Janet Davis The Ultimate Banjo Songbook submitted 12/28/2008 Submitter terry.mcbride (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Gift Overall Comments This is a fantastic book for a novice or intermediate who wants to learn about different playing styles. The book gives you multiple ways to play each song. In that sense its full of lot's of licks as well. In fact alternate licks are provided as well. My only suggestion would be to repeat the songs on the CD for practicing over. Right now the tracks only demondtrate thr tabs. Overall Rating 9

Janet Davis The Ultimate Banjo Songbook submitted 12/26/2008 Submitter 10gauge (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Musical Arts: Mesa, AZ Overall Comments My wife got me this book for Christmas. So far this book seems to be perfect for my level of playing (9 months) and also offers lots of growing room. I'm rating it 9 out of 10 even though I feel it's a ten because it is really only one of two books that I've used for banjo. There are 8 of the 26 songs that are must learns for me and a 7 others I'm very interested in and of the rest there are 3 or 4 that hold some interest for me. Currently I am learning Fireball Mail, Foggy Mountain Breakdown and Dueling Banjos. I really like they way the first versions are easy and the following versions get more and more challenging. This books will be dog eared by the time I'm though with it and then I'm sure it will continue to be a great reference. My one critisism is a couple of the songs are not very banjo-y, but Janet kept these few and far between and it seems like a ligitimate attempt to stretch out the banjo genre and so I'm not really complaining. If your not already playing the standards that are in this book, it is sure to be a great learning tool. If you are an advanced player, I would guess you would enjoy all the alternate licks and more challenging versions of the songs you already play. Thanks Janet. Overall Rating 9

Patrick Costello The How and Tao of Old Time Banjo submitted 12/22/2008 Submitter rgire (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Direct from Pat at funkyseagull.com Overall Comments Ordered the Frailing Pkg, which on sale Includes the Tao book, plus a CD and 2 DVDs. Pat shipped out immeidtaely and sent me an email stating he thinks he may have put the wrong CD/DVDs in the Pkg. Pkg arrived 2 days later. The wrong CD/DVDs were in the pkg. I emailed Pat and he immediately emailed back that the correct disks were mailing in the morning. Besides that, he also told me to keep the 2 incorrect disks. You can't ask for better customer service than that. Overall Rating 10

Patrick Costello The How and Tao of Old Time Banjo submitted 12/21/2008 Submitter Banjo75 (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased FunkySeagull.com Overall Comments This book has taught me more about the banjo in a manageable format than any other. It's a must by along w/ Pete Seeger's (yes, it is that good). My only complaint is that a proof-reader, copy editor, editor is greatly needed and the format is a little bit amateur-ish. But the information is top notch. Overall Rating 10

Patrick Costello The Outlaws and Scalawags Songbook submitted 12/21/2008 Submitter Banjo75 (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased FunkySeagull.com Overall Comments A fun collection of easy beginner tabs (much appreciated because there isn't enough out there). The format however and production is very amateurish and the price of $24.95 is definitely not justified. The copy editing/proofreading is attrocious! Jesse James is missing the first few bars of tabs. Several times it indicates "melody tab" where it is actually the back-up and vice versa. It is a nice companion to the How and Tao book but it is only worth about $10... A poor effort on a good idea. Overall Rating 3

Art Rosenbaum Mel Bay's The Art of the Mountain Banjo submitted 12/21/2008 Submitter Banjo75 (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Banjo.com Overall Comments Mel Bay's books are usually winners and this one is no exception. Art Rosenbaum's playing on the CD is worth the price alone. Excellent anectdotes, descriptions of different types of mountain styles. Great song selection and wonderful arrangements! Not for the total beginner other than to get ideas and to read and listen to the CD. This is a MUST have!!! Overall Rating 10

Geoff Hohwald Banjo Primer (Revised) submitted 11/22/2008 Submitter 5strbanjo (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased www.cvls.com Overall Comments I've been looking at and evaluating banjo instructional materials for a regional bluegrass association newsletter for several years, and this is the best inexpensive basic learning resource I've ever seen. Pegagogically, it's way ahead of the pack no matter what big name is on a particular basic learning resource. Geoff Hohwald's book/CD set does a better job of helping you learn 3-finger style pickin' on your own than any other resource I've come across, and I've seen a good many. The companion DVD, "Introduction to 5-String Banjo"--which must be purchased separately--is the most practical, helpful video resource I've ever seen, too. I wish these both had been available when I first started learning. Overall Rating 10

Pete Seeger How to play the 5-string Banjo submitted 11/6/2008 Submitter Banjo75 (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Used Book Store Overall Comments This is a timeless classic as the grand ol' man of the folk banjo teaches his tips and techniques on the 5-string banjo and introduces the world to the hybrid Seeger style technique. Although not best for the absolute beginner many frailers have began from this text. The bible of folk banjo and a must read for all banjo-ists! Overall Rating 10

Ron Hughes Christmas Carols For The 5 string Banjo submitted 11/4/2008 Submitter Banjowen (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased United Kingdom Overall Comments If you'd like to play Christmas Carols on the 5 string banjo this book is an absolute must, their are 16 carols all done very tastefully in melodic style some with nice variations, every tune has chord symbols as well as right hand fingering ,....it also comes with a CD of Ron Hughes playing all the tunes which matches the tabs perfectly.....Highly recommended..... Overall Rating 10

Eddie Collins Basics of Bluegrass Banjo submitted 11/1/2008 Submitter hobogal (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Eddie Collins website Overall Comments Most beginner's books will teach you how to play lead breaks and you will probably come away knowing a handful of lead breaks but little idea how to play variations or how to accompany other musicians. Eddie Collins teaches you how to play lead and back-up right from the beginning. The accompanying cd's are excellent - every exercise is demonstrated and you can also play-along to the tracks, switching between lead and back-up. There is even an indepth section on playing the blues. Carry onto the next book (Beyond the Basics of Bluegrass Banjo) and there are more great exercises on swapping licks to John Hardy and more blues licks...the exercises are fun to play (and learning should be fun after all!) I'd recommend getting the Basics book first because the exercises follow in a progression...the second book is aimed at an intermediate level. Overall Rating 10

Ross Nickerson The Banjo Encyclopedia submitted 9/5/2008 Submitter nrieber (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Online (Barnes and Noble) Overall Comments This was a goldmine for the student seeking a technical, almost academic, way to study the banjo. I began by just learning songs and a few licks, but everything, from playing by ear to reading tab to speed to even comfort in jamming has become easier by Nickerson's dissection of banjo. He extrapolates the theory behind banjo music which makes it a unique instrument and developed me into a stronger player not just on the technical side, but also with my understanding of the banjo's role in creating music Overall Rating 10

Jay Buckey Bluegrass Banjo Volumes 1-8 submitted 7/9/2008 Submitter stevejay (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Online Overall Comments Although a bit pricey (bought the book), there are 96 songs played at various tempos (100bpm) being the slowest up to 200bpm. Often there are a few versions of a song to hear a melodic arrangement as well as a Scruggs style arrangement. There is also simple backup ideas included and lyrics, and the book is chock full of pointers and tips for players of all levels, but it is really aimed towards novices who want to start sounding more polished and professional. The backups are basic, but at least you'll learn to nail down the chord progressions, and you can pick up some ideas on the few backups that are a bit more ornate. Because I am playing alone now, I am happy with my purchase, and feel I am geeting a Bluegrass education from a few angles- styles, repertoir, backup, lyrics, jam etiquette, history... Caveats? You will want to burn your own CDs, Jay Buckey gives you instructions and the codes to do so. It is quite simple, but if you just burn the volumes as they are, the songs are not quite the same order as banjo 1, banjo 2 etc, but really no big deal at all. I opted to just burn each volume onto its own CD rather than make custom CDs by key, by speed etc... you do have that option if you like that kind of thing and have a little computer knowledge. edit: I did burn a CD of all the 100 BPM songs together for bad days, when I need to rebuild my confidence and play at a crawl. I'll answer any questions if you have them, or I guess it's better to ask Jay Buckey himself. I can give you the students perspective. This was not a source which was thrown together for a quick buck, I sensed a real labor of love and respect for the musical tradition. I like this source, and have no regrets at all. A good mix of traditional breakdowns, fiddle tunes, gospel, a version of dueling banjos, el cumbanchero... :) 1 odd thing, the books don't necessarily get harder as you go through. Some of the easy or challenging pieces are not chronological if you get my drift. Overall Rating 9

Wil Huckaby Building Blocks for Bluegrass Jamming - Vol. 1 submitted 6/2/2008 Submitter krkintex (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Angiesbanjo.com Overall Comments I've noticed several questions on some of the other forums about Wil Huckabay's Building Blocks for Bluegrass Jamming Book. I have the book and have used this method. It has helped me tremendously! I started pickin' at the age of 55 (now 58) and after a year or so, I tried jamming with others in several different jam scenarios. My biggest problem: if I didn't know the song, I was lost. Last year, I started working with Wil's Cut "n" Paste Method and suddenly I could jam (backup and breaks). Basically, I learned all the G,C, and D chord licks described in Wil's book. I then learned how to put the licks together to do a break for a song. I didn't need to know the song as long as I had the chord progression for the song. Although they aren't the melodies to the songs, the breaks sound good! Almost like I know what I'm doing! Wil includes a very good practice CD with the book which really helped me make sense of what the book teaches. This book made the "light bulb go on" for me. I'm positive it can for others, especially those who would like to start jamming but aren't sure how. My confidence level did an "about face" after I learned this method. Wil makes the learning very basic and easy to understand. Summarizing, if you want to learn a basic method for surviving in a jam session, this book can help you do that. It's a great learning tool! Overall Rating 10

Roni Stoneman Pressing On,The Roni Stoneman Story submitted 5/26/2008 Submitter BanjoDiva (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Amazon.com Overall Comments Just finished reading Roni Stoneman's biography "Pressing On". Terrific book although quite sad, IMO. It's a good mix of her personal and professional life. It definitely broadened my understanding of bluegrass and country music during that time. She talks a good bit about Hee-Haw as well as being part of the Stoneman family. It is surprisingly well done. I have even more respect for her now. Highly recommended. Diva Overall Rating 10

Sarah McUmber-House Nemofotmad Chord Book Vol. 1 submitted 5/21/2008 Submitter canerods (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Received a copy for review Overall Comments Right out of the box this is an impressive and well thought out tool. The thickly laminated front and back covers are sure to stand up to the rigors of pass-it-around jam sessions and the interior pages are printed on a nice card stock so they aren't going be easily bent or dog-eared. This tool is built to use and it's built to last. The 1-1/2" jumbo spiral comb binding is a really cool idea, it allows any of the nearly 300 pages to stay put and lay nice n' flat. This is neat: because of it's unique comb binding you can also set it up like a mini easel, so it can also be viewed standing upright not just laying down – now that is very handy. The large print chord diagrams are easily to read from 6+ feet away, this allows several players to use the tune diagrams at the same time – no problem with sharing. I like this: when you want to find a tune, you don't need to refer to an index and then waste a bunch of time looking up a page number – all the tune chord charts are arranged alphabetically by song title, so you can find the tune you want fast. Of course there is a handy tune index, but you don't need it to find the tune your looking for. In addition to the well over 200+ tune chord diagrams contained in this hefty 1-1/4 inch thick volume, there are numerous other helpful features, like: a key/chord transposition chart, a how to use it guide, web links for other music resources, a glossary of tune style definitions and even plenty of blank chord charts to pencil in your own favorite tunes. As a new player who needs all the help I can get, I've found this chord book to be well-designed, easy-to-read and understand and a genuine pleasure to use. It's a resource that musicians at every skill level will find very useful. On my "I wish" list the only other thing that would be useful to a beginner like me, would be some chord diagram pages showing the actual chord fingerings for several instruments in various keys, guitar, 5-string and tenor banjo and mandolin. That wish may be beyond the scope of this book and anyway, I have those chord references handy when I need them. So it's no a big deal. Sarah is a Banjo Hangout Member, she goes by the name of: anniemcu. You can contact her via the Banjo Hangout. Overall Rating 10

Bill Evans Banjo for Dummies submitted 3/10/2008 Submitter SkaStan (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Amazon.co.uk Overall Comments An essential for the absolute beginner (like me) If you really do not know your rim from your tailpiece this is the book for you. It gives, in a clear concise way, a complete guide to starting down the banjo road. From choosing your first instrument, through your first chords to pickin like Scruggs. Along the way you learn about all different styles, history, instrument set up, jamming, the banjo community, buying online and suggested listening! The book and its accompaning CD are an excellent guide for the beginner as well as a great reference for the more experienced player. Great job Bill!! Overall Rating 10

Earl scruggs Earl Scruggs and the 5-string banjo submitted 3/5/2008 Submitter banjobenjamen (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased richmond music Overall Comments This is a great book for learning on.It teaches basic roll patterns,chords,slides,pull and push offs,chokes,vamping, hammer-ons,and more . It also has 46 songs including, jed clampett,foggy mountain breakdown, and cripple creek. It also has a chapter on earls life and times, the history of the 5-string banjo ,how to build a banjo,and how to make scruggs tuners.Also included is a CD.This the best book I have. Overall Rating 10

Walter Carter Gibson: 100 Years of an American Icon submitted 2/10/2008 Submitter Kevin B (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased eBay Overall Comments Gibson: 100 Years of An American Icon (1994), Walter Carter I just finished reading this book. I highly recommend it. It is pure propaganda in places. Carter was Gibson’s in house historian and it was published by Gibson Publishing Company. It has excellent photos. Page 267 has a full page picture of a 1932 Granada under the article heading “The Vintage Backlash.” Pages 114 and 115 are devoted to Earl with the later being a full color, full page photo. There is great information about Gibson evolution over the years. A party line explanation about the rationale behind the move to Nashville, etc. is also included. I would highly recommend this text (out of print) to all Gibsonphiles. There was much more banjo stuff that I expected which was a pleasant surprise. Overall Rating 9

Roger H. Siminoff How to Set Up the Best Sounding Banjo submitted 1/20/2008 Submitter Bohonkie (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Janet Davis Music Overall Comments As mentioned in my review of my Recording King at this site, this book - no kidding - saved my banjo! At the risk of sounding overly opinionated, I believe every banjoist should have this book and refer to it to set up banjos to their preferences and to obtain the best out of any given banjo. When should a beginning banjoist buy this book and start setting up? When you learn that you can get a different tone out of picking near the bridge as opposed to near the fret board - it's time. True, some banjo work is beyond the average owner, like neck cutting, and this book will not teach you how to do that, but discusses it. You should know what is going on (might help you determine problems of a banjo you plan to buy) and Roger tells you why these angles are important and how to tell if there is a problem. He also describes how sound travels, how it resonates, and broaches the subject of tap tuning. However, where this book really shines, and the focus of the book, is on set up and getting the best sound possible. We all should know how to set up our banjos and this book does the best job I've ever seen of teaching you how to do so. Roger's easy to understand explanations, directions, and descriptions are unmatched in any other technical book. I recommend keeping records of your own set up on the final few blank pages - with references to the cognizant page. With this book, and a few basic tools, there is no reason not to set up your banjo properly and to reset your banjo when weather or time change it. Still under $20.00, this book is a must! From Hal Leonard Publishing; ISBN: 0-7935-8998-3. Overall Rating 10

Jay Buckey Bluegrass Banjo Volumes 1-8 submitted 12/20/2007 Submitter dogsplus2 (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased eBook - website http://jaybuckey.com/banjo.htm Overall Comments I used a lot of great books to get me started, but once I felt I had some of the basics covered, I was crying out for new songs to be able to play - it's what keeps me motivated. I've only been playing a year, but I truly believe that I made a huge leap forward when I started using the Jay Buckey eBooks. They come with MP3's for all the tunes, many at differing speeds, and if you use Audacity or a similar program, you can cancel the banjo from the left audio channel and you're left with a great set of back up MP3's. Not all the songs are the true 'as Scruggs played it' arrangements, but if you can get past that, you are left with great arrangements with just the right amount of challenge for a seasoned beginner/early intermediate. I'm now playing tunes like Ground Speed and Banjo Signal, which I thought were well out of my grasp at this stage, and it just keeps your confidence high, and enthusiasm up. The books themselves come in PDF format and are professional looking TAB books. If you want to try before you buy, he even has a a very large selection of free TAB. Can't recommend enough. Overall Rating 10

Roni Stoneman Pressing On,The Roni Stoneman Story submitted 11/17/2007 Submitter rfboy (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Univ of Ill. Press Overall Comments Feeling down cause you can't figure out a good roll for a song you want to play? Hee Haw! Go get this book and be entertained. Growing up in a house with a canvass tarp for a roof, learning how to play on instruments made by hand by her dad, wins a banjo contest and they won't give her the 1st prize Vega cause she's girl. Invited to perform at the Grand Old Opry, the family band plays too good, shows up Hank Snow, and they don't get invited back. Spousal abuse, loser husbands, raising kids on her own and I'm only half way through! Got this the other day, probably finish it tonight. Overall Rating 9

Tony Trischka All Star Bluegrass Jam Along - Banjo submitted 11/3/2007 Submitter erstokke (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Amazon Overall Comments You get a TAB book with arrangements for 21 "essential" tunes. The song selection is very good, there are many nice songs with a good melody line. A lot of them use more than three chords. The songs are in different keys, and for many of them you have to use a capo. There are even three watzes. The TABs are first basic versions, then solo/up the neck versions. The up the neck versions are often in melodic style. The TABs are very good, and the banjo arrangements are a little different - better - from what I find in other books that I have. Then to the CD. There is one track for each song. Each track has bass, guitar and mandolin all the way through. First, the song is played with banjo in a basic version, then up the neck, then backup banjo (mostly pinch) and then without any banjo - you jam along yourself. Tempo is moderate to slow. Tony Trischka´s banjo playing is really beautiful. It is very clean and right on time all the way. You will enjoy just listening to the CD. His banjo sounds great! Sound quality is great, but you might like or dislike that the backup band is in the left channel and the banjo alone to the right. The benefit of this, is that you can listen to the left channel only to get the backing band playing without Tony Trischka. The really great new thing about this book/CD, is that there are versions for banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar and bass. This must be the best way to start a bluegrass band. Let each band member rehearse with their own book. When you meet, you are all ready to jam! Overall Rating 10

Eddie Collins Basics of Bluegrass Banjo submitted 9/21/2007 Submitter cthetford (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Angies Banjo Overall Comments Although I’ve seen a few questions about it on the hangout and there was a review of the second book in this month’s BNL, I haven’t seen much mention of the Eddie Collins “Basics of Bluegrass Banjo” book and after looking at the book, it is a real shame this one doesn’t get more mention. I purchased the “Beyond Basics” at a recent Eddie Collins workshop because I liked what I saw but didn’t see the point in buying another “Basics” type of book at that time. However after I dug into the material a bit, I liked what I saw enough to purchase the “Basics” book as well. I thought I’d take a few minutes and post a review of the book. The first thing I noticed about this book, is that there is a lot more text in this book than in many of the music books I’ve purchased. Eddie sprinkles in lots of paragraphs with helpful tips on things like the importance of memorizing songs, types of exercises, explaining the different parts of a song or how to structure your practice. This aspect of the book appealed to me since I really enjoy the verbose explanations and thought provoking statements (I’m not as much of a learn-by-example kind of guy as some folks might be). All of the normal stuff you’d expect to see is in there.. hand position, the rolls, common chord progressions, common licks, hammer-ons, slides etc. One of the things that I really like about this book though is that the many different elements of playing are taught in an integrated manner. You won’t spend 2 years learning a bunch of lead breaks and then be clueless in your first jam session! Eddie starts from the very first song (Camptown races) encouraging you to try to pick out the melody by ear. He then gives you the lyrics to the song and the chord structure and discusses how to accompany the song with chords (just basic strumming at this point). This structure continues throughout the book. All aspects of the songs are introduced at basically the same time: playing the solo, singing along and playing backup. In addition music theory is slowly introduced including rhythm, scales, chord progressions, etc. As the book progresses, it discusses arranging the songs (meaning how you would perform it with a group, not writing your own solos). For example, when the song, “Golden Wings” is introduced on page 35, the solo is given. On the next page is a description of some new chords needed for the song followed by a chord chart and a lead sheet with the lyrics / chords that shows when you take the banjo break. If you decide to play along with the CD, you can play the chords during the verse and chorus (and sing along as well if you are so inclined!), then play the break at the appropriate time. By the time you get to page 94, the arrangement for New River Train takes the whole page. It shows a suggestion for the intro, when to play the rolling backup, when to vamp, when to play the fills when to take the solo and how to tag out the song. The lyrics for all three verses are given and the CD contains the full 3 minute arrangement with the singing and guitar break so you can exercise all of your skills at a comfortable speed. The book includes two CDs, one containing the examples and songs at a fairly slow pace and the 2nd one at a little faster pace. The idea of the 2nd CD is that it can be used just for general listening pleasure as well as to play along so that you can learn how the songs sound. The Banjo is recorded more heavily on one of the stereo track so you can adjust its volume according to your needs. In Chapter Five, the book introduces ¾ time and at the same time discusses the process of building up a solo from a melody you pick out by ear. It discusses how you might want to fill in the beats in between the melody notes of “Amazing Grace” and then shows the tab for the whole solo. Again the chord chart is given and the CD gives you the chance to play backup while the other instruments play a solo. There are chapters on using< Overall Rating 9

R. D. Lunceford Drop Thumb & Cotton Blossom submitted 9/21/2007 Submitter oldwoodchuckb (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Elderly Instruments Overall Comments This is the review I originally posted in the forum about a year ago. Building repertoire comes up a lot on banjo forums and for good reason – clawhammer is, for the most part, not about fantastic chops and blowing away the competition, but about having a good time, socializing and playing along with like minded others. Sort of like pre-school for adults. Having a lot of tunes under your belt not only makes it more likely that you will know the next tune that comes up at a jam, but actually makes it easier to quickly “catch” tunes you don’t know, since many phrases show up in many tunes. There comes a point for most banjo players (other instruments too, but this is a banjo forum) where new tunes just seem to drop into place and while you might be missing a few notes, you have the general shape of the melody and can easily “fake” it almost immediately. Over the past couple weeks I’ve been playing my way through R.D. Lunceford’s two books of banjo tabs and listening to the cds they go with and find they impress me as excellent ways to build up that repertoire. Usually I don’t recommend tab books as I find that many book arrangements are fussy, and designed to be played solo at tempos that simply will not fly in most jams, or they are based around a style that is not completely adaptable to the sort of semi-generic nature of most old time jam groups. Ron’s books don’t fall into either category. I know the cds were made for entertainment, but other than saying he is a fine player and they are good cds I am more interested in pointing out their value for the banjo player in the stage many call “intermediate”. The first book “Drop Thumb”, consists of 21 tabs of tunes that are all playable either as solos or in jams. There is not a lot of extraneous material cluttering the page (or the recordings) and while a couple moderately scarce techniques are occasionally used there is nothing too difficult here for anyone who has the basic drop thumb techniques down – the frail, the double thumb, drop thumb, slides, hammers, and pulls – I’ve already forgotten if there is any Galax Lick in the book but if there is, it is not excessive. This is however, not an instruction book. Except for a page on reading the tabs, there are no lessons whatsoever, so this is not a good start for the beginner. There are several relatively simple familiar tunes like June Apple, to get acquainted with Ron’s tabs and some fairly complex but familiar tunes like Soldier’s Joy to build toward. I found all the tabs clear and easy to read, which is very important. The arrangements are also pretty close to the way Ron plays the tunes on the cd so you have both the written form and the sound as a guide. There are also some rare tunes (like Shaving a Dead Man – aka Protect the Innocent) in exotic tunings. A couple of these are beautiful banjo solo tunes that are probably in danger of fading away simply because no one seems to take the time to re-tune for them any more (I could write pages on that subject). Ron plays them beautifully and should inspire at least some people to start turning those buttons. The second book, “Cotton Blossom” is a little more complicated. Many of the tunes are adaptations of minstrel tunes and, while the playing here is still modern clawhammer, several tunes have occasional bits that will take some work to get them down smooth. As Ron points out however, this is not a book of complicated solo pieces like the ones in the 19th century tutors but modern interpretations using nothing that isn’t found in current techniques. Many of these tunes are standard repertoire for clawhammer players and jam groups, and as in the Drop Thumb book they are presented in clear easy to read tab. Ron plays the cd for this book on a fretless, but I only found two spots in the tabs where I felt I had to make a change from the written version to adjust for the fact that I was playing a fretted banjo. Listening to a low tuned fre Overall Rating 9

Eddie Collins Beyond The Basics of Bluegrass Banjo submitted 9/20/2007 Submitter wayne biggers (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased From Eddie Collins Overall Comments Very complete book. This book gives a-lot of valuable information to help expand the basics and as the title says " Beyond". Eddie does a great job in explaining how to improvise, back-up, and use different picking styles. Lots of musical theory here as well as good tablature and comes with CD's to help. Highly recommended. Overall Rating 9