The Murphy Method has released a second volume of Christmas songs for banjo, in time for five stringers to gear up for Christmas jams with some of their favorite holiday tunes.
Casey’s Custom Christmas Collection, Vol. 2, features Casey Henry, daughter of Murphy Method founders Murphy and Red Henry, teaching six holiday classics for banjo. Like all the DVDs from these folks, the songs are taught line-by-line, entirely with a watch and learn pedagogy. No printed music or tablature is used, relying on the student to learn these pieces by watching and listening.
In fact The Murphy Method was designed initially for banjo players who had difficulty learning from tab, and they have been so successful with pickers that they now catalog dozens of DVDs by a number of instructors for banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, bass, dobro, and now, jamming. But even those who can and do read music can learn quickly using Murphy’s watch and do philosophy.
In Vol. 2, Casey demonstrates these songs:
- Away In A Manger
- Hark The Herald Angels Sing
- Greensleeves
- Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
- Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Frosty The Snowman
These start out with quite simple arrangements that a relative beginner could learn, advancing into more complicated arrangements as they go along. All are played within the Scruggs three-finger style, or some semblance of that approach.
Here is a video from the DVD, of Casey going over Away In A Manger.
Casey’s Custom Christmas Collection, Vol. 2 can be ordered on DVD or for digital download from The Murphy Method web site online, as can Casey’s first volume of Christmas classics, which teaches Joy to the World, Silent Night, Christmas Time’s a Comin’, Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls, and another version of Greensleeves.
Each course sells for $30.
