jasonmichaellaw32
Verified buyer
10/15/26
Mojo bluegrass runs - simple ands easy!
This course is fantastic. Stephen "Mojo" Mougin breaks each run down simply and easily shows how to apply it. Definitely recommend!
30 Bluegrass Runs You MUST Know
Essential Collection of Authentic Runs for Bluegrass Guitar
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About this course
The three most important elements in playing bluegrass guitar today are rhythm, runs, and leads. In Stephen Mougin’s Bluegrass Rhythm Evolution, you focused on bluegrass chords, progressions, and rhythm guitar patterns. Here in 30 Bluegrass Runs You Must Know, Stephen shows you how to connect chords and define song sections with 30 very versatile bluegrass runs.
”The bluegrass rhythm guitar player uses runs to connect chords, articulate song sections and sometimes even to end a tune. They’re also a great way to draw the listener’s ear toward a particular chord structure and to express your own personal style. I’ve put together this essential collection of 30 authentic runs to jump start your bluegrass guitar playing, covering some of the most common bluegrass chords and progressions.“
Stephen Mougin is one of the most respected Jack-of-All-Trades in acoustic music. A touring guitarist currently with Sam Bush; an accomplished songwriter for dozens of top bluegrass bands; a sought-after producer with his own studio, Dark Shadows; and a widely respected vocal, guitar and mandolin teacher.
Across the entire collection, Stephen covers a wide variety of versatile runs. You’ll learn several G-runs inspired by players like Lester Flatt to Del McCoury. You’ll work on impactful ways to change from a G chord to a C chord. Stephen will show you ways to adjust timing in runs and alter the phrasing. Based on a signature Jimmy Martin run, you’ll learn how to cycle through a G-D-G progression.
Stephen will also pass on a couple runs to get you from a C chord to a D chord, show you how to use pull-offs and slides to modernize a run in D, how to apply chromatics to get from one place to another on the fretboard, and you’ll also work on ending runs flavored by the influences of players from Doc Watson to Tony Rice. These are just a few of the 30 tasty, versatile runs that you’ll add to your bluegrass rhythm guitar vocabulary.
For each of the 30 bluegrass runs featured in this course, Stephen will first demonstrate the run, and then break it down for you note-by-note emphasizing the essential techniques and harmonic concepts in play.
All of the performances are tabbed and notated for your practice, reference and study purposes. You’ll also get Guitar Pro files so that you can play, loop and/or slow down the tab and notation as you work through the lessons.
Grab your guitar and let’s play some bluegrass with Stephen Mougin!
”The bluegrass rhythm guitar player uses runs to connect chords, articulate song sections and sometimes even to end a tune. They’re also a great way to draw the listener’s ear toward a particular chord structure and to express your own personal style. I’ve put together this essential collection of 30 authentic runs to jump start your bluegrass guitar playing, covering some of the most common bluegrass chords and progressions.“
Stephen Mougin is one of the most respected Jack-of-All-Trades in acoustic music. A touring guitarist currently with Sam Bush; an accomplished songwriter for dozens of top bluegrass bands; a sought-after producer with his own studio, Dark Shadows; and a widely respected vocal, guitar and mandolin teacher.
Across the entire collection, Stephen covers a wide variety of versatile runs. You’ll learn several G-runs inspired by players like Lester Flatt to Del McCoury. You’ll work on impactful ways to change from a G chord to a C chord. Stephen will show you ways to adjust timing in runs and alter the phrasing. Based on a signature Jimmy Martin run, you’ll learn how to cycle through a G-D-G progression.
Stephen will also pass on a couple runs to get you from a C chord to a D chord, show you how to use pull-offs and slides to modernize a run in D, how to apply chromatics to get from one place to another on the fretboard, and you’ll also work on ending runs flavored by the influences of players from Doc Watson to Tony Rice. These are just a few of the 30 tasty, versatile runs that you’ll add to your bluegrass rhythm guitar vocabulary.
For each of the 30 bluegrass runs featured in this course, Stephen will first demonstrate the run, and then break it down for you note-by-note emphasizing the essential techniques and harmonic concepts in play.
All of the performances are tabbed and notated for your practice, reference and study purposes. You’ll also get Guitar Pro files so that you can play, loop and/or slow down the tab and notation as you work through the lessons.
Grab your guitar and let’s play some bluegrass with Stephen Mougin!
What you'll learn
- Use alternate picking (down-up-down-down) in a musical phrase
- Use pull-offs smoothly within a melodic phrase
- Apply proper upstroke/downstroke technique for phrase connection
- Add melodic embellishment to basic chord progressions
- Connect three distinct musical sections into one cohesive lick
Release date: 01/17/2018 • 1h 09m runtime
Sample lessons
Pistachio Five: G to D
Run 11
The Jimmy: G to D to G
Run 13
The Bobby: Back to G
Run 16
Spicy Turn: D to A
Run 24
What's included
32 lessons • 30 charts
Hi, I'm Stephen Mougin, and welcome to 30 Bluegrass Runs You Must Know. For the bluegrass rhythm guitar player, runs are used to connect chords, articulate song sections, and sometimes even end a tune. They're also a great way to draw the listener's ear toward a particular chord structure and to express your own personal style.
I've put together this essential collection of 30 authentic runs to jump start your bluegrass guitar playing, covering some of the most common bluegrass chords and progressions.
I'll first perform each run for you, and then I'll break it down for you note by note. You'll also have each in standard notation and tablature and can loop and slow down any of runs so you can work through them at your own pace.
If you haven't yet worked with my Bluegrass Rhythm Evolution course, you'll find it extremely helpful in connecting the dots between the runs in this collection and the chords and rhythm patterns in that course. So, grab your guitar, and let's get started!
I've put together this essential collection of 30 authentic runs to jump start your bluegrass guitar playing, covering some of the most common bluegrass chords and progressions.
I'll first perform each run for you, and then I'll break it down for you note by note. You'll also have each in standard notation and tablature and can loop and slow down any of runs so you can work through them at your own pace.
If you haven't yet worked with my Bluegrass Rhythm Evolution course, you'll find it extremely helpful in connecting the dots between the runs in this collection and the chords and rhythm patterns in that course. So, grab your guitar, and let's get started!
This is the original "full" version of the G run. There are many variants, but it's important to get this timing and fingering in your hands so you know how to come up with your own variations! Check out Lester Flatt for some fun versions of this one!
Sometimes called the "rest stroke" G run, this one adds a ton of emphasis to the downbeat by putting a strong downstroke on beat 4 followed by a strong downstroke on beat 1. This is probably my favorite, because it has so much power!
Strangely, this one is significantly simpler, but just as effective. It only utilizes the down strokes on beats 4 and 1. Sometimes, simple is better! Efficient, but awesome!
While this has a similar feel to "Lester's Hammer", it instead starts on the "and" of 2 and features a heavy b7 note on beat 4. Check out some Del McCoury Band for fun examples of this style of "G" run. Del's "G" runs shake the earth!
This particular run has a more exciting feel because it emphasizes the "and" of 1. Ah, timing. This one is a bit harder because it doesn't go exactly where it seems like it ought to...you'll have to practice this a bunch before dropping it on a jam!
This run takes up an entire measure and has a lot of life, but should be used sparingly. It starts on the open G note, wanders down, then ends with "Lester's Hammer" or "Lester".
+ 25 more lessons
Reviews
15 results
Jim H.
01/18/26
First True Fire Course Completed
I think this is a good beginner course for guitar players looking to learn rhythm, bluegrass and pick control. The licks progress in difficulty reasonably well. I got stuck on a few of them, but was able to push through eventually. It took me about 4 months to get through this course. I enjoyed it. My playing has progressed noticeably since I started taking lessons 6 months ago. The courses are taking a little longer to get through then I had anticipated after several years of not playing, but it partially because the material is challenging at times.
RobbyD1
Verified buyer
09/03/25
30 Bluegrass Runs
Well designed. Excellent teacher. Platform easy to access and an excellent teaching tool.
Chitarrino78
Verified buyer
05/25/25
Great material, great teacher!
This is the second course I’m attending with Stephen and I confirm the great quality of the teacher and of the material! Plain, clear and really effective to introduce new items into your playing!
BlindRaspberryRage
Verified buyer
04/18/22
30 Bluegrass Runs You MUST Know
A good , detailed and serious instructor with Hat ( Is this compulsory). "I like to call this the" gets overplayed and just where will that stop? "I like to call this the" I set my Alarm Clock to get me up in the Morning Run". I like to call this the " I peel the potatoes before I put them in for boiling up and mashing them with some milk and butter with pepper for taste Run" Slightly overpriced perhaps but enjoyable.
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