Banjo Heaven: Improved Backing Track For “Devil's Dream/Blackberry Blossom”

Sunday, July 14, 2024

Improved Backing Track For “Devil's Dream/Blackberry Blossom”

I revisited my older backing track for “Devil's Dream/Blackberry Blossom” and tried to make some improvements. First, I adjusted the Parametric Equalizer to reduce the low end frequency in the bass to remove distortion. Second, I increased the overall volume of the backing track.

These are two of my favorite songs to play on the banjo. Both songs are of unknown origin dating back to at least the 1800's. They are both popular fiddle songs. This backing track is done in the key of G, but I made a couple tracks in the Key of A also. I used Dave Hum's recording as a template to make this backing track...

Here's some tabs for Devil's Dream from the BanjoHangout. Also, here are some free tabs for Devil's Dream from Ross Nickerson.

Here's some tabs for Blackberry Blossom from the BanjoHangout. Bill Nesbitt does a great job explaining how to play Blackberry Blossom, which you can find on this webpage. Also, see Geoff Howald's free tabs for Blackberry Blossom.

The leather strap worked it's way off my acoustic guitar's end pin when I made this backing track and the instrument fell to the hard floor, cracking the body. Ouch! It was the Devil's dream! Ha Ha!

I Hate When That Happens!

Thankfully I only paid $130 for the guitar in 2022 at a local Guitar Center. It is a Cort brand and I love this guitar. I knew I was going to buy it from the moment I made the first strum. It doesn't have all that shellac coating deadening the sound that some guitars do, it is bare wood and sounds organic. The case cost me more than the guitar! I am thankful that it wasn't a $5,000 Gibson, or a $3,500 Taylor. I once held an $8,000 Martin guitar about 30 years ago at a Guitar Center in Chicago. I hated the thing! The strings were hard to press down and the guitar did nothing to impress me. I hung it back up on the wall very carefully...lol. Go figure that a $130 guitar from Mexico could feel and sound so nice.

Anyway, I recorded this guitar after damaging it on Devil's Dream/Blackberry Blossom and it still sounds excellent (so far...lol). I also went on Amazon and ordered some strap locks! (I don't want to accidentally break anything else.) I just bought my Deering Goodtime Special banjo in April, for which same price I could purchase EIGHT more Cort guitars!!! It's an okay banjo, but I recommend saving your money for a professional banjo if you don't have one. I only bought this lighter Goodtime Special because of my neck injury going back to 1992 when I got severely rear-ended by a church bus, and it permanently misaligned my neck. I cannot express in words the horrible arthritis neck pain that I suffer with on a daily basis. It is debilitating to say the least. Albeit, God is good and I have no complaints.

I watched about 30 Dave Hum videos on YouTube and carefully studied his hands, gear, banjos and everything. The guy is amazing! I watched him play Third Man Theme and it blew my mind how skilled he is in his coordination with his right hand. Wow! God only made one Dave Hum! If I could ever play one-third as good as Dave, it would be a great blessing. I have years to go, Lord willing, but I'm having a lot of fun learning, and that's the whole idea. Music makes the world a better place!

Dave's music has brought so much happiness into my life. Surviving with constant neck pain makes Dave's music all that much more meaningful to me, especially knowing that he was dying of Myeloma cancer while recording all of his cheerful videos on YouTube. Dave is one of my heroes! Also, I'm enjoying making and freely sharing backing tracks as much as learning the banjo. I want to help encourage other banjo enthusiasts.

I am learning as I go how to make better backing tracks, so bear with me. My original recordings that I posted here in my blog are not too good. They all lack some form of padding to carry the song along. They're just bass and percussion, which is not good. So, God willing, I will be redoing all of them over time, one by one, and reposting them for everyone.

Also, they are all too fast, so I need to provide some slower ones for people like me...lol.

Plus, I have learned to play bass better in the past 2 years. I wasn't letting the notes sustain long enough. I have a bad habit of playing short beats with my bass, instead of letting the notes sustain for a second or so. It makes a big difference in the end result. Humbly said, I think this backing track came out pretty decent.

I'm also getting better with my timing in MixCraft and learning things from studying Dave's techniques. I'm working on a backing track for The Maid Behind The Bar, and it's almost done. Gaspe Reel is next. These are all Double C tuning songs. If you've never played the Double C tuning, you should really try it, it is simple and beautiful. There are chords online. Today I studied Dave's video and tabbed out The Maid Behind The Bar in Double C tuning, which I will post with the backing track when completed. It is a simple song to learn, but difficult to play correctly because it requires impeccable timing, which is a slowly acquired skill that only comes from spending time in the woodshed playing your banjo. Playing folk songs is a completely different skill than playing Bluegrass rolls. Dave Hum excelled at both techniques. As a banjo player I love both styles.

I used my Gretsch short-scale bass on The Devil's Dream/Blackberry Blossom.

At first I thought I'd have a lot of difficulty making Devil's Dream because of the fast moving guitar chord changes, but it turned out to be quite easier than I thought. It all went quickly. The entire song only uses 6 chords (G, Em, C, Am, D, Bm). All of my future tracks, Lord willing, will have some type of chord padding, like Dave uses. He uses some type of acoustic piano for padding it seems, which I need to work on. I am much more skilled with the guitar than the piano, so that is what I am using for now.

By the way, in case you may be wondering why I say "God willing" or "Lord willing" often, it is because of a teaching in the Holy Bible from James 4:13-17, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” As a Christian since age 13 (wow, that was 44 years ago), I try to honor God by never assuming that tomorrow is mine. Proverbs 27:1, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” One day at a time.

To be honest, one of the reasons why I started a banjo blog was to share the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with others. Life is short, Hell is hot and eternity is a long time! I won't preach to you in all my blogs, but every so often I would like to just invite you to trust Jesus as your personal Savior. Like my backing tracks, eternal life is a free gift from God. But for those who refuse Christ, please know that everyone is very welcome at my blog and I love everyone unconditionally with God's love, no matter who you are. So please feel welcome!

Thank you for reading my blog.

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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

Sunday, July 14, 2024

Improved Backing Track For “Devil's Dream/Blackberry Blossom”

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5 String Banjo Instruction [1967] - Earl Scruggs

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