Banjo Heaven: Dave Hum's Sound Is In His Hands, Not The Banjo!

Friday, May 21, 2021

Dave Hum's Sound Is In His Hands, Not The Banjo!

One of my favorite people and musicians in the humble loving man, Dave Hum. Dave uses his 1992 ESS Gibson in nearly all of his YouTube videos, but as you will see in this awesome song, “The Arkansas Traveller (3),” he is using his ODE banjo. Dave's beautiful sound comes from using proper picking TECHNIQUE, not from using any particular banjo brand.

If there ever was a mountain man, it was our banjo buddy Dave Hum. I love the guy, and if you've ever heard him perform on the banjo, then you love him too! I marvel as I watch his hundreds of YouTube videos, seeing how curious people passing by admire the man's musical skills dearly. That is the incredible power of music friends. Music is a language that transcends all barriers, languages, cultures and ethnicities. The courageous shepherd boy David, with his stringed harp on which he was skillful, soothed the evil spirit which came upon King Saul to afflict him. David's inspiring music helped to calm the storm.

I have always marveled how ten different musicians can sit down behind a pedal steel guitar, and yet none of them will sound exactly the same. And in the case of pedal steel guitar, the differences can be drastic. The sound is in THE MAN, or THE WOMAN (there are some great female steel pickers in Europe). The sound is in your hands dear banjo enthusiast, and not as much in your banjo. Albeit, the brand of banjo you use, and whether it's set up properly, can make all the difference in the world. So please don't think I'm diminishing the quality of purchasing and maintaining a nice professional level banjo. It's definitely worth the money and you should save up an buy a used Gibson (they don't make new ones any more), Huber or Stelling! Those would be my top 3 choices to buy a banjo.

In 2009, I gladly paid $3,000 for my (black Formica, single neck, S-10, 4 x 5, Rittenberry) pedal steel guitar. The “S” stands for a singe neck. The “10” in S-10 refers to the instrument's 10 strings. My pedal steel guitar came with 4 pedals and 5 knee levers. I have never counted all the parts on a pedal steel guitar, but I'm going to guess there's probably about 300 parts total. The complicated changer mechanism, where all the magic takes place, must contain a couple hundreds parts by itself (e.g., return springs, hex nuts, pull-rods, adjustment screws, half-stops, rods and clips. And yet, a banjo, having just a small fraction of the parts needed to assemble one in comparison to a pedal steel guitar, costs about the same. In fact, a high end banjo will cost you TWICE more the prove as a steel guitar!

Lloyd Green (born 1937) once said that there are about 50 different things that go into guitar TONE. I fully agree with him. Lloyd better than anyone would know about tone, since he is famously known as “Mr. Nashville.” What a beautiful title! What a splendid honor! Chances are very good that if you've heard some older country music from the 1970's and 1980's on the radio lately, it was Lloyd playing on steel guitar. Lloyd plays on all the Johnny Paycheck's records. Lloyd played on all of Don William's recordings.

So Lloyd knows good tone, and his is always unmatchable. I don't know about you guys and gals, but my Recording King (Elite-85 with a hard rock maple neck, made in China) banjo doesn't stay in turn very well. That 4th D string loves to wander. And since I put the pricey original "Keith D Tuners" on pegs 2 and 3 (so I could play "My Grandfather's Clock" like this), it's even more of a nightmare trying to keep the thing in tune. I love how John Kuhn outdid himself on that song. GREAT JOB! He plays very tastefully.

One of the things that draws so many fans (including myself) to Dave Hums banjo artistry, is that he doesn't just limit himself to traditional Bluegrass style and licks, he gets much more creative. The idea behind making music on ANY instrument is to hopefully connect with the audience. Jerry Byrd (1920-2005), in his timeless autobiography called: "On The Wings Of Music," says in the book that when he performs on stage, he only looks for one person sitting on the front row, and he plays the entire concert for that one person, Jerry does this to make it personal, because music is personal. Jerry says he's making love to the person with the music! I have also heard Lloyd Green says that he does the same thing, “making love” to his musical instrument. A musician may perform the most exceptional he has ever played his instrument, but it will not move the audience if the tone is lacking. Good tone is an art!

I've said all that to emphasize that Dave Hum's exceptional banjo tone comes mostly from his hands. He does play through an $1,100 amplifier made in Europe. But all the state of the art equipment doesn't make someone sound professional, unless you've got the years of experience to go with it. Many young people today are looking for a gimmick, a shortcut, but there are no shortcuts to hard work and practicing. The way you get great at playing the banjo is to miss a lot of TV and video games...lol. Seriously, we all have 20 hours in a day. Wise people spend their time learning a hobby, cooking recipes, making things, studying and doing something constructive. Playing the banjo is a very wise and commendable ontaking in my humble opinion as a Christian, which will bring a lifetime of rewarding fulfillment (both to the enthusiast and to those around you). Music makes the world a better place!

Deering Calico Neck

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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

Dave Hum's Sound Is In His Hands, Not The Banjo!

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5 String Banjo Instruction [1967] - Earl Scruggs

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