Product Details

• Actors: David Grier
• Directors: Happy Traum
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Homespun
• DVD Release Date: January 1, 2006
• Run Time: 75 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000E1OID0
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #84,911 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Here is an award-winning guitarist's blueprint for taking a successful bluegrass solo. On this excellent lesson, David Grier outlines the wide variety of techniques necessary to establish solid flatpicking style and play hot bluegrass guitar. He takes all the elements of his dazzling style - slides, hammers, pulls, crosspicking, pick-and-fingers technique, bends, double-stops, raking and other devices - and pulls them together into outstanding solo pieces.

Before long, you'll be digging into arrangements of well-known bluegrass tunes such as Liberty, Bill Cheatham, and a spectacular version of Nine Pound Hammer, incorporating all the elements in David's arsenal of licks to create your own instrumental breaks. Learning to play Grier originals, such as the haunting Engagement Waltz and The Meeting, will give you additional insights and direct you toward reaching your guitar playing potential.

David Grier has won accolades for the sheer originality of his style and technical virtuosity. Working with his personal method will provide hours of enjoyment as you add interest and power to your guitar sound.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars cross-picking for beginners, June 18, 2008

By	Peter M. Pohlenz "peter p" (colorado) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

i have several good instructional videos for guitar: tony rice, doc watson, etc., but this is my favorite. most players can't really describe what they're doing when they're playing, and they can't slow down their music at all. d. grier slows the music down while keeping the content (not an easy thing to do), and explains pull-offs, hammer-ons, slides, etc. as he plays them. there is quite a bit of variety to the music selection (both traditional tunes and some of his original music), in both 4/4 and 3/4 time. there's an excellent tablature booklet that comes with the video. this video has tunes carefully chosen to get you working on your cross-picking.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars He's an awesome picker, but not a great teacher..., February 14, 2008

By	Darren (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews

I purchased this to learn the mechanics of building more intricate guitar lines for bluegrass songs, and I've got to say that as an instructor, David falls a little short in my opinion.

Don't get me wrong, he's a PHENOMENAL picker, and truly somebody to be admired on the guitar... I've even thought about buying some of his CDs!
But, the movie opens with him jamming nicely for a minute, and you're there thinking, "I can't wait to learn from this guy," but then after the song, you're expecting this vivacious, charismatic, charming voice to come out to immediately engage you into the learning process.... But he actually seems more nervous than anything, and possibly (dare I say) a little stoned....

As he tries to explain the different methods of bluegrass soloing, he seems to only want to play his guitar, and not explain the guitar lines for you in full detail... Then he'll say, here let me SLOW THAT DOWN FOR YA..... He'll slow it down for you, but he'll play it differently the second time around...

There's a tab book that's included with the DVD, but it's folded up tightly on the inside cover, making it impossible to keep it open on a music stand for you look at it as you play...

Essentially, what I personally learned from this video, is one basic cross picking technique that's explained as "up down up down, and that's all you need to know," half of a song called "Bill Cheatham," and that bluegrass soloing is really hard to learn from David Grier if he's been smoking...

I'd look for a different video to start learning bluegrass solo mechanics... But might be right for more experienced bluegrass cross pickers/soloists, which I am NOT.... At least, not yet...