For the adult player who's past the basics but not yet where you want to be
Play 8 real old-time tunes start to finish, with the feel and groove that makes clawhammer banjo sound like music.
A song-by-song course that takes you from a shaky bum-ditty to a real repertoire in three tunings, even if tunes never seem to stick for you.
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You can do the bum-ditty. So why doesn't it sound like music yet?
You can get through a tune or two. But the rhythm gets away from you the second it speeds up, and nothing sounds like the recordings in your head. You learn a tune, feel good about it, and three days later it's gone. Every new one starts from zero. You've spun your wheels for a while now.
You've probably tried:
- Following along with free YouTube tutorials, but the second the video stops, you're on your own and it all falls apart.
- Collecting tab after tab, drilling each one until you can sort of play it, then forgetting it a week later.
- Speeding up, only to watch your timing and technique fall to pieces the moment you push the tempo.
- Telling yourself you'll learn by ear someday, but with no system for it, you stay stuck on the page.
And by now, if you're honest, you've started to wonder whether the problem is you. You've put in the hours. You should be further along than this. Maybe you're just not cut out for it.
You are. What's holding you back is the way you've been taught to learn tunes in the first place.
Sit down, start a tune, and actually finish it sounding like music.
There's a version of this where you pick up the banjo, roll into a tune, and it just flows. The groove holds. It sounds like the old-time records you love, because you're finally playing with feel instead of fighting the tab. And when a friend calls a tune you know, you're right there with them.
Sound like music, not a stiff exercise
You'll play tunes with the feel, the groove and the little embellishments that make clawhammer come alive, instead of the careful, robotic version that never quite lands.
Keep the groove when it gets tricky
With a bum-ditty that runs on its own, your rhythm holds steady through the tricky bits and at speed. No more falling apart the moment two things happen at once.
Learn a tune once and keep it
You'll stop losing tunes a few days after you learn them. Learn one the way this course teaches, and it stays in your hands for good.
Pick tunes up by ear
You'll get a simple, repeatable way to work a tune out by ear, so you're not chained to a tab or waiting for someone to write one out for you.
Walk away with 8 real tunes
By the end you'll have eight complete old-time tunes you can play start to finish: Hard Times Come Again No More, Cripple Creek, Blackest Crow and five more you'll actually want to play.
Play in the three tunings old-time uses
You'll play in Standard G, Double C and Sawmill, so your tunes ring the way the recordings do and you can sit in on the fiddle-key stuff at a jam.
All of that comes from a single shift: how you learn a tune in the first place.
Why the tunes never stick has nothing to do with talent.
Most clawhammer players learn the way I did. You find a tab, drill it note by note, and eventually you can play that one tune. Then you move on, and a few days later it's gone. So you start the next tune from zero. The problem is that memorizing a tab off the page never turns into playing. You're learning what to hit without ever making the tune your own.
This course works the other way around. You learn one technique at a time, on its own, then fold it straight into a real tune while it's fresh. The bum-ditty becomes automatic, so your left hand is free to actually play. And in the final module you learn to pull tunes out by ear, which is what makes them stick for good. Learn a tune this way and it stays with you.
I've taught clawhammer to more than 10,000 players on YouTube, and this is the same path I walk my students down every time.
It's the whole idea behind the course I built around it. Here's exactly what's inside.
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Introducing…
Clawhammer Banjo Unlocked
I built Clawhammer Banjo Unlocked for players who have the basics down and want to actually play. In 34 lessons across 8 complete tunes, you'll build a real repertoire in three tunings, with the technique and feel that make clawhammer sound like music.
Every technique is taught on its own first, then folded straight into a real tune, so you're always learning something you can play that same day. It's self-paced with lifetime access, so you go at your own speed and come back to any lesson whenever you want.
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Here's What's Inside Clawhammer Banjo Unlocked
7 modules, 34 video lessons, 8 complete tunes, 3 tunings. Self-paced, yours for life.
Rhythm & Timing
Foundations
We make that bum-ditty rock solid first: the hammer motion, rhythm and timing, accuracy, and clean chord changes. Then you put it all to work on your first full tune, Hard Times Come Again No More. This is the base everything else is built on.
First Techniques
Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs
You'll learn the two techniques that add melody and life to a tune, on their own first, then folded straight into Georgia Railroad and Lazy John. I'll also show you how to spot where they belong in any tab, so you can make an arrangement your own.
New Tuning
Double C Tuning
You'll retune to Double C, learn its three chords, and use a capo to play in D, the key most fiddle tunes live in. Then you'll play Johnny Don't Get Drunk, a tune you'll actually hear called at jams.
Waltz Time
3/4 Time
Most tunes are in 4/4, but the beautiful ones are often waltzes. You'll learn how 3/4 time works on clawhammer and how to swing it, carried by one of my favorite old-time tunes, Blackest Crow.
Groove & Bounce
Slides and Drop Thumb
These are the two moves that give clawhammer its groove and bounce. You'll learn each one cleanly, learn where they belong, then put them to work in Cripple Creek and Liza Jane.
New Tuning
Sawmill Tuning
You'll learn my favorite alternate tuning, the haunting mountain-minor sound you hear in the old records. Its chord shapes are simpler than standard, and you'll play the lovely Pretty Little Dog in it.
Speed & By-Ear
Putting It All Together
You'll learn to build speed without losing your timing, and my simple four-step method for working a tune out by ear. This is what lets you learn a tune once and keep it, without leaning on a tab.
By the end of all seven modules, you'll have eight complete tunes under your belt, in three tunings, plus a way to keep adding more on your own. That's the difference between learning banjo and actually playing it.
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I Didn't Stop at the Course
Two extras come with every enrollment to make sure the tunes actually stick:
Bonus 1
Your Practice Routine: Customizable Warm-Up Exercises for Every Session
What derails most people's progress is simple: sitting down with no plan and noodling for 20 minutes. This gives you a set of warm-up exercises you can mix and match based on exactly what you're working on, so every practice session has a purpose before it starts. I use variations of this same framework when working with students, because it's the difference between practice that accumulates and practice that spins its wheels.
Bonus 2
Tab Pack: Notation for All 8 Tunes
Even with video lessons, having the notation in front of you makes a real difference, especially when you're away from your screen and just want to sit with the banjo and work something out. You'll get tab for all 8 tunes in the course, formatted to print and keep on your music stand. These are the exact arrangements from the lessons, so nothing gets lost between the video and the page.
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What Students Say About Learning Clawhammer With Me
10,000+ players learning clawhammer with Jack
"I've got less than 6 months of trying to teach myself clawhammer banjo, and you made the bum-ditty finally make sense. After watching your videos and doing the course, I was able to play. Just wanted to say thank you!"
Spencer P.
Under 6 months playing
"I've tried, unsuccessfully, to learn banjo with other online videos as well as books. I've tried different styles that didn't work for me, but clawhammer with Jack's approach, his patience, and his personality just works so well for me. I'm learning, and I look forward to every lesson."
Denise St. J.
Tried other videos and books first
"I've learnt so much from Jack's YouTube channel, but the course was so much more in depth. It enabled me to learn different rhythms, some theory, songs, and more importantly, how I can use these new techniques in other arrangements. Jack is an amazing teacher and a talented player."
Chris T.
Course student
"I've been playing clawhammer for only about a year, and this instructional series quickly identified the areas where I struggle and helped me re-learn problem areas correctly before moving forward. Your videos are a great balance of verbal instruction with video instruction."
Lloyd G.
About a year playing
"Not only did it help me get my fundamental technique to a level where I'm confidently playing tunes, I also learned a whole lot about what makes clawhammer banjo unique."
Ron S.
Course student
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Try it risk-free. If it's not for you, you get every penny back.
Take 30 days to work through the lessons, try the techniques, and get a few tunes under your fingers. If you don't feel more confident, more inspired, and genuinely excited to pick up your banjo, just email me at jack@banjoskills.com for a full refund. No questions asked, and no hoops to jump through.
Two Paths Forward
If nothing changes:
- You keep learning tunes and losing them a few days later.
- Your rhythm still falls apart the moment a tune speeds up.
- You're still stuck following tabs, note by note.
- Your playing sounds careful and stiff, never quite like the records.
- You stay in one tuning and miss half the old-time tunes.
- Six months from now, you're about where you are today.
With Clawhammer Banjo Unlocked:
- You learn a tune once and it stays in your hands.
- Your bum-ditty runs on its own, so the groove holds steady.
- You can work a tune out by ear when there's no tab.
- You play with the feel and groove that make it sound like music.
- You play in all three tunings old-time actually uses.
- Six months from now, you've got a repertoire of tunes you love.
The only difference between those two paths is deciding to start.
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"I'm busy. Will I actually have time for this?"
…and other questions you're probably wondering about.
I'm busy. How much time does this really take?
About 30 minutes a day is all you need, and the lessons are short and self-contained. It's fully self-paced, so you pick up right where you left off whenever you have time. Most lessons give you something you can play that same day.
Is this too basic for me, or am I not ready yet?
This is built for players who are past raw beginner. You should be able to hold and tune the banjo, have a basic bum-ditty (it doesn't need to be strong), and read tab. If you're not there yet, grab my free QuickStart Guide first, then come back. If you've been playing for years with a big repertoire, this may be too foundational for you.
How is this different from your free YouTube videos?
The free videos are scattered pieces. This is the whole path in order, one technique at a time, each one folded straight into a real tune. You also get the by-ear method that ties it all together, which is the part that makes tunes actually stick.
How quickly will I see results?
You'll play your first full tune, Hard Times Come Again No More, right in Module 1. From there it builds tune by tune, and each new technique makes the next one easier. How fast you go is up to you, but the course is designed so every lesson gives you a small win.
How do I get the course, and how long do I have it?
You get instant access the moment you sign up, and it's yours for life. Watch it on any device, at your own pace, and revisit any lesson whenever you want.
Do I need an expensive banjo or special gear?
Whatever banjo you already have is fine. Beyond that you'll want a capo, a tuner, and a metronome, and free phone apps or a quick Google search cover the tuner and metronome if you don't want to buy anything.
I learn tunes and forget them a few days later. Can this really fix that?
Yes, and that's a big reason I built the course. The final module teaches you to learn tunes by ear with a simple four-step method, and tunes you learn that way stay with you instead of slipping away.
What if it doesn't work for me?
You're covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee. Work through the lessons, try the techniques, and if you're not feeling more confident and inspired, just email me at jack@banjoskills.com for a full refund. No questions asked.
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About the Instructor
Hi, I'm Jack
I taught myself clawhammer the same way a lot of you are doing it now. Watching videos, listening to old records, piecing it together on my own. I got there in the end, but I picked up some bad habits and wasted a lot of time I didn't need to.
Over the years I worked out what really makes the difference, and these days I get to teach it to more than 10,000 players on YouTube and thousands more through my courses. I built Clawhammer Banjo Unlocked as the course I wish I'd had back then, a clear, song-by-song path from the bum-ditty to real tunes. I can't wait to hear what you play first.
Everything You Get in Clawhammer Banjo Unlocked
Clawhammer Banjo Unlocked includes:
- Module 1: Foundations. A rock-solid bum-ditty and your first full tune, Hard Times Come Again No More.
- Module 2: Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs. Add melody and life to the tunes you play.
- Module 3: Double C Tuning. Play the fiddle-key tunes you hear at jams.
- Module 4: 3/4 Time. Play graceful waltz-time tunes like Blackest Crow.
- Module 5: Slides and Drop Thumb. The moves that give tunes their groove and bounce.
- Module 6: Sawmill Tuning. The haunting mountain-minor sound, made simple for you.
- Module 7: Putting It All Together. Build speed and learn tunes by ear so they stick.
Plus these bonuses, included free:
- Bonus 1: Your Practice Routine. Customizable warm-up exercises so every session has a purpose before it starts.
- Bonus 2: Tab Pack. Printable notation for all 8 tunes, the exact arrangements from the lessons.
All backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked.
$147
One-time payment. Instant, lifetime access.
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee · Instant Lifetime Access
One payment, lifetime access, no subscription. Just you and the banjo, at your own pace, for as long as you want.