Breaking Down "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" Lick By Lick

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For complete run-through without stopping, go to 22:00

Step-by-step, lick-by-lick instruction on how to play the world's greatest bluegrass banjo song: "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" written and originally performed in 1949 by the great Earl Scruggs. This assumes that you are already playing the five-string banjo, are used to wearing your fingerpicks and have been working on your banjo licks. It's not a tune for rank beginners.

I take you through the entire main part of the tune, one phrase at a time, with superimposed tablature and isolation shots on both hands. I play it at (pretty much) full speed at the end, complete with screwed up ending lick :-)

I know it's pretty long, so hang in with me and be patient. Don't let your desire for speed result in sloppiness. Keep it clean and work up the speed gradually. Hope you enjoy.

This video is purely instructional, for educational purposes only, and is therefore, in my opinion, an exercise in fair use. No form of copyright infringement is intended in any way.

One more disclaimer: Yes I have a missing tooth. Hope that does not diminish your enjoyment of this video. I haven't gotten it fixed because I don't consider it a big deal.