Splitting the Licks MB93998DVD $19.95

This companion video based on the book of the same title guides the 5-string banjo player step-by-step in creating arrangements from basic melodies by adding standard banjo licks and rolls. Addresses both Scruggs/bluegrass style and melodic/chromatic style.

Clawhammer from Scratch MB5001DVD $29.95

FINALLY! An instructional video that starts from the beginning! Clawhammer From Scratch begins as though you really have NO knowledge of how to play the five string banjo clawhammer style. Beginning at the beginning, Dan presents a brief history of the 5-string banjo then goes over the parts of the banjo, holding the banjo, right and left hand styles and his basic clawhammer strum. Even the strum is broken down into the steps of the finger and thumb. Based on Dan's innovative Meet the Banjo(TM) program where Dan brings 15 banjos and teaches players who may have never held a banjo, this video assumes no prior experience. Using one tune, Spotted Pony, you are guided through the chords, the scale and then the individual notes of the tune. This video ends with a few tips and frequently asked questions and even a chance for YOU to play with the fiddle and guitar just like in a private jam session. If you have been looking for that one instructional recording to get you started, this is the one for you. If you already have many books or videos but still can't seem to get the basics, this is the one for you, too! A 2-page pamphlet is included.

Clawhammer from Scratch, Volume 2 MB5002DVD $29.95

Picking up where Volume 1 left off, in this video you will learn to capo up to D tuning, review the basics of the Double Thumb Pony, then head off into the banjo world by learning to drop thumb, hammer-on, pull-off, and slide your way into the Full Blown Pony. Just as in Volume 1, you are guided through the chords, the scale, and then the individual notes of the tune as well as each of the techniques that make Old Time Southern Appalachian clawhammer banjo music as exciting as you have heard. Each technique is taught, then applied to the tune and repeated in easily learnable segments. This video even gives you a chance to play banjo with the fiddle and guitar just like in a real jam session. Booklet included.

Back-Up Banjo MB93771DVD $19.95

Janet Davis' comprehensive text is now a video! Learn the basic techniques commonly used on five-string banjo to accompany vocalists and instrumentalists. Separates the various back-up techniques into categories determined by song tempo, by lead instrument being accompanied, and by the area of the fingerboard in which the chords are being played. Presented by one of America's finest banjo teachers! There is also a companion book to this video.

Power Pickin' Vol. I Up the Neck Backup for Bluegrass Banjo MB20206DVD $35.00

A visual method for learning the basic techniques used to play bluegrass banjo accompaniment in up the neck positions. The material is presented in a step by step approach appropriate for all levels of pickers, and a tab booklet is included. One of the most challenging skills for any banjo player is being able to accompany other musicians in a jam session or band setting. Called backup, this art of accompanying singers and other instrumentalists requires the mastery of a set of traditional banjo techniques often involving distinctive sounds and licks found higher up the banjo neck.In this Power Pickin' video from AcuTab, Bill Evans takes you through a careful description and demonstration of many important backup techniques that you can incorporate into your picking right away. Each new technique is explained in detail, using a variety of camera angles and split screen formats to show you exactly how it's done.First off, Bill shows you how to use the vamping, or chopping technique. A number of right and left hand variations are demonstrated before moving into roll oriented backup. Bill describes the use of the forward roll in closed, up the neck positions as well as the popular two finger backup techniques, sometimes called "teardrop licks."A variety of right hand patterns are taught based on the different left hand chord forms and all examples are demonstrated both alone and in a band setting, using a standard bluegrass chord progression. Lastly, Bill teaches a number of popular backup licks that will appeal to more experienced pickers and shows how to work them into a song.

Power Pickin' Vol. II First Position Backup for Bluegrass Banjo MB20339DVD $35.00

A step-by-step demonstration of the basic techniques and patterns used to play roll style bluegrass banjo backup in the open, or first position. Contains material of interest to both beginners and more experienced players alike.Starting with the most basic, first look at following a simple chord progression, AcuTab's John Lawless takes you through a detailed discussion and analysis of down the neck backup that encompasses most of the elements that define the bluegrass banjo style.After learning some simple accompaniment patterns, John shows you how to create an effective backup using the forward roll to get the bluegrass sound. An essential part of the presentation is the concept of the escape roll, which allows you to maintain a forward roll over more than a single measure, and then escaping that pattern to lead into a new roll or chord.