Make Up Your Own Banjo Solos – Vol. 2
Learn how to create convincing banjo solos, both “on the fly” in jam sessions and with more precision in your practice time. Here’s the alternative to total dependence on tab and memorizing other people’s arrangements.
“A tremendous amount of information — enough licks to satisfy people looking for those, and, more importantly, great direction on soloing.”
— Bluegrass Unlimited
Close-ups of both hands and printable tab booklets make every note clear!
Volume 2: Keys of D, C, F, and up the neck in G
Learn how to create convincing solos in common but challenging keys such as D, C, and F, without a capo. Use many of the same ideas to put together solos up the neck in G. Pete makes it easy to learn how to combine melodies and roll patterns – so you can learn to do it on any song!
Pete explores nine bluegrass standards, taking each song’s melody and showing how to weave it into smooth rolls for a full arrangement highlighting the recognizable tune. The addition of appealing licks, bluesy variations and other embellishments will give your solos polish and interest.
Includes the following songs:
Volume 2 Video Preview
- Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms (D, no capo, G tuning)
- As I Went Down to the Valley to Pray (D, no capo, G tuning)
- Angeline the Baker (D, no capo, G tuning)
- Colleen Malone (D, no capo, G tuning)
- Country Blues (D, no capo, G tuning)
- New River Train (C)
- Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow (C Tuning)
- Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down (F)
- Will the Circle Be Unbroken (G up the neck)
Published Reviews
Comments from Satisfied Customers

Bluegrass Unlimited, by Chris Stuart
Make Up Your Own Banjo Solos, Vol. 2: What to Play When It’s Your Turn To “Take It.” Keys of D, C, F and G (Up The Neck)
Taught by Pete Wernick, Homespun, 1 hr 55 mins, $29.95. (www.homespuntapes.com)
This second DVD in Pete Wernick’s Make Up Your Own Banjo Solos series on Homespun concentrates on the keys of C, D, E, F, and G—the last primarily up the neck. Songs include “Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms” (D), “As I Went Down To The Valley To Pray” (D), “Angeline The Baker” (D), “Colleen Malone” (D or E), “Country Blues” (D), “New River Train” (C), “Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow” (C Tuning), “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” (F), and “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” (G, up the neck).
Pete is one of the most influential banjo players and teachers of the past twenty years. His teaching style is personable and accessible and this is essentially a two hour private lesson with Pete on playing in the C and D positions and up the neck in G. What I appreciate most about Pete’s teaching is that he starts with the basic chord structure and melody of a song and emphasizes singing along with the melody. He then teaches soloing out of C and D chord positions and how to reach notes in the melody at various points along the neck.
There is a tremendous amount of information here—enough licks to satisfy people looking for those, and, more importantly, great direction on soloing by finding the melody and placing notes around it in virtually any key. The DVD also contains two computer files: a .PDF tab book of all the solos on the DVD and a Word document written by Pete on using and making your own play-along practice recordings. Both of these items add tremendous value to the video.
The two volumes in this series are well worth having as part of your library of banjo instruction material and a great place for a beginner to start on his or her jamming journey. Highly recommended for beginning to intermediate banjo players.