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