George Grove, plucker extraordinaire for the legendary Kingston Trio, is an expert at making the banjo--an ancient instrument with roots in Africa--an integral part of the folk music stew. Here he presents a solid 90 minutes of instruction for banjo enthusiasts who are already somewhat familiar with fingering the fret board and playing basic chords, but are looking to add depth to their strums and picking techniques. Technical setup tips guide the viewer through tailpiece selection (Grove prefers a straight-line tailpiece for its tonal qualities), string gauges, tuning tips for the banjo head (which is almost identical to a very shallow drum), and capo selection (both single-string and full-neck versions). Grove plays a five-string banjo, and throughout the lessons (which include detailed versions of classic folk hits such as "Tom Dooley," "A Worried Man," and "Early Morning Rain," among others) demonstrates the interaction between capo placement, chord positions, and keys. He also shares some of his favorite techniques, including accents and syncopation, the “fake trail” (downstroke with the thumb, upstroke with the finger), parallel thirds, toggles, and more. Grove's mantra is “keep it simple” whether he's talking technique or music, and after 28 years of gigs, he clearly knows what works. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (C. Block)
Banjo Arrangements of the Kingston Trio
(2004) 90 min. DVD: $29.95. (booklet included). Homespun Tapes. PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 1-932964-64-9. Volume 20, Issue 2
Banjo Arrangements of the Kingston Trio
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.