last half of the ditty. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ _ [B] important.
So _ I'll _ _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ _ play the bum ditty slowly a few times so you can practice along.
Let's
start with the bum on the first string.
Go from the first string to the fourth string.
Play each string on the way.
Then we'll reverse it and go back from the fourth to the first.
The one, _ ditty, two, ditty, three, ditty, four, ditty, four, ditty, three, ditty, two, ditty, one.
_ Keep repeating. _ _ _ _
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