THE BANJO OF

EDDIE ADCOCK

Banjo Tuition DVD

Eddie Adcock has forged new pathways into traditional three-finger picking by developing a style that combines traditional Scruggs-style bluegrass with country, folk, jazz, blues, gospel and rockabilly sounds. On this fascinating lesson, Eddie takes some of his most requested instrumentals and breaks each down into "little bits and parts," analyzing the chord shapes and licks in a way that will open up new techniques and a myriad of ideas for learning pickers.

Eddie starts the lesson with "Eddie's Bounce," which, he says, "scares a lot of people, but it's not all that tricky." The unusual pedal steel-like sounds he gets from hammer-ons and double bends, along with interesting chord shapes and progressions, make this tune a real standout.

"Turkey Knob," Eddie's show-stopping hit, has been recorded by many other players over the years. You'll learn how a basic Travis picking guitar style can be transferred to the banjo, complete with damped bass string and bluesy licks and chords. His single string method of playing allows you to play scales with a forward roll, and is invaluable in melodic playing.

Eddie's unique version of "Pallet on the Floor" ("Every musician has asked me about this tune") once again combines Travis-type picking with pedal steel licks and rolling single-string work. "Heartaches" and "Bluebell" from the classic Country Gentlemen repertoire highlights his approach to both bluegrass and jazz/pop tunes on the banjo.