Breaking Down "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" Lick By Lick
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- 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.
I never thought I would play this tune. Masterful teaching!
5
You can learn anything you set your mind to ! Well done 👍
@@JAKENMK Thank you.
Bill, have you ever played Old Joseph? I think that Mitch Jayne and either Dean Webb or Rodney Dillard put this arrangement together. I would love to either find the tab or find a broken down lesson of this.
I’ve watched this video at least 100x. Started practicing this song 3 weeks ago, and now I have memorized all the parts...finally! Now it’s just repetition, accuracy and building speed. This is the first song I have ever attempted on the banjo, and you were my first teacher. Thank you so much. I’m so glad you made this.
@stephen w I will check him out. But This vid got me rollin, I am getting better everyday. I'm grateful for it.
My first teacher also.
Still at it Chris?
Good on you. That is me in a nutshell. I want this to be my first song learned...like packing your own chute prior to your first jump!
I'm glad you put up the tabs and broke every part of it down You are very good teacher
You are not only a great Banjo talent but a NATURAL BORN TEACHER!! Thank you, sir, for doing this. Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great idea to get down the licks one-at-a-time. Thanks a bunch!
Thank you so much for this very clear, concise and well laid out lesson on how to play this song.
One of the best examples I've seen. Well played sir.
Thanks for the video. I like the way you went step by step. And your fun to watch.
him: "a little faster"
me: *head explodes*
:-)
Another great lesson. My next song to learn!
Thank you so much. You are a great teacher!
Thanks Bill, I just bought a banjo yesterday, never played before. I look forward to your help, you are a great teacher!
Thank You Sir ! I take great pleasure in watching your videos and learning the banjo. Difficult to do better in terms of pedagogy. Bravo and hello from Preux au Sart (North of France).
BRILLIANT!!! You gave me the answer to one of my bucket list songs to learn thank you!!!
Learned this right after your Cripple Creek video. More challenging. I can play it but not fast. Great videos!
Absolutely amazing way to break this tune down. I’ve loved this song and you’ve really made it easy to learn
I never comment on videos and I never subscribe, but this and your channel is just too good to not. Thank you so much for this tutorial! I am new to banjo and you had me playing this full song in one day. Really wonderful teaching style, thank you!!
Sir? I love and respect you. You outmastered the master......
I actually did it, thanks to this video. Feels amazing, thank you!
I am so glad I found your site. I have finger picked Guitar for almost 30 years or better and have never learned to play a Banjo but always wanted to. When I was in Kentucky last year for my Fathers funeral, my brother gave me a Banjo. It needed a head and it took me more than a year to finally get that replaced. I just got it in tune today and found your site. Of course, the hardest thing for me is getting the muscle memory for playing the Banjo. It's so different that picking a guitar. I am 62 years old but I still remember how much work it took to get very fast at guitar. I am so infatuated with learning to play the Banjo that tells me, You can teach an old dog new tricks. I hope that all of the beginners realize that it takes as long as it takes to learn this skill. The trick is, learn it slow. Play it as slow as you need to at first but most importantly, DO NOT LEARN BAD HABITS !!!!!!! When you learn to play it slow, slowly speed it up until you are playing, preferably a little faster than you will need to play it on stage. This way, you are prepared if the people or band you are playing with start at a little faster tempo that you are comfortable with, but most of all, have fun and pat yourself on the back every time you go a little faster or learn a new lick. Just don't give up.!!!!!!!! Thank you for taking the time to record this, it is much appreciated.!!!!!!!!!
Good words. Thanks for posting.
thanks for making these video as i dont really have access to a tutor they are the only way im learning.
Thank you Sir awesome Teaching!
Great lesson, thank you! I'm getting better at it every day. Unfortunately my wife hates the sound of the banjo, so I set up an old beater guitar with five strings. She rolls her eyes but secretly she thinks this song rocks! haha
I don't often comment on videos, but I have to stop and tell you thank you for this one. Superb teaching and patient style. Thank you so much. Tab as you go helps a ton. Really really great video. I cannot believe how quickly I could learn this legend. Amazing job.
@@ngtconga7583 tab is in the video kind of, truthfully I play by ear, I do not like tabs
@@wildbanjoman99 KM4TQD DE W4NZX
73
Thank you so much. Great job!
大変役立ちました。ありがとうございます。
Clear, concise, talking through with us exactly what you're doing and how you're doing it as you're playing -and making it all a great laugh into the bargain without an ego -That's the sign of an excellent teacher. As a beginner I've learned so much already thanks to your teaching and I'm now well away. Full credit to you Bill! (from the UK)
The "Dang" at the end convinced me to subscribe.
+sasquach991 Yeah I let one slip now and then. :-)
I took banjo lessons for a year. I just learned more in 30 mins from you than i did all years The way you taught it i learned from ,memory and listening to you play. Now i am not dependent on tabs. THANKS!
Ive been attempting to teach myself for 20 years and this video has finally brought it all together.
I hav'nt even got a banjo yet but im enjoying this tutorial,
gandelf s check out the Deerings goodtime 5s range for student entry level. about $400 USD new and will probably never need to buy another. I picked up one on EBAY for £150 GBP- ($190).
sweet, will give it a look thanks pal...
Nice!
Thank you for this
Merci!!
Yes, it helped, thank you!
Thanks so much!
You are a master! You playing, your teaching, your tabs and all of your methods are wonderful. Thanks. It’s fun!
Yo! Mr Bill there are many videos,and banjo teaching,but you R the best for me. I didn't understand you 9 months ago but ,lawd have mercy... Thank you for caring for us 62 year old beginner's.. thank you
I just need a quieter way of learning the banjo so I don't piss everyone off before I can actually play it.
Isn't that the truth ahahahha
Put a towel inside the resonator.
Roll out a piece of blutac to the length of the bridge and lightly press it down where the strings cross the bridge
Mike's banjo mute- a bit pricey but works well- and easy on and off. Sounds maybe a tad louder than an electric guitar not amplified, and makes you work harder on the slides, pulloffs and hammer-ons- but then when you take it off it seems to make what you practiced easier to play. I bought mine for my wife- the noise didn't bother me!
Excellent.
Thanks for this great video, I play ukulele and a bit of guitar but have started to learn banjo and thanks to your video I have memorised all the licks and now just trying to build up my speed, so thank you for this, you broke it down perfectly and so easy to understand, I can't put the banjo down now!
Fantastic lesson, just what I needed! You kill it on the banjo, keep it up :D
Just want to say a huge “ThankYou”!!! I lived with a banjo in my hands when I was a kid - actually started playing with family country band after about a month of owning it. Life fell apart and it eventually led me away from playing. Now I’m older and playing again for my own enjoyment and your teaching vids and skills at teaching have been tremendous. Thank you so much I greatly appreciate your labor of love.
Great tutorial!
I've been working on this the last week and finally got all the parts tied down and strung together. I'm working now to get them up to speed.
I had a banjo many years ago during my "trying to play everything a little" phase, and I did a poor version of this. It sounded sort of like it, but I was a guitar player trying to play banjo and my fingerstyle was different. I was basically doing a backward roll through the whole song.
I could peck around on it and tuned it correctly and got a few chords down, but didn't put the effort into it I should have(teenager).
I've been playing upright bass with a bluegrass band and got the urge to take it up again.
I recently got another banjo and I'm determined to learn this stuff the right way.
Fortunately I found your video right away.
Thanks for such an in depth tutorial!
Bill, wow you are an amazing teacher. I'm in Australia, my daughter gave me a restored banjo for Xmas. I practiced for 2 days with your teaching and can play Foggy Mountain Breakdown, although very slow at the moment, but you taught me. I'm going to keep practicing till I can at least go half your pace. Love Scruggs music. Thanks again Bill. You are amazing. Would love to meet you if ever I was in the USA
How has your FMB come along?
A most concise explanation for this classic 5-string banjo piece. Thank you so much. Are the tabs available for printing?
Thank you so much for this excellent lesson (all three parts of it)! Thanks to your instructions Foggy Mountain Breakdown will hopefully soon echo in the Swiss Alps too (albeit at a far lower speed for the time being :-) Best wishes, Joe from Berne
Incredibly helpful and easy to follow video. Thanks for the lesson!!
I picked up the Banjo 4 weeks ago and used your Breaking Down Foggy Mountain Breakdown video to learn to play! You rock. I can now play it at full speed with my eyes closed and have started practicing my cords and rhythms. Thank you for sharing.
great video...gonna see if theres a way to get me a banjo out here in kuwait and play some to kill time till i go back to the states
That is fantastic...great lesson. How do you learn to play fast? I make lots of mistakes when I speed up
Rick Sawicki metronome
Wow! This tutorial has been outstanding ~ I'm amazed you're not charging for this kind of thing! Breaking down each roll/lick made it incredibly easy to visualize and to learn; thank you for this incredible introduction into playing the banjo. As a mediocre guitar player, I could tell you're a talented musician, however, after learning the song for myself I can truly appreciate how inhumanly proficient you can play a right-hand roll. Hope you're doing well out there, keep posting lessons :D
EDIT: been playing this song regularly for a year now - Bill is a goddamned maniac; he plays so fast I still cant keep up
2 year edit: Bill is still too fast - playing almost every other day
William, have you produced a video with you playing Foggy Mountain Breakdown in its entirety? If so, could you please post the link for me? Thanks! I'm pluggin' away at Cripple Creek with you right now, and Foggy is my favorite. Thanks in advance if you can my friend!
Will, I'm a few years older than you and have played guitar for many years, your video was perfect for a newbee Banjo player like me. What's weird is the fact I play the Em section rolls very easily but the "G" riff runs does not sync with my fingers YET !! Good Job and I'm a subscriber !
YA that sounds great im new to the banjo love foggy mountain but just heard black Jack and its a song I really want to learn not sure if it's something I can do now but I'll try my best your a great teacher and its great how you slow it down and zoom in to show what your doin ........ Ive been practicing my rolls a lot and im not to to fast but consistent and getting faster every day
Thanks again
Dave
Bill, I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again. You ARE the MAN! Your lessons have inspired me to keep going & practising. Thank you!
I have been watching your videos for a few months now. My skills plateaued at the basics, but after watching your videos/reading your tabs I have improved tremendously! Thank your for all the work you put into your videos and instructions!
You're entirely welcome. Hope all goes well with you.
This is by far the best instruction I have seen so far in banjo. Clear, concise and patient. All fingers easy to see, with position given. I just started banjo and I can already make the small but defines notes that people know it is Foggy Mtn Brkdn. Thank you for a superb video.
I'm really enjoying this tutorial. I'm waiting for a delivery of my first banjo in the next couple of days but in the meantime, I have my old acoustic strung and tuned like a banjo for some early practice. Thank you Bill
Benn playing 5 string for 6 month's now and was struggling to start with until I found your videos on RUclips
This has made it really easy to learn now
Amazing videos
I started RUclips banjo lessons from
scratch with Eli Gilbert about 3 months ago and learned some of the basics…then I saw this video - it’s been 3 weeks or so of daily practice and I’m up to playing FMB at 60-70 bpm! You and Eli are both consummate professionals who also have the rare gift of being great teachers. I just love your speed progression at the end of this video. Look forward to learning Ballad of Jed real soon! Thank you!
AAAHH this is great! Thank you! I'm chomping at the bit to get started (have someone in the apartment who still needs to wake up:). Your teaching style is super. And I took that as a "Dang, that was fun!" vs. a "Dang, blew the lick"!
when you go down, and try to break down Foggy Mountain Breakdown, you have a mental breakdown
FINALLY!! a video w/ tab, lick by lick, that i can actually follow! :) Thank you so much!! looking forward to your other vids. There's hope for me yet!
Excellent Video Bill, Had my banjo 3 weeks now and I am ready to learn this one. Just getting tired of hearing the same rolls over and over :-). Time to see what I can do thanks again mate.
damn - thats some good tempo there.
Now , your cooken real blue grass !!! Slow it down !!! Fast is for old freight trains !!! Only !!! WWVA Wheeling W.V. 1955 !!! My radio station !! ❤
As a guitarist i learned 5 string Banjo due the Corona time. The beginning was hard, but now i´m maybe the half of your fastest speed. Greetings from Germany!
Absolutely amazing ... Gonna give this one a go finally .... Thanks so much for sharing the breakdowns and simplifying it !
As a dobro player, I have a tendency to drop my thumb anyway. I like the way it adds that beefy sound.
A tough song to learn for a newbie, but you made it easy, Bill.
Been playing this tune for years after listening to your video you simplified the opening link I have been making it to complicated thank you look forward to more videos
Hey Bill! Thank you so much for your video series on this. You are a great, informative teacher and provide so much clarity and help on the whole tune. Any chance you could do Foggy Mountain Special? Thanks a million, Boss.
Thank you William. I am really loving your teaching methods
I just subscribed .. I like the way you teach willie ... I got a banjo for beginners from my wife... I’m exercising in both style , fingerpick and claw hammer but still struggling a lot to play .. would like take lessons from you ... .
Great job
I don't have a banjo now but I altered an acoustic by tuning the high E down to D and removing the bass E and A strings and replaced the A string with a high E string and tuned it up to G. A banjitar just to learn this song. Your lessons are top shelf. Cheers mate.
having fun with it! Thanks! Great way to teach. having the tabs in one piece would help to remember: Maybe at the end a pic of the entire tabs?
Thank you for your great videos.my kids love your family band.your teaching pace is perfect. Could you do a video on banjo essentials for the impatient?i have been playing Bluegrass guitar forever but struggling to get the banjo down. I can play old time but 3 finger is a challange...timing. Thanks for any help and keep up the great work
Thank you! You taught me this song and did it so well, now all I gotta do is practice and go fast!
I've always wanted to play this iconic banjo song ever since I heard it as a child but then I thought no way. Thank you so much for this wonderful lesson. You're a fantastic teacher.
Thank you for posting this step by step lick by lick video. very helpful...also your a great teacher and banjo player.
This is great! Do you also have a video for Shuckin the Corn?
Fantastic William, great instruction ,I've just started playing the banjo after acquiring the banjo that Billy Connolly played ,I'll definitely be learning this one ,thanks
Dave from st Andrew's in Scotland
Thanks for an enjoyable and very easy to follow lesson, the tab in the corner of the screen was really helpful! From Sam and his banjo in London, England :-)
Love this video. Your teaching style is like no other I've seen on RUclips. I've seen this expressed in some other comments: is there any way you could make a video similar to this about dueling banjos?
Up until now I have been satisfied with playing my banjo at moderate and slow speed. This video has me fired up and I am practicing this great video. And desire to match your lesson and your speed note for note. Thanks for this great lesson. Paul C
+Paul Cathcart Go to my site littlerockbanjo.com and play along (note for note with my tab and this video) up to 200 beats per minute.
Your effort will help keep this music alive.It's helped me a lot.Your a fine musician and teacher
Thank you for your method of teaching, I picked up a banjo a couple of months ago and have already learned through a ton through your sessions. What are the chances you could do a lick-by-lick of 'Cotton eyed Joe?' There's not a bluegrass lesson that even comes close out in in cyberspace. My oldest kid (a metal-head) has asked that I learn it.
Your teaching videos are great! Thank you so much!
Hey Bill, many thanks for this video, it's well laid out and very helpful.
Great lesson and your playing at the end was amazing .. made me smile 😁😁
thanks for your excellent instructional video where you truly take the time to have patience with us novices
jim
HI Sir ! Thank You, i 'm watching from France. Your videos are extraordinary, after several years spent learning the guitar I am learning the banjo. Thank you for your lessons, I take great pleasure in listening to you and seeing you. Fabrice
You sir are an inspiration to the future generation of banjo players! What a great tutorial, I have managed to learn all the licks, now to string them all together... thank you very much
Great lesson,, I didn't play any banjo songs till now. Thank you for teaching me this classic song. The Bonnie and Clyde song, lol....
Is there anyway that you could do a lesson and tab of Bugle Rag Call?
Wow!! It's like you're sat in my room giving a lesson. This has to be the best, most informative video on Scrugg's 'method' I have ever had the pleasure & privilege to watch. Thanks William, you've renewed my faith in learning this incredible instrument. Just need to get back to practicing.
Regards .......... Geof Harris (UK)
You're a fantastic teacher. Nice and slow and put it all back together for us. Too many people rush through it.
You are the man, everything clearly explained and shown, two thumbs up!!!!
you speak truth when you say this is not a melodic tune, thank you and my wife agrees , in fact
its lack of melody now has me practicing in my neighbors garage but your video will help me to advance
hopfully back to my attic , and thanks
Is there any way I could mail order some of your tabs for various tunes, I don't have any way to print them off and I really like your style of teaching!!!
I don't see why not. Email me.