While the word bluegrass often conjures images of flashy soloists with virtuoso fingers flying faster than a typist's in a 1960's steno pool, the most important part of the music is rock solid rhythm, the lack of which can turn note-abundant bluegrass into a cacophony of trainwreck proportions. In this excellent instructional video, instructor and banjo player Pete Wernick is joined by ringers such as Nick Forster (guitar), Michael Kang (fiddle), Ben Kaufman (upright bass), Sally Van Meter (dobro), Eric Walser (mandolin), and Joan Wernick (vocals), as he teaches the basics of correct tuning, keys, and the importance of rhythm. The players skillfully embody the give-and-take necessary to a good jam, and demonstrate how each player can find his or her musical place supporting the group. In addition, the video includes a helpful booklet that not only has the chords and lyrics to a number of bluegrass classics, but also contains a cheat sheet of jamming etiquette that's worth the price of the video alone. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. (C. Block)
Bluegrass Jamming: A Guide for Newcomers and Closet Pickers
(2000) 105 min. $29.95 (booklet included). Homespun Video. PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 0-634-02011-0. Vol. 16, Issue 1
Bluegrass Jamming: A Guide for Newcomers and Closet Pickers
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