Search Janet Davis Music

Mel Bay
Video
MB93998VS

    This video is a companion to the book by the same title. It is an enlightening piece of work as Janet Davis is an accomplished teacher who can play the banjo very well. Her explanations and demonstrations, using the split-screens is a valuable extension of the written page. There are aspects to banjo playing that cannot be put into a book, but can be observed. Like when her hand moves across and up the strings over the banjo head to moderate the tone of a passage.

    Throughout the video she references the page and exercise on that page she is demonstrating. This closely links the book and video. Starting with tuning through the best descriptions of the basic rolls I have ever seen, every step is well-grounded. The one thing the student will have to do is work hard to make all of this come together as seamlessly as Ms. Davis does. She systematically builds a series of licks, each a little more complex than the last. She starts with Scruggs style and moves on to fiddle tunes. From there she goes on to chromatic ticks. She explains the positions and patterns essential to each approach and how to combine them.

    This is a highly recommended video as it stands well alone, and would be a great addition to the book. Ms. Davis is a very coherent teacher and has produced a topnotch instructional video that provides the nuts and bolts of learning the banjo. With this video there are only three more things you will have to do to become as good a banjo player as Janet Davis--practice, practice, practice. (Mel Bay Publications Inc. #4 Industrial Dr., Pacific, MO 63069) RCB