A Study Of Dave Hum's Awesome Banjo Style

I have done my best to recreate several dozen of Dave Hum's backing tracks. I share them FREELY for the pure love of music. My only motivation is to promote the cheerful music of Dave Hum, to help other banjo enthusiasts learn, encourage others to purchase original backing tracks from Dave Hum's family, and not least of all to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others (so you can know that your name is written in Heaven too - Luke 10:20).

It is important to understand SEVEN things about Dave Hum's musical style:

First, Dave KNOWS his chords well! He didn't just memorize some tablature like most of us do and stick to that. By knowing his chords, he is free to improvise and expand his playing. Everything that we pick on the banjo falls within a certain chord at any given time.

Second, Dave KNOWS the melody of the particular song he is playing extremely well. This gives him confidence to pick with authority in his playing, which you can definitely hear! Just as when driving a car: "You control the banjo, don't let the banjo control you!" Dave doesn't just "wing it" as many banjo players do, which is why he has a very specific sound for each song that he plays. He knows exactly what he is playing, deliberate and confident, knowing what he is going to pick next!

Third, Dave simply follows the chord patterns when he improvises. There is nothing magical about Dave's picking, but the music he produces and the joy created in the listener's heart is MAGICAL!

Fourth, Dave mastered his single note picking technique. Here is an excellent finger picking exercise that I love working through each day multiple times.

Fifth, Dave hum doesn't try to conform to traditional banjo playing. Dave did what he felt in his heart, which sets him apart from everyone else. Each of Dave's YouTube performances is a wonderful instruction course! The first step to emulate Dave Hum is to learn the tablature for any particular song, and then study Dave's performance of the song, to learn his unique ideas.

Sixth, the magic behind Dave's performances in his driving backing tracks. Dave Hum skillfully made all his own rhythm tracks. I have purchased several hundred dollars worth of backing tracks online, and NOTHING comes even close to Dave's tracks! The reason why is Dave keeps it simple, just some simple percussion with a bass. Anything else is clutter! I wish more banjo artists would make, share or sell quality backing tracks, but they don't for some reason. Most available tracks are garbage! Dave inspired me to carry on his music tradition of making my own backing tracks to play along with on my banjo.

Seventh, Dave enjoyed sharing his music with others, which motivated him. I cannot express in words what Dave's music means to me personally. His family has a great legacy and something to be very proud of and cherish. I am amazed how professional Dave's videos are, and how he captured so much life (family in the videos, people, incredible scenery, cool moments and historical places). What awesome videos! Whoever was behind the camera much of the time deserves a lot of credit for paying attention to what was going on, and I'd like to say, "Thank you!" I love Dave Hum and thank God for making him!

t = thumb / i - Index / m = middle

(Standard bluegrass tuning: g, D, G, B, D...
Go Downtown Get Better Dog)

Dave Hum's Substitute For The Famous G Lick

I tried to tab out Dave Hum playing this beautiful ascending run in this clip from: 'The Ballad of Jed Clampett')...

Banjo Chord Progressions in Standard G Tuning (Dave Hum makes extensive use of
these chord progressions when improvising, which makes his playing so refreshing
and unique). ...

Here's a common melodic run...

A Helpful Chord Finder

As Dave Hum says:
“So many songs, so little time!”

Download All Of Dave Hum's YouTube Videos Before They're Gone, Because You Never Know! 

4K DOWNLOADER

(an awesome freeware program)

I Love This Guy!!!

Take Control Of The Banjo, Don't Let It Control You

Something that I've learned from playing along with Dave's songs (at a slower speed on YouTube) is that he manhandles the banjo. That is, he firmly controls the instrument.

When an older friend of mine in high school (Tim) taught me how to drive, he took me in the winter in Chicago to an empty parking lot with snow on the ground. He told me to do some spinouts, then speed up and slam on the brakes to go into some skids, and he had me doing 360 donuts in the snow. He wanted me to get “a feel” for the car and how to handle it, which in hindsight was a brilliant way to teach me how to drive. My friend Tim helped me immensely that day. He taught me, “You control the car, you don't let the car control you.”

I have applied that same philosophy to my banjo playing, taking control of the banjo and making it do what I want, and not be afraid to pick the strings firmly and with authority. I've been learning the song, Mason's Apron, one of my favorites that Dave recorded.

A brilliant melodic run from Dave Hum's rendition of 'Flop Eared Mule'... 

This was difficult for me to figure out, but I think I tabbed how Dave did it right (Slowed down clip From "Flop Eared Mule")... (carefully notice that he gets all those notes on only TWO strings!)

A Helpful Tool For Every Banjo Artist

I love this chord finder tool. Dave Hum knew his chords well!!! Anytime you are having difficult figuring out what Dave is picking, simply follow the chords and it will make more sense. Here is another chord generator.


The Peaceful 'Double C Tuning'

I think where Dave Hum really shines on the banjo (in my humble opinion) is on the Double C tuning. Listen to him play Whiskey Before Breakfast and The Maid Behind The Bar in Double C. When I hear these songs, I picture a log cabin with dinner cooking on an old cast iron stove in the summer, and a peaceful pristine river flowing nearby with pretty trees along its banks, on a clear sunny day with a pleasant gentle wind blowing, and all is well (no bears...lol). That is not an easy thing for a musician to do, to have that kind of an impact on your audience. Dave Hum was a gifted musician and a beautiful man. I sure wish I could have known him personally, and feel like I do through his music.

Dave also plays Gaspe Reel, Coleman's March, Boys Of Bluehill/Harvest Home, Fergal O' Gara, O' Carolan's Concerto, The Merry Blacksmith, Tobin's Jig and Tripping Up The Stairs in Double C, which I encourage you to listen to on YouTube. I recently did my best to make a backing track for The Maid Behind The Bar, and I tabbed out Dave's version of the song as played in Double C, which I think is purdy accurate. I encourage every banjo player to spend some time with the Double C tuning, because it is beautiful and easy to play once you learn your way around. The more time you spend with the tuning, the more friendly it will become to you, and inviting. I love the Double C tuning.

Dave Hum's Family Has Made His Backing Tracks Available

Download All Of Dave Hum's YouTube Videos Before They're Gone, Because You Never Know! I have already downloaded all 219 of Dave's videos. I saved them to my MP3 player to listen in my car. I was listening to "Timour The Tartar" yesterday to and from the doctor. Wow, Dave's playing is amazing, and the powerful bass in his backing track is awesome!

I am so thankful to Dave's family for releasing his backing tracks for purchase. They're worth every penny! At present there are 115 tracks for sale for about $12.50 each, a great deal. The going rate now online to pay someone to make you a custom backing track is about $150. I paid the guy at Nico Backing Tracks $149 back in April 2024 to make me a backing track for the song, "Gaspe Reel" by Dave Hum. You can have the track I paid to have made from Nico for free (just click the preceding link).

I also paid David Day $150 in June 2024 to make me a custom backing track for the song, "Peeler's Jacket." I DON'T recommend doing business with David ever! His attitude is really poor. He messed up the first two times he attempted to make the track. He was a couple bars too short on the ending. I am a reasonable person. If he simply would have gladly completed the song as promised, there wouldn't have been a problem. But instead he got upset at me for kindly asking him for the second time to finish the track right, and he blew me off. He wanted more money! Unreal, as if $150 wasn't enough to make a simple song. He didn't do the ending right in the first place, but he wanted more money. In the preceding link you can hear exactly what he did, and what I am talking about. My track came out as nice, if not better, than his did.

Anyway, Dave Hum's backing tracks are superb and very reasonably priced. Dave no doubt spent over a thousand hours making his tracks. It takes me 3 to 8 hours to make just one backing track, depending on its complexity. I love making tracks. Most of all I love freely sharing them with others. On my Banjo Heaven blog you'll find several dozen great backing tracks. In time, I'll have hundreds, Lord willing. Enjoy!

Dave Hum the man (above), and his 3 classic banjos (below)