Homespun

Sam Bush's rhythm playing is without peer in the world of the mandolin - part bluegrass, part reggae, part rock 'n' roll. Here, he shows all aspects of his style: Chopping, strumming, accenting, damping, subdividing beats, keeping good time and more.

The art of rhythm mandolin starts with Bill Monroe, and Sam passes along powerful insights into "getting your chop together." Once you've got the basics down, he shows a myriad of rhythmic variations that you can use to add drive, power and excitement to your playing.

Sam details his accompaniments for two of his most popular performance pieces. On Bob Dylan's Girl From the North Country, he explains what to do when you want to create an interesting accompaniment to your singing. His performance tour de force, Little Feat's Sailing Shoes, encompasses rhythmic strumming, bluesy licks, octave soloing and other dynamic mandolin grooves.

Extra! Sam provides important tips on tuning up and gives you a close look at "Ol' Hoss," his 1937 Gibson mandolin, with its unusual finish, cut-off fingerboard, pickups and other unique details.