Overall Comments

I got volume 1. The show is really good but its pity its just an hour long.
One good thing is as its older there are no constant changes in camera angles. The camera often zooms towards Earls playing fingers which is interesting to see. I suppose they are a bit on the expensive side but its Flatt and scruggs!

Overall Rating

9

Overall Comments

I've been looking for intermmediate/advanced DVD's for a while and after quite a few dissapointments, I believe I have found a gem here. Mr. Munde will push you to a higher level of playing. If he can't then you probably don't need any lessons.

Not a super high quality production, just great versions of classic songs with detailed instruction and tab. I feel as though I get to sit down with him and really delve into his great style of playing.

If your looking for something to really push your scruggs/reno/melodic playing, you can't pass this one up.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I'm basically repeating a review from another of Mr. Munde's DVD's as I could only put one title in each reveiw.

I've been looking for intermmediate/advanced DVD's for a while and after quite a few dissapointments, I believe I have found a gem here. Mr. Munde will push you to a higher level of playing. If he can't then you probably don't need any lessons.

Not a super high quality production, just great versions of classic songs with detailed instruction and tab. I feel as though I get to sit down with him and really delve into his great style of playing.

If your looking for something to really push your scruggs/reno/melodic playing, you can't pass this one up.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Buddy Wachter teaches us how to play the tenor banjo the right way with easy and clear instruction. Basics like: How to hold the pick, proper wrist/hand positions, correct playing of the tremolo, how to avoid bad player habits +++ is well thought in this great DVD. He also teaches us twelve basic hand positions for major, minor, 7th, augmented and diminished chord formations.

The negative side is that the DVD is only 60 minutes long, which makes the learning possess seem unrealistic for beginners.

Overall Rating

8

Overall Comments

“West Virginia Mountain Music” is a video by Bates and Jody Littlehales featuring some of the most beautiful footage and still shots of the flora, fauna, landscapes and wildlife of Pendleton and Pocahontas Counties, set to the music of Dwight Diller. Several years in the making, it represents the best photographic and editing work of Bates and Jody, who produced Diller’s instructional DVDs.

Jody was an art director for the book division at National Geographic, and lent her skill as an editor to this series of video collaborations. Bates’ long professional experience as a photographer for National Geographic has been distilled in a number of photographic studies published over the last ten years since their retirements; those books are worth looking at themselves for the artistry and erudition they represent.

I cannot offer a dispassionate review, since I am linked to both the Littlehales and to Diller in a series of entangling alliances that amount to some of the most treasured friendships to emerge from my brief and undistinguished association with West Virginia banjo music over the last ten or more years.
So, my enthusiasm for this video, which I have viewed many, many times since Elaine Diller sent me one from her great store, MorningStar Folk Music, in Hillsborough, West Virginia, makes me an extremely biased supporter of the art of Bates, Jody, and Dwight.

They have together produced a video that overwhelms the senses – front loading the brain with landscapes and life forms of every size and shape that inhabit the mountains, water features, and forest lands of West Virginia while drenching the mind with Dwight’s banjo and fiddle from the great body of recorded music that represents his portfolio.

In my own view, Bates photos and Dwight’s music come together in this video in a way that helps to translate these diverse connections that exist in my mind between West Virginia banjo tunes and fiddle music and my own panoramic memories. His video turns my memories into scenes anchored to West Virginia realities, thus connecting my city boy way of making sense of this music, or searching for visual signals of musical meaning, with firm, enduring images of West Virginia.

I’m unlikely to encounter the West Virginia that Bates and Jody have documented in this film, and in the books Bates has turned out in the course of a great photographic career, and I may not understand the recollections that Dwight’s music signals to him, the images and realities that he associates with this music, and attempts to communicate to a devoted audience.

And that may be the reason I have watched this film over and over, and intend to watch it again.

Overall Rating

9

Overall Comments

The work that John Lawless, Bill Evans and all the other guy's at Acutab put into their instructional material is truly staggering; it becomes obvious when you use any of their products, that they really beleive in what they are doing.



I have many of Acutab's products, Power Pickin' 1-4, (which really are worth their weight in gold, im sure anyone who has used them will agree that they are worth ten times the price tag), numerous artist DVD's (Jim Mills, Sammy Shelor, Ron Stewart, Ron Block) and a couple of the fully authorised wonderfully accurate tab books (Terry Baucom, Steve Dilling)

Everything is presented with a quality I've never seen before in similar products; a completely different attitude, it's like they have a self assumed (and very welcome) commitment to students of music.
A commitment to bringing the very best in instructional material to any aspiring bluegrass musician.

I've been using Acutab for about 3-4 months now and this commitment from the guy's at acutab is really inspiring it encourages a player to play more and more with the proggressive, structured lesson. Unlike most other DVD's whereby you would watch and take away with you the parts which seem of value (probably leaving a good 10-30% of the instruction on the disc)

With the help of Acutab I have with all sincerity become at least 10 times the Banjo player I was, I just wish i'd Known about them from day one!!!

www.acutab.com

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I recently picked this up as a resource for banjo maintenance on my Mastertone. I already have the Janet Davis setup DVD but after numerous viewings of both and setups using both as guides, I find Huber's DVD far better with the following features:
- Steve spends considerable time discussing head tightness- How to thump test for head tuning, and comparisons of tight (A), recommended (G#) and loose (G) head tunings. That alone makes it worth owning this DVD.
- Excellent production. Picture-in-picture zooms for detail portions so you can easily see what Steve is doing, yet in tedious portions (like tightening hooks), it speeds up with a bit of pickin soundtrack. The camera work is very good and on par with Acutab's other well produced DVDs I have viewed.
- Steve is very good in his presentation- very clear and easy to follow.
- There are a couple cool extra features- of Steve and Sammy Shelor picking (seperately, not together).

Highly recommended

Overall Rating

9

Overall Comments

This is an amazing documentary about the life of Pete Seeger. A must have for any Seeger fan and well worth watching for anyone who wants to know more about the life of a true banjo legend. This goes into detail not only of the blacklisting and early years of Pete Seeger but also into his homesteading and environmental work of later years.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Perhaps this is the most creative approach to understanding improvisation I have seen on the market. Jayme's choice and examples of songs and passages is easily understood but the DVD also will challenge you personally in a way that will leave you a far more adept banjo player simply for it forces you to think.

I am currently studying this DVD and I would advise any intermediate to advanced player to add this to your collection. For me I don't know what I would have done without it. I am now creating the breaks I have always wanted to play and stunning some of my peers. It feels so good!!!

Thanks Jayme

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Nice job byJDMC getting me the video asap(even though it was backordered).What a pleasure it is to hear John speak. He talks to you like your favorite uncle.While it is not (imho) a technical dvd, it is instuctional, with tabs, and lets you know how he looks at music,as well as who and what influenced him.I think every banjo player should have this dvd. I deeply regret that I never saw him perform live,even though I was aware of his music. I think if there is someone you would like to see perform, you should do it no matter what, before it is too late, nobody lives forever.It makes me sad I never met,saw, or spoke with him.This dvd is as close to a conversation with John as you can get, and I love it.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

My disappointment with this DVD is of my own doing. I was thinking that the DVD would give some beginning instruction into the various playing styles for the accoustic guitar. Instead, it was nothing more than an overview of playing methods. Mickey Cochran, featured, is clear that the DVD is only an overview but I guess I read more into the description of the product than was actually there. In any event, if you are looking for some instruction in playing methods, this is not the DVD for you. On the other hand, if you only want to hear a guitar played using various methods (flat picking, finger picking, blues, jaz, etc) then you might be satisfied with this offering.

Overall Rating

5

Overall Comments

Peter Wernick (Dr. Banjo) is the featured teacher in this video and he is excellent. The video is, as the name implies, for absolute beginners and it will have you up and going in no time. The banjo is taught in a logical progression and is easy to follow. Although I have not viewed other videos that are for beginning banjo players, I am sure this must be one of the best. I highly reccomend it for the beginner.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

When you speak of the hard driving sound of bluegrass banjo, Terry Baucom's name will soon be mentioned. This DVD gives a wonderfull insight into how to better get that awe inspiring sound that Bauc is famous for. Several tunes/songs are broken down into easily digestable sections, slowed down, broken down again, examining in detail almost every note. This DVD makes it easy to spot common things that terry does to make his sound so distinctive and then to apply them to your own playing. This is one of the best learning resourses I have found so far. Brilliant!!!!!!!!!

Overall Rating

8

Overall Comments

I have the two original Gaither Bluegrass Gospel Homecoming DVDs, and both are excellent. When I saw these new ones, I jumped at the chance to buy them (less than $15 each at Wal-Mart). Both are excellent DVDs, and include a variety of both bluegrass, country, and Southern Gospel artists performing some great gospel numbers. At first I was a bit disappointed that these weren't totally bluegrass, but after watching them a couple of times I came to appreciate and enjoy most of the other performers on there as well. Some very good music, with a very good spirit about the whole thing. Some of the artists include DL&Q, Dailey & Vincent, the Grascals, RV&R, Ralph Stanley & CMB, the Isaacs, Marty Stuart, Cherryholmes, Larry Sparks, Vince Gill and George Jones, plus several others. I would highly recommend these DVDs.

Overall Rating

9

Overall Comments

Very helpful licks from a banjo super uber love his style of playing. Alot of moveable licks . It has helped me alot.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

David Holt's enthusiasm in infectious and it pours out of this DVD for the absolute clawhammer beginner. This will teach you the basic bum dit-ty in a way that you can understand it and develop the proper technique to play it. Only criticisms are that the part on tuning is done with too much haste to be of real use (doesn't matter if you have a tuner) and the transition into the final version of Tom Dooley is too fast. A good buy for the money.

Overall Rating

7

Overall Comments

I got this DVD a few days ago, and I highly recommend it: 30 of Diane's Favorites

http://www.reedisland.com/RIR/dvdjones.htm

It's not your normal clawhammer instructional DVD. She introduces each tune and then plays it. That's it. No wasted time describing what she's doing, and both hands are visible at all times. It's intended mainly for intermediate level players who don't rely on tab. The tunes are sorted by tuning -- a nice touch. Most of the tunes are new to me, which makes it even better. She claims that it's for instructional purposes, rather than for entertainment. But she's lying. I liked this DVD so much, that I sought out a program that let me rip the DVD to MP3 files so I could listen to them without having to watch.

Great stuff. There's lots of clawhammer instructional material for beginners, but Intermediate players tend to be overlooked. Every banjo instructor should do this. Thanks, Diane.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Very Good DVD.
Steve Huber is a great banjo man making the Huber Banjo and he teaches you everything about setting up a Mastertone type 5-String.
All the elements are covered.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I, like most fans of the amazing Dr Ralph Stanley have yearned to know the secrets of that "Stanley Sound"..... well, now my dreams have been answered

I have just received my copy of the long awaited DVD "Stanley Style Banjo" by the amazing Steve Sparkman & boy was it worth the wait.

It covers everything you need to know from placing your capo through to those intricate little differences that set Dr Ralph Stanley apart from all the other great Banjo pickers of the day.

It is now widely accepted that Steve Sparkman is the best "Stanley Style" picker in the world today... in fact if you look up Ralph Stanley in the English Dictionary it says "Steve Sparkman"!

Seriously though, if you want to pick that Stanley Style Banjo you just gotta get Steves new DVD

For more details see: http://www.stevesparkman.com/

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

This is the best instructional aid I've seen for the playing style of Ralph Stanley. Better than Ralph's video of years ago, in my opinion. The material is presented by Steve Sparkman, the banjo picker for Ralph Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boys, with the help of guitarist James Allen Shelton. The audio and image quality is better than average. The presentation style of the two talking about Ralph's style with explanations and examples of his nuances and licks comes off well in an easy to digest format that's not boring. Well edited split screen shots allow both the picking and fretting hands to be seen as passages are played so learning is easier. While some songs are played, it's not particularly a video of how to play each song, but rather one of showing the components of Ralph's style with some particulars that relate to various songs to give the viewer the tools needed to go forth and learn more of Ralph's material. Steve's machine gun right hand picking is sure to rekindle interest in this picking style for many who are learning. This is a well produced project that's a must-have for those interested in the playing style of Ralph Stanley.

Overall Rating

10