Foggy Mountain Special: A Primer

This exercise will introduce double thumb, double index, and bending at the 11th fret

Swing. It's what makes this tune "bouncy" and fun. Big band was huge when Earl was a kid, and very likely was an influence for writing this tune. Listen to the video example to hear the swing feel in the rhythm of the melody. Also, make sure to turn on swing mode in Tunefox when listening to, or playing with, the tablature. You can adjust that in your playback/settings.

Around 115 BPM is the tempo this song was originally recorded. When first practicing, turn the metronome off. Go note by note. Get it right. When you can play the exercise with a somewhat steady beat, try playing with the Tunefox band and metronome. Start out slow and easy - 60 BPM or slower if you need. Then, move up the tempo slowly after playing it correctly a few times.

PICK HAND - The first two notes are played with the thumb. The next two notes are played with the index.

FRET HAND - For the majority of this song, your 3rd finger will stay on the 1st string. Reach with your pinky, and slightly bend the note on the 11th fret. Use your first finger for the 8th fret 2nd string, and 7th fret 3rd string.

Next up, we'll check out another technique used by Earl, the ghost note.