1.  Teach you which notes are used in the minor pentatonic scale.

2.  Teach you when/where to use the minor pentatonic licks.

3.  Teach you a variety of minor pentatonic licks.

4.  Demonstrate the use of the licks in programs.

5.  Provide list of tunes which are good candidates for these licks.  In addition, describe the type of tunes which are not suitable for the use of minor pentatonic licks.

Here is what the instructional will not do -

1.  The book title says "pentatonic improvisation".  Actually, the book only teaches minor pentatonic improvisation. The author does state this in the DVD.  Major pentatonic and blues cales are not included.

2.  Theory wise, the book doesn't go beyond identifying the notes in the minor pentatonic scale.

3.  Display the musical notes, only tablature.  On a personal basis, I like musical notation for tutorials like this.  So before I work on anything, I will be entering tab into my computer using software, and working from documentation that displays both tab and musical notes.  Geoff does clearly identify where the "root note" is located, so fingerboard noting positions for moveable minor pentatonic licks can easily be determined.   For banjoists who are only interested in how to use minor pentatonic licks - no problem.

Conclusions -

This book will enable a beginner/intermediate player to add interesting variety to some of the tunes in their playing repertoire.  So you will be able to "turn a few heads" when you play these tunes.  Although the book didn't go into theory as I had hoped it would, it did outline when and when/where/how minor pentatonic licks can be used.  On the DVD, the author clearly describes the advantages and limitations of using the minor pentatonic licks.  After I realized the goal of the book, teaching how to improvise using minor pentatonic licks, I had no problem.  I think it will help me add more variety to some of the tunes I play.  I also feel that it will be a big help when playing up-the-neck versions of some tunes.

I have bought quite a few of Geoff Hohwald's repertoire books and benefited from using them.  Each month or two I will be getting one of his books.  I also play fiddle and guitar, and can apply the theory behind what I learn to my playing of those instruments.  Fingerboard layouts are different, but "music is music" and can applied to whatever instrument I currently play.