I believe it was Bill Monroe that had said the “Breakdown” was simply a tune played too fast for anyone to dance to which would signal the end of the set or show so a crew could begin to “Breakdown” the dance floor. Sounds reasonable to me.
Discuss the Banjo lesson: Ben's Breakdown
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I am a little late to this chatter but come on Ben give the pupils something to chew on here. Lets hear it backwards!!!
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Find a dictionary and look up “breakdown”. One of the definitions should be “a fast country dance”
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I’m just a little confused by the backing track. When I play along, it feels like the track is too long. Like, it seems to play the whole tune three times, when the tabs only play it twice (once with 8th note hammer ons, and once with 16th note hammer ons). If I play the first two lines once, and then the last two lines twice, I finish up perfectly. Am I missing something?
HI Steve,
each backup track is equal to three times through the entire tab.
If you are only getting 1 1/2 times htrough the tab you are trying to play it at 1/2 the speed it goes.
Dave
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Hah, and here I was so proud I could play at the speed of the track! Back to practicing I guess.
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if you can download the mp3 you can put it in a slowdown software such as “Amazing Slow downer” and slow it down to a speed you can keep up with, then gradually get it up to where you cna keep up with the speeds Ben has provided…
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You can also slow down the TEF files to whatever speed you want 
I’ve always likened them to waltz and jigs, rags, hoedowns, laments, and hornpipes. These things typically refer to style and or timing. I never really knew the details of a breakdown other than they all seem to be fast.
I think Gunnar found it
But I really like what John said, whether it’s true or not
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Ben, I started learning the banjo six months ago and started with you four months ago. My wife bought me an inexpensive banjo for my 70 th birthday—a $150 Jameson, We decided not to spend more until we determined whether I liked it. I have probably averaged practicing an hour and as half a day since. But when I play, especially with slides, hammers and pull offs, it just doesn’t sound as banjoee as you sound. For example, it doesn’t hold the sound as long, amongst other things. I am trying to figure out if that is me, or the banjo? Dennis
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Probably the banjo, my friend 
A $150 is definitely a learner and if you played a quality banjo it would blow your mind. I have been where you are and I still remember the feeling I had when I got ahold of a good one!
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I don’t have thousands to spend. I see some are very expensive. Do you have suggestions as to a next one? I have st stores and generally they carry very little.
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Send us an email to generalstore@banjobenclark.com and let us know what your budget is and we’ll get you the best recommendations for the money! Make sure to include that you’re a gold pick member in your email.
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I believe you are on the right track. What I’ve always heard, and later found this definition:
“In music, a “breakdown” is part of a song in which various instruments have solo parts (breaks). This may take the form where all instruments play the verse together, and then several or all instruments individually repeat the verse as solo parts.”
So with “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” the fiddle gets a break, the dobro gets a break, and the flattop picker gets a break, as well as the banjo.
You must have heard some songs where someone says, “Let’s break it on down, boys!” and the slip into the instrumental portion of the song…and everybody gets a break.
You’ll even find breakdowns in heavy metal, punk & disco/dance music. I was going to post an example here, but nobody really wants to hear it! 
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I am off my Christmas music detour and back on (banjo beginner’s) track. I am currently working on this one. FMBD is interesting in that it doesn’t even sound like the same song when played slowly. I am guessing you have to get maybe 240 BPM before it gets that driving sound. Anyway, I had some questions. I have Ben’s breakdown committed to memory and and working up speed. (currently cleanish in the 170 to 180 range). I am thinking of stopping working on this and start working on FMBD itself. Is that what you-who-have-trod this path before suggest, or should I get this clean up to 200/220?
Is FMBD a song that you just keep building speed as the years go by? Did you stick with woodshedding on FMBD until you could get to a speed that sounded right? Should I keep working on other lessons or concentrate on this until I get to X BPM? Just curious what others have done and what is suggested.
Thanks in advance!
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Normally I’ll start learning a new thing as soon as I have the piece I’m learning memorized.
I will keep going through the memorized piece daily though to become more comfortable playing it and let the speed come in it’s own time.
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Yes, I got faster and better at FMB as I went. It’s a great challenge to begin and you should start now!
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I’m not seeing the FMBD lesson?
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It had to be removed due to copyright laws, but here’s Ben’s tab: Ban-FoggyMountainBD.pdf (201.5 KB)
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Two questions… in the intro video, Ben, are you playing from measures 1 - 16 or are you doing something else and embellishing it?
Secondly, FMB had to be taken down due to copyright laws? Seriously? Wow… that’s a shame as I really want to learn that some day and just looking at the TAB I don’t think will do it for me.
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