Best Video?

[newblue]

I've been playing for a little over a year. I've done the Burt Casey and have attempted the Chris Thile video. I'm really interested in some different styles and chording not just leads. How are the Sam Bush videos, what is the best?

[grandmainger]

I had the Butch Baldassari DVDs (Vol 1& 2). I like them, though I find I had to work quite a bit on my own between each chapters to manage the next one.
At the moment, anxiously awaiting delivery of the Thile one.. How do you rate it yourself?

[newblue]

the Thile video is worth having just to watch him play. I'm not kidding sometimes I just watch it. There are some good songs that are not too hard. But Ode to a Butterfly, come on, I may never be able to play that one.

[grandmainger]

Ode to a Butterfly, come on, I may never be able to play that one.
Yeah.. I kind if suspected that when I read the reviews... Still, I'll give it a shot! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[dudlebug23]

I have also worked through the Bert Casey book and I also own the Chris Thile video. As far as the Thile video, Red Haired Boy, Swallowtail Jig, and Hop the Fence are playable as well as some of the scales, but did you notice that after about halfway through the tape suddenly seems like it's more for advanced mandolinists? I sat in amazement as he tried to show me Ode to a Butterfly and all the solos, and laughed. It'll be 10 years before I'm ready for that!
Another good book/CD: Niles Hokkanen's Bluegrass up the neck. It comes with a CD and is great for the building blocks of bluegrass licks, solos, and double stops. I've gotten better after just the first few pages.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Kevin K]

Don't forget the Wayne Benson Mandolin Anthology, I like it.

[knightn]

I like the Ronnie McCoury video. He uses a lot of Monroe style picking. It nice just to watch too, Ronnie & Del playing together throughout the video.

[nupicker]

I just got the Roland White's approach to bluegrass mandolin yesterday. Check it out. It is a very good mandolin method book with 2 cds. Just do a Google search under his name and you will get a link to his website.

[jiffyfeet]

I have the Thile and Bush DVDs, and I just got the McCoury DVD. I like it quite a bit, it is really cool to see them both playing together on the songs. It's fun just to watch, I actually haven't even had a chance to learn anything from it yet.

[newblue]

I really like Sams "hungry for your love" and "north country fair" I'd like to learn more in that style, any suggestions?

[mandolinquent]

ya'll should try to get through Ode to a Butterfly. I've been playing for about a year now and I'm self taught except for Thiles video, which is the only one I own. I learned all of the easier songs, but really wanted to learn Ode. I knew it would be hard so I just practiced a lot. I can play it now and have been for months, however theres no way I'm as fast or as clear as him. Anyway, you all should give it try, its not as hard as it looks (or sounds!).

[Stephanie Reiser]

I agree, Marie. I have been playing since end of January and have thile's video. I took Ode one measure at a time. In a few months of playing perhaps two hours a night I have Ode memorized and although not as fast as chris, I can zip through it fairly well.
Stephanie

[bluegrassjack2]

Try the Murphy Henry video. She is really a good teacher.
wish i was as good student.

[psann]

I have often thought that the Suzuki method for teaching beginning violin players was great in that it starts them out learning to play by ear then moves to notation. It suddenly ocurs to me that perhaps the Murphy Video is the same thing for mandolin. Am I on the right track here? Would someone who has been playing a while, from tab and notation, benefit from that course.

[Rick Schmidlin]

I have The Roland White also, great to study and fun for the car CD player also.

Rick