Goals are great and what better time to set them than the most popular time to do so! Not only are they motivators and make you think about where you want to go, but they allow you to process where you're at and what you've accomplished, which is a bloody marvellous feeling. Goals should always be positive so they should never make you feel stressed or as if you're not performing as well as you'd like to. That's not fun and simply, why continue if it puts you in a negative headspace? Banjo is for enjoyment, not a tool for self-deprivation. Never compare yourself to others! "Comparison is the ..read more

Now, I know what you're thinking, "what a bloody useless list! I have little or no banjo friends, what use is this for me!!!" Well, I thought about this and this list can either be, for yourself (yes, you deserve a gift! One that isn't going to disappoint.) Or, you leave your laptop open on this very page so Harry or Susan, walking past can have a nosy at what you're so immersed in and hopefully get the hint. Or! Send this link to everyone in your office saying, "look at this nerd, she didn't even have an elf costume prepared." The person who picked you for Secret Santa will think, "Crikey, i ..read more

In New Zealand, the sound of the Tui singing is much more common than hearing the song of the banjo. I'd had my Deering Americana banjo for a while, but I wanted something special. I spent too long browsing the internet, drooling over all the hand-crafted works of art that banjo luthiers in America were crafting (you lucky people!) I longed for one of my own but the shipping and import tax made that dream very unrealistic. My husband, Luke, didn't just have to sense my obsession as I would talk about it constantly and thrust my laptop in front of his eyes demanding he admires the American map ..read more

I love spooky stuff. I'm not into modern blood-splashing movies, but 80's horror is great. I've always taken a liking to the darker things, and music is no exception. Why I prefer a murder ballad to a romantic serenade is probably a question for a psychiatrist. But I'm not alone! loads of other weirdos exist, too! Some have created some of my favourite banjo songs. Below are my top ten favourite clawhammer banjo songs in no particular order: Darling Corey (Darling Cora) An ominous song about somebody singing about their prediction/ premonition? Of Darling Corey's death. 2. Wild Bill Jones I i ..read more

You silly sausage, I don't mean the devil's lettuce, I mean your banjo pot! The head! The circular bit at the bottom! I haven't gone mental, believing somebody I met under a bridge on a dark night who sold me some magical banjo beans. You can legitimately grow your one of a kind pot. How bloody cool is that! These heads are made from gourds when once dried out can be transformed into anything from decorative art pieces to birdhouses, and of course banjos! My gourd banjo that is pictured left was made by Don Milne who owns Tui Banjos here in New Zealand. Any of you people who live in New Zeala ..read more

The Daily Scoop Good morning and welcome to the Claw-nicle, a newspaper printed at 5 Drone Street, Bridge End, Banjoville. There's been a lot of talk on our much-beloved scoop so we thought we'd do a special feature on it. Sit back, take a glance at that special wee section at the bottom of your banjo's neck, and remember why the scoop is so special. What is the Scoop? The scoop is the section at the bottom of the banjo neck where some material has been taken (scooped) away so it's easier to play over. Play over the neck? You'll be asking me to play it upside down and back to front next, I he ..read more

If you're here reading this blog then I'm gonna assume you like the banjo. I love it a lot; especially clawhammer. I decided to create this wee space on the internet dedicated to this delightful five-string creation as I couldn't find anything of its kind anywhere else, please correct me if I'm wrong and let me know about it! When I'm not clawhammering? New verb? I'm usually thinking about a short story idea, which I usually write many notes for and procrastinate (usually playing the banjo) until I do. So here we are, giving myself a boot up the derrière, amalgamating two of my hobbies, which ..read more

Social media is equal parts horrendous and great. Like many of you, I'm sure, I try to stay away from its addictive traits. However! I have a lot to thank it for, and one of these things is finding the not-so-known gems of the clawhammer world. In my opinion, these guys and dolls are up there as they're absolutely phenomenal! And deserve more recognition for their art. I'm always excited to be notified on YouTube if a banjo player I admire releases a new video, or someone I "follow" on Instagram shares a snippet of some playing, let alone if they release a new record! Bandcamp is a treasure t ..read more

When I first heard clawhammer banjo, I wanted to know all the best players, old and new. This is of course down to opinion and the following list is a few people that I listen to regularly. As we all know, clawhammer banjo is not a mainstream instrument, it's like a cooler, better-looking, second-cousin to the guitar, who lives in a basement on a street you've never heard of. To put it simply, clawhammer banjo music that suits your preference is bloody hard to find. It's taken me years to discover artists and I'm still turning over stones and finding gems. The joy of finding new music is so f ..read more

I've only ever done woodworking at school, where I made an owl-shaped letter holder, but I thought, what the hell, let's give making a bloody banjo a go. For a complete newb like me, I had to overcome many mountains and for a while, it was like pushing water uphill (enough puns?) But I never thought about giving up on this project of making a mountain banjo. To be a climber one has to accept that gratification is rarely immediate. - Bernadette McDonald If we rewind to last year, I was browsing YouTube, looking at banjo videos, when I came across this video by Clifton Hicks. https://www.youtub ..read more