Foggy Mountain Breakdown

The Lick that Started a Revolution

This is a foundational Scruggs Lick. Top 5 for sure. It doesn't get more banjo than this. It can be clearly heard in Foggy Mountain Breakdown.. It's more versatile than that, and a lot of fun to play. Since the bulk of the lick focuses on a D note it can be used on a D chord, even though originally this lick is played while a G chord is happening. A G chord also has a G note as part of it's triad: G B D. Scruggs will even sometimes use this lick on a C chord when going back to a G.

Can you see how this is still using some notes of that original chord shape? Licks won't always use every note of a chord!

Since the last note in this lick ends on a thumb note, you'll might need to modify the start of whatever comes next. Often, if going back to a G note in a G chord, you can just play the open G with index and go into some pinches or that classic Scruggs tag.

This 2 measure lick can work in a lead, backup, or as a fill. Watch the video to hear it in action and get a breakdown. Practice with the Tunefox player below.

Foggy Mountain Breakdown Lick

Let's get out of here. Time to travel on up the neck.