AllMovie

For many years, Jesse McReynolds has been thought of as one of America's finest bluegrass instrumentalists. He has played extensively with his brother, Jim, and their band the Virginia Boys. McReynolds has recorded numerous songs and continues to share his teaching talents. He is credited with developing the unique mandolin style now called "crosspicking," based on the bluegrass banjo sounds created by Earl Scruggs. Viewers are taught how to play various chord formations and handle backward rolls. Time is also devoted to teaching crosspicking and McReynolds' special method for splitting strings. The songs used to teach these techniques include "Ridge Runner," "Dill Pickle Rag," "Banks of the Ohio," "Farewell Blues," and "Snowbird."