Leads the banjo player step-by-step through working out songs for the five-string banjo from basic melodies in both Scruggs/bluegrass style and melodic/chromatic style. Each section contains exercises and examples for improvising. Furthermore, this book teaches how to arrange music based on concepts of combining rolls and licks. Janet Davis' books are praised because they teach so well! This is one of her finest. In tablature. Includes a CD.

A superb instructional text for five-string banjo dealing with the 5th through the 22nd fret. Included are chapters on roll patterns, chords, songs, licks, chord progressions, arranging songs, improvising, melodic style, chromatic style, chromatic style, back-up, and much more! Also included is an abundance of great Janet Davis solo tabs. Written in tablature.The two CDs included in this package contain 144 tracks in stereo to accompany the book. Listen and play along with Janet Davis as she explains and plays each exercise.

The Banjo Encyclopedia is a comprehensive, in-depth banjo instructional tool that covers the many intricacies of bluegrass banjo playing, including numerous topics that may have been overlooked in banjo instruction to date. The Banjo Encyclopedia can take a student from the beginning, to intermediate, and right through to more advanced styles of banjo playing. Ross Nickerson uses his many years of experience helping hundreds of aspiring banjo pickers by offering the banjo student an opportunity to learn in a practical, straightforward manner. This wide-ranging banjo instructional book will focus on many techniques that will help every aspect of a banjo player's musicianship while simplifying many subjects in the learning process. The downloadable audio with 99-track recording will enable the student to learn easily by hearing author Ross Nickerson demonstrate each song, and perform many of the banjo licks and phrases included in the book slow, and up to tempo. The audio download available online includes anadvanced song section with a full bluegrass band accompanying Ross along with additional intermediate songs for the student to learn. The Banjo Encyclopedia is undoubtedly one of the most complete five-string banjo books on the market today and a must for every banjo player's collection. Includes access to onlineaudio

With its wealth of information on how technique can be tastefully applied, Back-Up Banjo is the definitive book on the subject of banjo accompaniment. Since a banjo player in a band plays accompaniment at least 75% of the time, it is extremely important to master playing in this style. Janet Davis offers specific suggestions for accompanying a vocalist or instrumentalist in a variety of styles- and then provides musical examples illustrating her points. Janet breaks her concepts down into their basic components, making them crystal clear in lay terms. the various back-up techniques are separated into categories determined by song tempo, by lead instrument being accompanied, and by the area of the fingerboard in which the chords are being played. In notation and tablature.This set includes a companion 2-CD set which demonstrates the examples in the book.

The melodic style is a beautiful three finger picking style which can be traced to the early 1900's and became a fully accepted style for playing the five-string banjo in the 1960's, and is today an integral part of the three-finger style of many banjo players at all playing levels. Plus, the songs arranged in this style are easy and fun to learn. Although the melodic style may sound impossible with all of those notes coming from it, surprisingly you will find that it is not that difficult to learn and no previous musical knowledge is needed. This course covers the melodic style from the very basics of this picking style to the advanced techniques and provides many fun to play and well-known songs arranged in the three-finger melodic style for upper level beginning players through advanced level players.

This is the ideal beginner's book, presenting the basics of playing the 5-string banjo is a way that is both fun and produces quick results. Janet Davis takes you on an extensive tour of this instrument's fundamental techniques as well as some intermediate possibilities including rolls, chords, bluegrass banjo techniques, playing up the neck, licks, endings, and other basic information needed to play bluegrass and melodic-style banjo. Thorough performance notes are provided from beginning to end revealing the secrets of this versatile traditional instrument.