Banjo Heaven: A Study Of Dave Hum's Awesome Banjo Style

Friday, May 21, 2021

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)

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!

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

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Dave Hum's Banjo Tunings

Standard - gDGBD
Double C - gCGCD
G Modal - gDGCD
G Minor - gDG(Bb)D
Open D - aDF#AD
D Minor - aDFAD
Other D - aDGBD
Reuben's Tuning - f#DF#AD

Dave Hum shines on whatever tuning he plays, but I really enjoy his work on the "Double C tuning" (e.g., Maid Behind The Bar, Gaspe' Reel and Coleman's March.)

Dave says: “I like to set up my three main banjos so I can get a compromise between a dry snapping tight head sound associated with the Bluegrass sound and a mellower warmer tone for the Celtic, old-time and ragtime tunes. I have found that some condensed foam inside the pot helps and a combination of medium strings and a not too tight head with the tailpiece parallel to the head helps me to achieve the tone I like. Each banjo has its own character and tone and I am forever tinkering with them to see what gives - which is half the fun!” (quoted from his website)

My banjo is a Recording King Elite 85 with a maple neck. It has a longer than standard neck, at 27 3/8" verses the standard 26 1/4" neck, which I really like. It is built to exact Prewar Gibson specifications. It has a great tone, but I'd say about 80% of a Gibson. I've learned that much of the tone comes from the player's hands, and not the particular banjo brand that is being played (to an extent). Dave Hum's awesome sound comes from his skilled hands. Dave controls the banjo, masterfully, he doesn't allow the banjo to control him.

I did try the things which Dave mentioned above, like loosening my banjo head, putting a block of foam inside my banjo, setting my tailpiece parallel to the head, and putting on some heavier gauge strings (12,12,16,24,12). The result, after 3 months of playing it that way is that I very much like the foam inside, because without it I get overtones that throw off my ears while playing. The foam trick is brilliant, I think.

I prefer my head tight, so I went back up to between an F# and a G# (when you tap on the head you'll get a pitch to tune the rightness by). On my Recording King, it seems that F# is as high as I can safely get without risking over tightening the head. I kept the tailpiece parallel. My string action is as close as I can get without an annoying buzz. I actually have a very slight buzz (at times), that I don't mind, having the strings nice and close to the neck.

I am learning to pick the strings more firmly, like Dave Hum does, which makes a BIG difference in my tone overall while playing! It is important not to try to play just like Dave Hum; but rather, learn TECHNIQUES from him, and apply those skills to your own playing, and you will become more like Dave that way, than merely trying to copy him.

One thing that I have notice is that Dave KNOWS the songs he is trying to play. It is easy to wing through a song without really buckling down and getting into the nitty-gritty of the tablature, which is a mistake. Learn slow, and then work up your speed playing accurately. YouTube is an awesome tool, which allows you to slow down the speed of any video, so you can see what is going on. For many of Dave's songs, like Mason's Apron, I am still playing it at 3/4 speed, because I cannot keep up with him...lol. That is perfectly okay. Music is not a competition, which Dave Him himself once said. Enjoy!

Dave Hum's Banjos

Dave Hum's main banjo is a Gibson ESS (Earl Scruggs's Standard) banjo, a reissue of the original Gibson classic.

Gibson ESS (Earl Scruggs Standard) 1992

SET UP:

Head - Remo
Tailpiece - Fults 1934
Tuners - Keith D (strings 2 and 3) and Scruggs
Strings - D'Addario
Gauges - 12,12,16,24,12
Bridge - Snuffy Smith 5/8
Origin - Nashville, USA
All other parts standard Gibson.

Baldwin Ode Model D '70's

SET UP:

Head - Renaissance
Tailpiece - Fults 1934
Tuners - Keith D/Scruggs
Strings - D'Addario
Gauges - 10,12,16,24,10
Bridge - Moon Lightweight 1/2
Origin - Arkansas, USA
All other parts standard Ode.

Epiphone MB250 '90's

SET UP:

Head - Five Star
Tailpiece - Fults 1934
Tuners - Keith D
Strings - D'Addario
Gauges - 10,12,16,24,10
Bridge - Snuffy Smith 5/8
Origin - Made in China

All other parts standard Epiphone.

Dave uses a Compact 60 AER rechargeable acoustic amplifier, which now costs $1,999, made in Germany. The amp was MUCH cheaper 20 years ago. The amp plugs into the wall to recharge (no replaceable battery). Tommy Emmanuel uses the same amp, but using corded power. These amps were specifically designed for acoustic instruments. However, the amp weighs 29 pounds!

Here is a more affordable alternative for busking, I humbly think.

Dave mics his banjo using a Shure Beta 98D mic with A98D bracket clamp.

What NOT to buy...

NOTE: I bought a “Feather” Goose pickup for $199 and hate it. It whines continually from feedback, and has wires all over, ripping off when I forget they're attached by clip to my waist. The item comes with umpteen parts that you have to assemble, and it is not easy. Please don't waste your money on it!

I recommend using a Gold Tone ABS pickup, which includes a stompbox from Banjo "Ben" Clark.

Music truly does make the world a better place.

Banjo Has A Steep Learning Curve

Like pedal steel guitar (my favorite instrument), the banjo has a steep learning curve. That simply means the hardest part is getting started. If you can stick with it long enough to learn a couple dozen songs fluently, you'll be off to a fantastic start. I learned 5-string banjo fairly quickly, finding out that there are common picking patterns that once learned, overlap into nearly every other song. I encourage you to learn Blackberry Blossom right away, which will teach you melodic runs.

At first my picking fingers stumbled, because my brain wasn't familiar with the tabs. Friend, if you can play even one thing fast, you can play anything fast once you learn it. Also, I learned 30 years ago while learning to play pedal steel guitar, that my brain processed what I learned at night while I am sleeping. You read right! So when you are plowing away, and it seems hopeless like you'll never get it, during the night your brain will process what you've learned. It's similar to workout out in a gym. You don't build muscles at the gym. You lift heavy weights at the gym. But then during the night is when your body builds new muscle.

I also recommend learning the song, Sailor's Hornpipe, which is another great song to learn your melodic runs. After a month I was playing subconsciously, which is called "muscle memory." I didn't stumble anymore when playing melodic runs, because my fingers already knew what to do. Trust me, if you practice for at least a solid hour every day, you'll quickly advance on the banjo, but you must apply yourself to learn the tabs.

What I am about to say is IMPORTANT. Start out going very slow, to accurately pick every note in the tabs. Your speed will increase in time, as you become familiar with the song, and don't have to think what comes next. Dave Hum is a master of chords, progressions and single note scale runs. What makes Dave Hum so different than all the other banjo artists is that he simply follows the chords and does his own thing musically.

I love Dave Hum and could relate to him the first time I heard him play the banjo. The song was "The Ballad Of Jed Clampett." I cried when he started playing those triplets in the second half of the song. I had never heard anything so pretty. It took me awhile to figure out how he is doing those triplets, but it is super easy once you get it. I slowed it down using MixCraft software so I could hear exactly what he's doing. It reminds me of being on a river boat on the Mississippi River.

Friend, when you're as good as you want to be, you're as good as you're going to get! Hawaiian steel guitar legend, Jerry Byrd (1920-2005), taught me that. Anyone can play the banjo if they are willing to work at it. Talent is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration! Intellect also plays a big part, which I learned about the pedal steel guitar from my musical hero, Lloyd Green.

The best way to learn the banjo, once you have the tabs in front of you, is to study Dave Hum's YouTube videos. I downloaded all of them and converted them into mp3 files for my own use.

BUY 115 OF DAVE HUM'S ORIGINAL BACKING TRACKS

His backing tracks are superior to anything available on the internet that I have found. Those wonderful driving tracks are a wonderful canvas for Dave's awesome banjo artistry. I wish Dave was still with us. He sadly died of cancer at age 46 in 2012. It is quite amazing to me that he had the physical and mental strength to record so many of his greatest banjo videos—with cancer, an eye removed and part of his picking fingers amputated. I thank God for Dave Hum and his cheerful music!

I wrote these words to encourage you dear banjo enthusiast. I used to think I would sound like Dave Hum if I bought a 1995 ESS Banjo like he used. Not so! Dave had an aggressive picking style, taking charge of the banjo, and used amazing advanced techniques. TECHNIQUE is the key word (how he majestically manipulated the strings to get the sounds he wanted). You need to watch his subtleties while he's playing. If your playing doesn't sound like him, then you're not doing something the way he's doing it, and that is technique!

One thing that Dave does is he applies quite a bit of picking pressure on the strings, driving the banjo. That is why he needs to wear metal thumb picks and use Velcro to keep the picks from flying off his fingers!

Make Your Own Backing Tracks

I have purchased several hundred dollars worth of backing tracks available online, AND MOST ARE WOEFULLY LACKING ANY REAL INSPIRATION. Some tracks I've found are superb (like Jay Buckey), but there's just something about the simplicity of Dave Hum's tracks, with just a bass guitar!

If the backing track doesn't move the player, you're not going to “feel” the music! Dave's tracks are profoundly simple and have a happy energy to them, reflective of Dave himself. In my humble opinion, Band-In-A-Box is lame compared to Dave's tracks. If anyone has ever tried to make your own rhythm tracks, then you know how difficult and time consuming it is, so I wanted to share some helpful ideas.

Songs are generally composed of 16 to 32 bars. The first thing you need to do is find a song's chords. I found a helpful website which provides the chords to hundreds of oldtime songs, many of which Dave plays on YouTube. For example: Here are the chords for a jig titled, “Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife.” Here is Dave Hum playing the song (awesome). And here are some backing tracts that I made, which you are freely welcome to use and share. By the way, I NEVER sell anything or receive donations. IT'S ALL FREE (as it should be in my humble opinion). All my music is free, and you are encouraged to freely share my backing tracks with others! I am still learning how to make tracks, so I am progressing slowly.

If you'd like to work at making your own backing tracks, as I am doing, you'll need a bass guitar. If you can play guitar, you can definitely play bass, which is simply the four lowest strings on a guitar! Dave Hum's backing tracks are simple, usually just a bass and perhaps a tambourine for simple percussion. Many of Dave’s songs use only a bass guitar.

Buy A Shubb F5 Capo

I really like my Shubb F5 Capo, which stays on the banjo. I had purchase a cheaper Paige banjo capo for about $40, trying to save money, but I hate the thing because it falls off the banjo neck every time I loosen the tension knob. If you're going to spend $40, you might as well splurge and spend the $75. I assure you that you won't be disappointed.

When playing in the key of G, I just loosen the tension nut and slide the capo up over the nut, which works fine. Plus I like the shiny look of the Shubb F5 capo. It is small and easy to use.

I also like that the capo firmly presses the strings down, eliminating any string buzz. I had also purchased some of the cheaper clamp-on type capos for $20 and under, which are okay if that's all you can afford, but you have to play with them oftentimes to get the strings to stop buzzing.

I really like the Shubb F5 Capo!

Banjo Heaven

Friday, May 21, 2021

A Study Of Dave Hum's Awesome Banjo Style

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5 String Banjo Instruction [1967] - Earl Scruggs

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