From the Actor
Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine (Review): November 2000 issue It’s pretty rare to find a single video (or videos like this one) that can actually take a neophyte banjo player from the most fundamental introduction, all the way through up-the-neck solo variations, melodic technique, & single-string picking. But Greg Cahill manages somehow to do just that on this excellent pair of instructional tapes. Greg explains the basic principles of bluegrass banjo playing concisely, slowly & clearly enough that anyone with a very basic grounding in musical principles will be able to follow along with ease. Cahill begins by explaining the fundamentals of the 3-finger roll & basic left-hand chords, hammer-ons & pull-offs, then proceeds to teach a number of popular banjo tunes using the simple but effective technique of playing each tune up to speed, explaining the licks involved, then playing the whole thing again slowly. The video producers use a split-screen presentation to allow the student to watch both right & left hands at once, & a tablature booklet is included with each video. The 1st tape focuses on banjo anatomy, tuning & basic roll patterns, while the 2nd addresses use of the capo, chord positions, & melodic & single-string styles. Both tapes will make an excellent intro to the instrument for anyone interested in starting on his or her own.
Product Description
This Program takes up where "Beginning Bluegrass Banjo Vol One" leaves off. Includes: study of tunes in the Scruggs, melodic, & single-string styles. Also explains use of the capo & How to play tunes in the G, D, & C positions. Tunes include: Fireball Mail (two variations: regular & up-the-neck), Old Joe Clark, Devil’s Dream, Soldier’s Joy, & Sweet Dixie (Home Sweet Home) * accompanying tablature sheet music inside this package
