Product Details

• Actors: Tony Trischka
• Directors: Happy Traum
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Hal Leonard
• DVD Release Date: February 3, 2003
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00008GKHI
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #99,767 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Tony Trischka teaches eleven classic pieces that are prime examples of banjo playing at its best. You’ll learn them, note-for-note, just as they were played by some of the greatest players in the history of the instrument. By learning these tunes you'll not only expand your repertoire, but in the process will also become more flexible in your ability to mix up various rolls, play in several keys without a capo and move more freely around the neck.

Tony, who is widely known as one of the world’s top contemporary banjo players as well as a historian of banjo lore, performs each tune with the help of John McGann on guitar. He then slows it down, going over the tricky spots and explaining all the right and left hand techniques you’ll need to play it.

Here are the solos you’ll learn: John Henry (Earl Scruggs), Sitting on Top of the World (Alan Shelton), Gold Rush (Vic Jordan), Bye Bye Blues (Alan Shelton), Dixie Breakdown (Don Reno), Old Home Place (J. D. Crowe), Salt Creek (Bill Keith), Casey Jones (Bobby Thompson), Clinch Mountain Backstep (Ralph Stanley), Little Maggie (Bill Emerson), Doug’s Tune (Doug Dillard).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for beginners but excellent, December 28, 2005

By	anonymous (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

I've been playing for about a year and I found all these solos outside my range. However, this is the sort of playing that every bluegrass picker wants to achieve so these are something to shoot for. The basic format consists of Trischka playing the solos at full speed followed by a half speed breakdown of each one. Tablature is provided as well as split screen detail showing the picking and fretting hands at the same time. Trischka does a good job explaining the idiosyncratic elements of each solo and interesting anecdotes about the players who originated them. The solos are all excellent and varied, although most are conveniently performed here in the key of G. Highly recommended for dedicated amateurs looking to take their playing to the next level.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for intermediates, October 5, 2006

By	frmertd - See all my reviews

My two cents. highly recommended for intermediate players only. if you are a beginner it will be too hard. What this video does is he takes you through the way the famous players /scruggs, reno, shelton, etc./ played their solos. if you are a beginner, better to get the murphy henry videos. but if you are intermediate or advanced intermediate you will like it. also you can steal some of the neat licks that the great players used, and apply them to other songs you play. there are some very cool endings , especially in old home place and sitting on top of the world. the kind of licks that are so good they themselves are worth the price of the video!even if you learned these songs as a beginner, if you go back and see how they REALLY were played you will find they sound better with these more advanced licks. only about 4 of them are really scruggsy. some of the later songs in the video are not scruggsy at all and use even single string style. but for intermediates i recommend it and look for some of those neat endings in the video and apply them to other songs you play.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great way to pick up new tunes, November 19, 2008

By	Marvin A. Dolinger "marvharps" (VA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Tony Trischka is a great banjo player and excellent teacher. He breaks down each song and makes each part understandable. If he had videos out when I started playing 30 years ago I would be a much better banjo player today. This is probably intermediate level but worth the hard work. I suggest any of his books. Just be sure to memorize the song and break free of the tabs after you learn the song. It is not cool to carry a music stand for field picking! :-)