On this lesson, John works with several well-known traditional and original songs taken from his vast repertoire, demonstrating a variety of ideas pertaining to his banjo style.

He shows you a number of important rolls and licks, along with invaluable tips about getting good tone (finding the "sweet spot"), phrasing, accenting, using picks, playing backup and lots more.

John reveals his personal tricks for playing fast (using hammers and pulls, triplets and "ghost" notes), and illustrates how he "plays the words" to a song to give his banjo solo depth and meaning.

The tunes John covers on this lesson include "Cumberland Gap," "Old Time River Man," "Cripple Creek," and his best-known hit song, "Gentle on My Mind."