The Hammer on

🎬 Embellishments #1: The Hammer-On

Welcome to the very first video in our Embellishments series—where your banjo playing begins to move beyond the basics and take on a life of its own! In this lesson, we’re exploring the hammer-on: a small, simple movement that can add huge character and momentum to your music.

Even if you're brand new to techniques like this, don't worry—we'll break it all down step by step.

In this video, you’ll learn:
🪕 What a hammer-on is and how it works in clawhammer style
🪕 How hammer-ons are written and recognised in banjo tab
🪕 Two clear, focused practice exercises to help you develop control, tone, and timing

The hammer-on is one of the most essential tools in the clawhammer toolkit, and it opens the door to expressive, flowing playing that sounds polished and musical. With just a little practice, you’ll be surprised at how much movement and style you can add to even the simplest of tunes.

This is your first step into the world of banjo embellishments—where your playing starts to sound less like a beginner and more like you. Let’s get started!