New Improved Backing Track For “Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife”

This is one of my favorite songs—a traditional Irish slide played on the 5-string banjo (gDGBD); capo 2nd fret, 5th string capo 7th fret for key of A. Also known as: Kiss The Crater, Kiss The Quaker's Wife, Merrily Danced The Quaker's Wife, and Merrily Danced With The Quaker's Wife. I originally made this backing track in 2024 in which I played the bass, but I recently redid it using MIDI bass, and added some fine touches, which I humbly think sounds better. Here's backing tracks in the keys of G and A for your preference. Enjoy!

• Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife (key of A, normal)
• Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife (key of A, slower)
• Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife (key of A, slow)
• Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife (key of A, very slow)
• Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife (key of A, woodshed)
• Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife (key of G, normal)
• Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife (key of G, slower)
• Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife (key of G, slow)
• Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife (key of G, very slow)
• Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife (key of G, woodshed)

This is a cheerful song to learn and play. Dave Hum said he heard this tune played on the bagpipes and thought it would sound great on the banjo. Dave was right!

By the way, if you have a favorite song that you'd like for me to make a backing track for, just email me the original song and I'll see what I can do. I enjoy making backing tracks, for free, so I don't want nor would I accept any money.

Dave Hum
(April 11, 1966 - November 14, 2012)

Watch Dave Hum Play His Chinese-Made Banjo

I was studying Dave Hum's video for “Down The Road,” one of my favorite songs to play on the 5-string banjo. Then I noticed that he is playing his cheaper Chinese-made MB-250 Epiphone banjo. You can easily tell because his 1992 ESS Gibson and 1970's Baldwin ODE banjos both have inlay at the first fret position, but the Epiphone doesn't. Also, later in the video when the headstock is closer to the camera, you can read “Epiphone” on the headstock.

Dave Hum Playing His Chinese-made Epiphone Banjo

I've seen MB-250 Epiphone banjos sell between $450 to $900. A used Gibson ESS will cost you between $4,500 and $5,500. And if it was made during the 'Greg Rich Era' (1987-1994), it'll cost you upwards of $7,000. I don't know about you, but seeing Dave Hum play masterfully on a cheaper Chinese-made Epiphone encourages me. Like most players when I started learning the 5-string banjo, I had the wrong impression that you must spend several thousand dollars if you want to produce a great sound, but this is simply not the case at all, which Dave Hum proves in this video and others.

If you watch Dave play “Arkansas Traveller,” he is playing his Baldwin ODE banjo, which was made in Arkansas in the 1970s. I think it is pretty cool that he chose to use the Baldwin ODE to play 'Arkansas Traveller.'

By the way, I would AVOID purchasing the new Chinese-made Epiphone 'Earl Scruggs Deluxe' signature banjo model for $1,299. Watch the video review!

It has been my humble opinion for many years that most expensive banjos today are highly overpriced. Ultimately, something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Dave said that he would regularly tinker with his banjos in pursuit of the ideal tone. I share his quest.

Dave Hum
(April 11, 1966 - November 14, 2012)

New 'Band-in-a-Box' Track For 'Mason's Apron'

I love playing this song the way Dave Hum does (albeit slower). Dave Hum's style backing track is my favorite, when the bass kicks in after several bars. I also I did the same thing with these new 'Band-in-a-Box' (BIAB) tracks that I made yesterday. I made a backing track in July of 2024 the same way, but I later improved the track in October of 2024, putting more punch into it. From listening to Dave's music, I can feel the punch in his tracks. To replicate this I increase the bass and drums about 25%. I have included the BIAB style used, if you use BIAB.

• Mason's Apron - DOCBG F Style (75 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - DOCBG F Style (90 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - DOCBG F Style (105 bpm, key of A)

This backing track has a quality sounding dulcimer playing throughout, which I really like. ...

• Mason's Apron - TONFRO Style (85 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - TONFRO Style (100 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - TONFRO Style (115 bpm, key of A)

BIAB is so in-depth to use, if you want to really get the best results from it. I'm still learning. God willing, on occasion when I make something new and I enjoy playing along with it on BIAB, I'll share it with you.

By the way, the best way to learn to play Dave Hum's songs (apart from having his tabs) is to slow down the song in YouTube's settings to 50% or 25% to study each note (both audibly and visually). All of his songs are really simple once you understand what he's doing.

Also, after years of studying Dave's music, I have learned that he closely follows the original way songs are written in the tabs; he just adds his own improvisations. Dave developed his TECHNIQUE (the way something is done), making much use to pull-offs and hammer-ons in his playing. For example: Look at 1:00 time in the tune 'Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife' and you'll see him do two pull-offs. The first pull-off is on fret 4; the second is on fret 5, on the first string. It sounds great! That is technique. Two players can have the same banjo tabs in front of them, yet sound totally different when they play the tabs. The reason is TECHNIQUE!

I only mention this because when I first started to play Dave's music in 2018, I had the wrong impression that I could never play like him, but that is not the case at all. If he can do it, so can you and I. Dave learned to play all those songs the hard way, just like we have to do, one note at a time. None of the great banjo artists had it any easier than we do. They just buckled down and paid the price through countless hours of making music.

I've also noticed that Dave commands the banjo with authority, which you can only do if you know exactly what notes you intend to play next. This only comes with familiarizing yourself with the tune, until you know the song well enough to play it without thinking much what comes next.

And don't be afraid to manhandle the banjo! You control the instrument, don't let it control you. I love watching Dave play, he really drives the banjo. I don't think I'll ever play just like Dave. That is not possible. Nor could he play like me, or want too...lol. My goal is to learn as much as I can from watching and listening to his banjo playing, and then incorporate those things into my own music.

It's always MUCH easier to follow someone who has already done something, but Dave pioneered his style of music. It never ceases to be amazed when I hear him play 'Maid Behind The Bar' in Double C tuning. Beautifully done! I've never heard anybody play the banjo the way Dave does. But he learned with the SAME tabs that you and I use, and then he added his own personality to it. So, we first need to learn the basic songs as they were originally written, and then you can expand your repertoire from there.

Thanks for visiting my music blog. So many tunes, so little time!

Dave Hum
(April 11, 1966 - November 14, 2012)

More 'Band-in-a-Box' Backing Tracks

Here's a handful of songs I made this week with Band-in-a-Box (BIAB). They have a different vibe to them, which I enjoy playing along with. I left in the melody line for 'Mason's Apron,' because it sounds nice and goes well with the banjo. BIAB doesn't generate great intros for Bluegrass, they're all for Jazz or Pop, so I need to work at making better intros. I'm surprised that BIAB doesn't offer Country and Bluegrass intros. BIAB's intros work, they just don't always fit the songs. I think 'My Grandfather's Clock' came out nice. Enjoy! ...

• My Grandfather's Clock (80 bpm, key of A)
• My Grandfather's Clock (95 bpm, key of A)
• My Grandfather's Clock (110 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron (65 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron (80 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron (95 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron (110 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - DOCBG F Style (75 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - DOCBG F Style (90 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - DOCBG F Style (105 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - TONFRO Style (85 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - TONFRO Style (100 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - TONFRO Style (115 bpm, key of A)
• Devil's Dream (85 bpm, key of G)
• Devil's Dream (95 bpm, key of G)

I can't get enough of the 5-string banjo, which sure brightens every day in this crazy world. God made music for us to enjoy it. I've been watching Jim Pankey's video banjo lessons. Jim sure is a great teacher and a blessing. Music makes the world a better place.

Here's Dave Hum's three banjos. In his YouTube videos, I can always identify Dave's Epiphone MB-250 made in China, because there's no fret marker at the first fret position. He plays it just as brilliantly as his Gibson, which just goes to prove that the sound is mostly in the musician's hands. The headstocks are quite different between the Gibson and the Baldwin ODE.

Dave Hum's Banjo Collection

A New Backing Track For “Banjo In The Hollow”

This fun tune is called “Banjo In The Holler” or “Banjer In The Hollow” for you mountain pickers. In 1964, The Dillard's debut album “Back Porch Bluegrass” stunned the national Bluegrass community. Douglas Flint Dillard (1937-2012), the banjo player in the group, brought a new sound to Bluegrass banjo with his hard-driving, yet melodically original playing. Here's a very cool album by Doug Dillard titled, 'You Don't Need A Reason To Sing' [1974] with Buddy Emmons (The Big E) on pedal steel guitar. They don't make music like they used to!

I have always loved “Band-in-a-Box” (BIAB) software and just upgraded to their “Audiophile 2025” complete package (which I ordered on a hard drive), which I got at a discount since I had previously purchased their 2022 Audiophile package (also on a hardrive). I couldn't believe how small the latest hardrives are, essentially a large USB thumb-drive. Nice. Since trying to navigate through the tons of different products on PG Music's website can feel overwhelming, I just keep it simple by purchasing the entire package every few years.

That being said, one of the reasons why I started this banjo blog is to get away from BIAB type tracks, which lack the simplicity of Dave Hum's tracks. So, don't worry, I won't stop making Dave Hum style tracks. I just wanted to share with you other things I've been working on as well. Eventually I'll run out of new songs to make. That is, songs that play well on the banjo. When that happens, I'll figure out my next music project for my blog. I could just spend the rest of my life learning to play the tunes that Dave Hum recorded and I'd be grateful and happy. We can never have enough backing tracks, right.

Lord willing, I will be continuing to make Dave Hum style backing tracks with MixCraft, and every so often add some Band-in-a-Box backing tracks as well. I'm always looking for new ways to make better backing tracks. BIAB tracks use Real audio files, not MIDI, so you are hearing actual musicians playing the music. Just in case you also have Band-in-a-Box (BIAB), I have included the names of the styles that I used.

The following BIAB backing tracks were made using Bluegrass style “_BIG_BAND.STY.” ...

• Banjo In The Hollow - Part One | Part Two (videos lesions by Jim Pankey)
• Banjo In The Hollow (a video lesson by Mason Crone)
• Banjo In The Hollow (key of A, 85 bpm)
• Banjo In The Hollow (key of G, 85 bpm)
• Banjo In The Hollow (key of A, 100 bpm)
• Banjo In The Hollow (key of G, 100 bpm)
• Banjo In The Hollow (key of A, 115 bpm)
• Banjo In The Hollow (key of G, 115 bpm)

The following BIAB backing tracks were made using Bluegrass style “_NORFOLK.STY.” ...

• Banjo In The Hollow (key of A, 85 bpm)
• Banjo In The Hollow (key of G, 85 bpm)
• Banjo In The Hollow (key of A, 100 bpm)
• Banjo In The Hollow (key of G, 100 bpm)
• Banjo In The Hollow (key of A, 115 bpm)
• Banjo In The Hollow (key of G, 115 bpm)

Backing tracks are invaluable. I'm still learning to use BIAB. I learned that if you enter a chord and two dots after it; for example, “G..”, you've created a “shot,” which you can hear several times in all of these tracks I've made, which produces a brief pause in the music. I love adding shots! Adding three dots; for example, “G...” causes the chord to strum and sustain for the remainder of the bar. Just using one dot, “G.” silences the note completely for one bar. BIAB is powerful software if you know how to use it.

I have a few dozen very nice Dave Hum style backing tracks already in the works, which God willing I'll be uploaded every Friday throughout 2026. So, please stop by at least once a week to see what's new. I've got tunes galore on the way! “Banjo Signal” will uploading sometime around the latter part of January, which is one of my favorite tunes to play. Here is a listing of all the BACKING TRACKS I've made so far, which I will update each week. At present there are 91 Backing Tracks, including today's new addition. I hope you enjoy it.

I Had This Cool T-Shirt Made On Amazon
For $20 With One Of Dave's Photos

A New Backing Track For “Black Mountain Rag”

This is a traditional old fiddle tune made popular by flatpicking guitar wizard Doc Watson. The tune is called, “Black Mountain Rag.” Dave Hum recorded the song on the 5-string banjo in standard tuning (gDGBD); capo 2nd fret, 5th string capo 7th fret for key of A. I've made backing tracks in the keys of A and G for your preference. Enjoy!

• Jim Pankey Teaches How To Play “Black Mountain Rag”
• Black Mountain Rag (key of A, faster)
• Black Mountain Rag (key of A, normal)
• Black Mountain Rag (key of A, slower)
• Black Mountain Rag (key of A, slow)
• Black Mountain Rag (key of A, woodshed)
• Black Mountain Rag (key of G, faster)
• Black Mountain Rag (key of G, normal)
• Black Mountain Rag (key of G, slower)
• Black Mountain Rag (key of G, slow)
• Black Mountain Rag (key of G, woodshed)

I used MIDI for the bass, drums and piano parts. Real audio for the cymbals, tambourine, Cajon and shakers.

Dave Hum
(April 11, 1966 - November 14, 2012)

A New Backing Track For “Sportsman's Hornpipe”

This is an English hornpipe fiddle tune called, “Sportsman's Hornpipe.” Also known as: “Oldham Sportsman” or “The Sportsman.” Dave Hum plays this tune on 5-string banjo using the Sawmill tuning (gDGCD); capo 2nd fret, 5th string capo 7th fret for key of A minor. I've made backing tracks at various speeds in the keys of A and G for your preference. Enjoy!

• Sportsman's Hornpipe PDF Tablature | TEF
• Sportsman's Hornpipe (key of A, normal)
• Sportsman's Hornpipe (key of A, slower)
• Sportsman's Hornpipe (key of A, slow)
• Sportsman's Hornpipe (key of A, very slow)
• Sportsman's Hornpipe (key of A, woodshed)
• Sportsman's Hornpipe (key of G, normal)
• Sportsman's Hornpipe (key of G, slower)
• Sportsman's Hornpipe (key of G, slow)
• Sportsman's Hornpipe (key of G, very slow)
• Sportsman's Hornpipe (key of G, woodshed)

I used MIDI for the bass, drum, synthesizer and piano parts. Real Audio loops for the cymbal, shaker and tambourine.

Dave Hum performing with the Huckleberries