Banjo Heaven: My Negative Review Of David Day's “Backing Tracks Express”

Monday, August 5, 2024

My Negative Review Of David Day's “Backing Tracks Express”

I DO NOT recommend doing business with David Day at BackingTrackExpress.com, because he has a very bad attitude. I contacted him in July of 2024 to make me a backing track for Dave Hum's YouTube recording of Peeler's Jacket. He charged me $150 and I paid him using PayPal. On David's first attempt, he ended the song on an Em chord, which disappointed me, because Dave Hum clearly ends the song on a G major chord.

Also, if you listen closely at the end of his first attempt below, David Day doesn't finish the song, he leaves 5 seconds off the last bar. I noticed this right away when I played along with my banjo. The song is 5 seconds too short. You can hear for yourself what David Day did. He also ended the song on an Em chord, which didn't sound right. ...

Peeler's Jacket - David Day's First Attempt

As you just heard for yourself, the song isn't correct. I was very kind and didn't critique David Day's work in any way. I felt that from one musician to another, I paid him $150 just to see what he could make using his own creativity. I showed appreciation for his work, for giving his best attempt. I kindly asked him to add 5 seconds to the backing track. And I also asked him to end on a G major chord instead of an Em, like Dave Hum does.

Then on his second attempt, he got the G chord right, but he only added 2 seconds instead of the 5 seconds that I specifically requested. I couldn't have been more kind. Listen to yourself what he did below, which is his second attempt. Again, the song is too short. If you play along with the banjo, like Dave Hum plays, the song is still 3 seconds too short and doesn't sound right. ...

Peeler's Jacket - David Day's Second Attempt

Again, I didn't critique his work and merely asked him kindly to fix it. To shew him my sincerity in the matter, that I wasn't just being picky, I sent him the backing track that I had made, with the correct ending chords. I truly don't know what offended him. He may have became jealous, or felt threatened that I made my own backing track; or perhaps he was frustrated that after his second attempt to finish the song, I still wanted him to fix it right. Regardless, it doesn't matter if I owned a backing track company of my own, when he accepted my $150 payment and agreed to make me a backing track, he was obligated legally, morally and ethically to do one of two things: 1) Complete the backing track as agreed upon; or, 2) give me a full refund and apologize that he couldn't make the track. Instead, he cheated me, kept the money, and I had to finish the backing track myself by chopping, copying and pasting parts of the song to the end, to finish it.

On their main webpage, David Day says this about his so-called “professional” tracks...

Backing Tracks Express Information

“Backing Track Express is a production service that specializes in creating high quality custom backing tracks. Any song, regardless of style or genre can be made into custom backing tracks. We also produce original songs. Songs can be customized and can even be put in your ideal key. Our music tracks don’t sound like amateur store bought tracks. We custom create our custom backing tracks new and fresh track by track! We do not use vocal elimination for professional tracks, that leaves the track sounding washed out. This service is for those who demands better quality custom production. You could be a singer, school, choir director or anyone who needs custom backing tracks. We usually create those songs not found in stores or online anywhere. ...It will be copied exactly like the original, same key and everything unless there are custom instructions you require. Your new custom backing tracks are sent to you as a high resolution mp3 and as a wave if you request. Pro Tools sessions can also be sent as an upload! Send a you tube link or mp3 of the song you want to do and we’ll get back to you with an honest price. You can count on us.” —David Day/Producer There’s some very bad tracks out there. [emphasis added]

That is FALSE advertising! Mr. Day in fact, as you can clearly hear for yourself, DIDN'T live up to his promise to produce an EXACT COPY OF THE ORIGINAL. When I asked him for the second time to do it right, he totally ignored me. After a few days, I sent him the following e-mail (I didn't change a word)...

David,

Kindly said, if you're working on another project or are too busy at this time to complete the backing track that I paid you $150 to make, please let me know when I can expect it to be finished. I haven't heard from you for a few days.

When you sent me the first completed track, I kindly told you it was too short and that you needed to add "5 seconds" to the track. For whatever reason, you only added 2 seconds in your second attempt. There are still 3 seconds of the song missing, which doesn't work for me when I try to play along with the track. I need for you to finish what you started, please.

You advertise on your website that you replicate original songs. That is all I am asking for you to do. I gave you a choice of picking either one of two of Dave Hum's versions of Peeler's Jacket. Although one song fades out at the end, it only fades after Dave completes playing the song, so structurally both songs have the same exact chords at the end. For whatever reason, you strayed away from the song.

If I don't hear back from you in the next couple days, then I will reasonably conclude that you have defrauded me, which is on you.

Mistreated customer,

I never heard from David Day again. The guy has an attitude problem and I don't recommend him to anyone. His work is shoddy and his attitude childish. Shame on him!

Now listen to my own backing track that I made of Peeler's Jacket, which I humbly think is at least equivalent (if not better) than David Day's (but I never told him that, which would have been mean). I live by The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12). ...

The reason I am writing this negative review is because David Day refused to fix his shoddy work. I am a forgiving, reasonable and understanding man as a Christian. But David Day horribly ignored my multiple emails, in which I kindly asked him to add the 3 missing seconds to the song, but he refused (without ever giving me an explanation). What a jerk! He stole my $150, since he didn't finish the song. God knows that I was going to pay him in a few weeks to make me another track for, “The Maid Behind The Bar,” but since he refused to finish the first song I paid him to make, and he is immature emotionally and lacks character, we're done!

I even sent him my backing track after his failed second attempt, just to be helpful, so that he could hear exactly what I wanted him to fix. The only thing I can speculate is that he became jealous that my work was as good as his. Or perhaps he became angry that I asked him for the second time to finish the song correctly, but he doesn't know what he's doing. But regardless of the reason, he should have completed the song that I paid him $150 to make (or refund my money). I won't do repeat business with an ungodly man who cheats his customers. I couldn't have been nicer to Mr. Day. I am a firm believer in Word of Mouth as a consumer. I was recently cheated out of $619.20 by Alamo rent car company. I have already filed a complaint with the Florida Attorney General's Office and Consumer Affairs (among the hundreds of other defrauded Alamo customers). RUN from Alamo!

The bottom line is that 3 seconds are missing at the end of the song, and I cannot play my banjo along with it without having to do some weird ending, which is frustrating. I didn't get what I paid for. I didn't receive what I was promised by ExpressBackingTracks.

I understood when I hired him that David Day couldn't make a perfect replica (that is common sense). But I did at least expect for him to get the chords and bar lengths correct, which is basic 101 music. His work is shoddy at best. I will never hire him to make another backing track for me, which is his loss. I only asked him to make the track because I wanted to see what he, as a unique individual musician, could come up with. I was overall pleased with his work, even though I did pretty good on my own, and I took the time to get the chords right for my backing track. Leaving the customer hanging is not okay, it is unethical and wrong. RUN from this place!

Having said all that, I am good with manipulating audio files using MixCraft software. So, I went back and cut, copied and pasted portions of the messed up song that David Day made for me, and I was able to finish the song by piecemeal. It sounds good now, and you'd never know that I cut, copied and pasted portions of the song to other places in the song to complete it, but it worked well (I humbly think). But I shouldn't have had to cut, copy and paste to complete a song that I paid David Day $150 to make for me. That was very unprofessional, unethical and rotten of him. Good riddance to bad rubbish Mr. Day!

To be fair and honest, I think overall that his track came out pretty good, despite his mistakes and unwillingness to complete the song correctly. I managed to whip the backing track into shape to share it with everyone. So, without further ado, Enjoy! ...

Peeler's Choice (by David Day, that I finished, key of G, normal)
Peeler's Choice (by David Day, that I finished, key of G, slower)
Peeler's Choice (by David Day, that I finished, key of G, slow)
Peeler's Choice (by David Day, that I finished, key of G, woodshed)
Peeler's Choice (by David Day, that I finished, key of A, normal)
Peeler's Choice (by David Day, that I finished, key of A, slower)
Peeler's Choice (by David Day, that I finished, key of A, slow)
Peeler's Choice (by David Day, that I finished, key of A, woodshed)
Peeler's Jacket Tablature (I used TablEdit)

I tabbed out the song by slowing down Dave Hum's video and meticulously studying his hands, and I think I've got it right. Here's another video, in which his hands are easier to watch. This is one of my favorite songs.

By the way, you can purchase the original rhythm track that Dave Hum himself made (that you hear in his YouTube videos). It is packet #6 on his website. As I mentioned, I paid David Day $150 to make one backing track for Peeler's Jacket, so the price for Dave Hum's quality backing tracks is a SUPER DEAL!!! I encourage you to buy some of them. The money will help Dave's family, and you'll be able to vicariously play along with the man himself. What a tremendous blessing!!!

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A FINAL UPDATE: I did finally hear back from David Day. To my unbelief he actually said that my two requests for him to correct his mistakes is called “song development” for which he charges more money. Unreal! I guess for $150 that doesn't include his mess ups! Where I come from people pay for their own mistakes, they don't expect others to pay for them.

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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

Monday, August 5, 2024

My Negative Review Of David Day's “Backing Tracks Express”

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5 String Banjo Instruction [1967] - Earl Scruggs

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