BASIC BLUEGRASS RHYTHM GUITAR DVD Review

The flatpicking guitar world championships are held every year in Winfield Kansas.  Steve Kaufman is a three time world champion in flatpicking style of guitar playing.  Steve works tirelessly in producing educational material, running workshops and holding a summer camp for guitarist, mandolin and banjo players. 

Steve has written books produced cd sets videos and dvds in all forms of bluegrass, gospel and Celtic genres.  Starting from beginners to intermediate to advance.  His Parking Lot Pickers series takes the player through arrangements for beginner, intermediate and advance for the same song.  A really great way to learn guitar.

Steve shows you how to get that most important skill of playing solid backup guitar.  He gives instruction on all basic technique building from the very beginning of how to hold the pick for best tone and playing basic solid rhythm.  Then he advances to alternate bass runs, for when a bass guitar is not around and embellishments such as the G run or the "Flatt run" named after Lester Flatt.

Steve goes from the beginning to more advanced arrangements of a few classic bluegrass tunes you are bound to play when you get together with the local pickers.  Heck I play Blackberry Blossom at almost every jam session and have yet to tire of it.  Don't think for a second that this is a rank beginner lesson.  Steve quickly moves from begin to intermediate.  The arrangement for Blackberry Blossom is a very good challenge and once you get it down you will be amazed at your playing.

A good solid, steady back up rhythm is essential in playing bluegrass.  The songs can quickly start speeding up and it is just as important for someone keep the steady pace as it is for the guitar solos.  Actually more important.  A soloist adds to the song but solid steady rhythm is the heartbeat of a song. 


I have lot's of material by Steve Kaufman and even met him once at the Merlefest.  He struck me as being a real down to earth person that has a passion to teach.  Great thing about bluegrass and folk artist they are always available to hang out and talk to the fans.  I've learned a great deal from Steve's efforts and plan to work through a lot more of his lessons.  Basic Bluegrass Rhythm Guitar is a wonderful place to start your journey to playing bluegrass and other genres of guitar music.

Check out the rest of Steve's guitar lessons at his website or Homespun Tapes.

Songs played are "Wabash Cannonball", "Blackberry Blossom" and "Sally Goodin".