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