Search - Classic Bluegrass Banjo Solos DVD on DVD

Not for beginners but excellent

anonymous | Los Angeles, CA | 12/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Good for intermediates

frmertd | 10/05/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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.

FYI: the ending lick of Sittin on top of the world is badassssss."