Clawhammer banjo is differentiated from bluegrass banjo by its downstroke style. In bluegrass, the player up-picks notes using a pattern called a roll. These players also use fingerpicks to enhance ...

Banjo player Mark Johnson, who combines a clawhammer style with the three-finger style of bluegrass picking to create a unique hybrid sound, is the recipient of the third annual Steve Martin Prize… By ...

The truth is that most Americans don’t have an ear for real old-time music. The traditional music of our forebears was harsh, modal, and nasal. It’s an uneasy blend of British balladry, Scots-Irish ...

DUNNELLON, Fla. (WCJB) - Mark Johnson of Dunnellon was inducted into the American Banjo Hall of Fame. Johnson is known for blending traditional clawhammer banjo with bluegrass picking techniques to ...

With a hunk of wood between their legs and a nationally acclaimed banjoist leading the way, a small group of eager students strummed the chords and sang the familiar folk lyrics on a recent January ...

On this day (January 6) in 1924, Earl Scruggs was born in Flint Hill, North Carolina. He was a member of two of the most influential bluegrass groups. Moreover, he was at the forefront of the genre in ...