Banjo Players Should Learn To Play Mandolin

Like most people who start playing banjo, I combed the internet for everything I could find pertaining to the banjo. Specifically, I sought all the backing track that I could find. But I learned something the hard way, meaning that it took me years to discover it. That something is that there is a ton of resources available for folk music, mandolin, dobro and fiddle. Since I was only interested in the banjo, I didn't even think to search the internet for these other resources.

For example: I found an awesome website recently called: https://www.mandolessons.com

I had never seen that website in all the years I played the banjo, and searched the internet for banjo tracks to play along with. Lo and behold, I found 157 folk song backing tracks. In fact, since Dave Hum is my favorite banjo artist, I really wanted backing tracks for Dave's 235 songs on YouTube, so I could work at learning them. At Mandolessons.com you'll find backing tracks for Mason's Apron, Maid Behind The Bar, Devil's Dream and other Dave Hum favorites.

By the way, if you haven't done so already, I highly encourage you to download and install the 4K YouTube to MP3 program. With this freeware program, you can download ALL of Dave Hum's YouTube videos as MP3. You can download the whole bunch at once, instead of one at a time, which would take forever. I have all of Dave's MP3's on my computer now.

Also, if you didn't know, you can go to “Settings” on any YouTube video to slow it down. There's a “Custom” option in the speed control, where you can actually select any speed. This took is invaluable to learn Dave Hum's picking licks. You can slow the song down to 1/4th it's normal speed, to study what Dave is doing. 

I don't know about you, but I am a born-again Christian and I love Southern Gospel and Bluegrass Music. One of my favorite singing families is The Rochester Family. At their website you can order, not only their many albums, but SOUNDTRACKS for a dozen of their albums. Although the soundtracks are mainly intended for singers, they are excellent for playing along to learn many popular songs of the faith. Also, there is another family, not related that I know of, called: The Brady Rochester Family. They also sell their albums if you are interested. You can learn a lot from listening to their banjo, dobro, bass and mandolin parts.

I made this blog for banjo enthusiasts like me, but specifically Dave Hum fans like me. It is my earnest desire in the future, God willing, to spend more time with the banjo to study and hopefully recreate some Dave Hum style backing tracks. Wouldn't it be great if we had Dave Hum's backing tracks today? I only wish! If you listen carefully to Dave's tracks, he uses a tambourine in many of them, which gives his tracks a driving beat and energy. Also, he normally only uses a bass and some simple percussion, nothing over-the-top.

I'm really surprised that some musicians haven't already recreated them yet. I'm trying. I don't have the skills on bass. I am mainly a pedal steel guitar player...lol. Banjo comes in second for me. I had learned to play the banjo somewhat in the early 1990's, but living in Chicago where there were no Bluegrass venues, I lost interest. There was no internet yet back then. In 2017 my daughter took an interest in the banjo, so I bought her one. She rekindled my interest in the banjo, which led me to Dave Hum and I fell in love with the instrument because of him.

I am learning bass now, just so I can try to make some Dave Hum style tracks to freely share with others. I am good with stringed instruments. The strings on a 4-string bass are tuned the SAME as the four bottom strings on any guitar. That makes it easy to learn and play bass, if you've already played guitar for many years (which I have for the past 40 years). I can already play bass, I just need to develop my skills. For making Dave Hum style backing tracks, the parts are fairly simple. One day at a time. Dave Hum played electric bass, double bass, harmonica, bongos, classic and bluegrass guitar, mandolin, keyboard and of course the banjo. All of those skills came together to help him on the banjo. I am using MixCraft recording software, which is a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Mixcraft is easy to use.

The best way to learn any musical instrument is to first familiarize yourself well with the genre of music you want to play. For example: I love Hawaiian steel guitar, so I made a website to help steel guitar enthusiasts. On my website you'll find several hundred Hawaiian songs with steel guitar. That is how we learn. That is what Dave Hum did. Dave's favorite statement was: “So many songs, so little time!” He wasn't kidding! I have playing pedal steel guitar for the past 30 years and am good at it. I took up learning Hawaiian steel guitar since 2006, which is a style, not a guitar.

Dave Hum created his own banjo style of playing, which I absolutely love! I honestly think a lot of banjo players get board after a few years of playing the same old Earl Scruggs Bluegrass style. Dave was creative and broke the mold, going his own way musically. I love his work on the Double C Tuning. It is a happy tuning, and easy to play. You can find free Double C tuning banjo chord charts online. Dave often picks chords on his banjo, which I've noticed most players avoid. As a pedal steel guitar player, I understand the great value of learning the skill of pick blocking, which Dave Hum had mastered on the banjo. You can see his pick blocking skills at work in The Ballad Of Jed Clampett (time: 48 to 1:02 seconds). Wow! ...

The Ballad Of Jed Clampett (by Dave Hum)

I highly recommend if you play the banjo, that you also buy a mandolin and familiarize with it. Dave Hum does a lot of single note work on his banjo, which he learned by playing the mandolin and guitar. If nothing else, now you know that you can also search for folk music, mandolin backing tracks, dobro stuff and other helpful resources. Also, search for Irish reels, jigs, hornpipes and other traditional songs, which will help you learn this type of music, which most banjo players love. By the way, if you didn't know, Dave Hum's family still sell his albums and tablature at his website: https://www.davehum.co.uk

I felt sick recently, when I saw that Jay Buckey's website is totally gone. Please say it ain't so! Thankfully, I bought and downloaded everything he offered for the banjo, and I cherish those resources. But I am kicking myself so much, that I didn't also buy all of his stuff for mandolin, fiddle and bass. It was the best, bar none! I don't know if Jay died, but I haven't been able to find anything online. I emailed Jay, but he didn't reply. I think he passed away likely.

I just bought an inexpensive $199 Ibanez M510E mandolin, which is electric, so I can record with it. It's the best you'll get for a decent price, which includes a truss rod. I've been watching YouTube videos for the mandolessons.com website. The guy's name is Baron Collins-Hill. He recommends, for an affordable nice mid-priced banjo, either the Kentucky KM-150 or the Eastman 350. Both the Kentucky and Eastman mandolins are ALL made in China. But I've read that their quality is very good. I found a simple guitar track on his website for Whiskey Before Breakfast. One of the first tracks I hope to make in Dave Hum style is Whiskey Before Breakfast. I haven't found any backing tracks like Dave's, with just a driving bass and percussion. You could always buy a Clark Mandolin for $6,000 from Boise, Idaho! When you consider all the work and preparation that is required to make any musical instrument, you can appreciate being able to buy affordable musical instruments from China.

I mainly wanted to write this blog to encourage other banjo enthusiast to also pursue resources online for the mandolin, ukulele, dobro, Celtic folk music and other related instruments, because there is a lot of helpful stuff out there if we look for it. And even better, learn to play the mandolin and perhaps other instruments, as Dave Hum did. God bless!