Bill Evans is surely one of bluegrass music’s most widely regarded banjo instructors, having taught hundreds of students, both privately and at camps and workshops all over the world. He has been featured in two popular instructional DVDs from AcuTab, and is the author of the upcoming Banjo For Dummies book from Wiley Publishing.
His latest AcuTab DVD, Bluegrass Banjo Master Class, is out this week, a project which Bill says formed in his mind after noticing that many of his students were encountering similar obstacles in trying to move forward on the banjo. He compiled the topics and exercises for this new DVD to help serious banjo players – at any skill level – jump start both their picking, and the enjoyment they derive from their time with the banjo.
From the AcuTab site:
Master Class is not a term you hear much in the banjo world, though it is quite common in the jazz and classical music worlds. Essentially, it is a chance to attend an instructional event with a noted master of their instrument. In this DVD, Bill Evans follows the same concept, presenting an overview of techniques that will benefit any banjo player.
Bill teaches essential bluegrass roll patterns and explores such topics as straight time vs. playing with a bounce, and how to practice with a metronome. His analysis is designed to help both new pickers get on the right track, and to refocus more experienced players on the importance of the basics – solid rhythm, big tone and bluegrass drive.
Bill also presents a series of essential bluegrass banjo licks, showing how to make slight modifications to create new licks, and a string of chordal exercises that run up and down the neck, based on familiar roll patterns.
Bluegrass Banjo Master Class runs 2 hours and 20 minutes, and includes a printed tab booklet. More details, screenshots and several sample video clips are available on the AcuTab site.
Look for it wherever quality bluegrass instructional DVDs are sold, from Bill’s web site, or directly from AcuTab.
