A New Backing Track For “Dunphy's Hornpipe”

In true Dave Hum fashion, to continue his legacy, I chose a song that Dave hadn't done to make a backing track for it. I am pleased with the result. I chose the song, “Dunphy's Hornpipe.” I figured out the song on the banjo and tabbed it for you, which is fun to play. It's done in standard tuning (gDGBD), in the key of A (capo the 2nd fret, and also the 7th fret of the fifth string. Enjoy!

1. Dunphy's Hornpipe Tablature (TablEdit tabs)
2. Dunphy's Hornpipe Tablature (.PDF tabs)
3. Dunphy's Hornpipe (I recorded the song tonight using my Deering Golden Wreath)
4. Dunphy's Hornpipe (a longer version with no guitar in the key of A, faster)
5. Dunphy's Hornpipe (a longer version with no guitar in the key of A, normal)
6. Dunphy's Hornpipe (a longer version with no guitar in the key of A, slower)
7. Dunphy's Hornpipe (a longer version with no guitar in the key of A, slow)
8. Dunphy's Hornpipe (a longer version with no guitar in the key of A, woodshed)
9. Dunphy's Hornpipe (a longer version with no guitar in the key of A, caveman)
10. Dunphy's Hornpipe (a longer version with no guitar in the key of G, faster)
11. Dunphy's Hornpipe (a longer version with no guitar in the key of G, normal)
12. Dunphy's Hornpipe (a longer version with no guitar in the key of G, slower)
13. Dunphy's Hornpipe (a longer version with no guitar in the key of G, slow)
14. Dunphy's Hornpipe (a longer version with no guitar in the key of G, woodshed)
15. Dunphy's Hornpipe (a longer version with no guitar in the key of G, caveman)

I used MIDI bass, drums and piano. I use MixCraft Pro Studio to make all my backing tracks. I added a real audio cymbal and djembe. The song has a really nice feel to it, I humbly think. I had fun making this backing track. I made some shorter tracks and added an acoustic guitar. In these shorter backing tracks the song plays through twice. I used my Cort acoustic guitar in these tracks. Enjoy!...

1. Dunphy's Hornpipe (slowed down to hear the melody)
2. Dunphy's Hornpipe Tablature (I tabbed the song for you)
3. Dunphy's Hornpipe (key of A, normal)
4. Dunphy's Hornpipe (key of A, slower)
5. Dunphy's Hornpipe (key of A, slow)
6. Dunphy's Hornpipe (key of A, woodshed)
7. Dunphy's Hornpipe (key of G, normal)
8. Dunphy's Hornpipe (key of G, slower)
9. Dunphy's Hornpipe (key of G, slow)
10. Dunphy's Hornpipe (key of G, woodshed)

A Little Admirer Of 'The Huckleberries' Band

Check Out Jim Reed's Banjo YouTube Channel

One of Dave Hum's favorite banjo picker's (and mine) is Jim Reed in Sidney, Kentucky. I didn't realize that "Reed's Hornpipe" was named after Jim Reed until Dave mentioned it in his video he made of the song, which Dave says inspired him to learn the song. I love hornpipes on the banjo! Dave Hum's family has his original backing track of the song for sale in Pack #6.

Jim Reed Videos

I downloaded 167 of Jim's YouTube videos as MP4's, to save to my hardrive in case the channel disappears one day. You never know with the internet. I really like when Jim plays "Old Spinning Wheel"...

Old Spinning Wheel (Jim Reed)

I am working on several new backing tracks which you'll be seeing in the months ahead, Lord willing. I'm having a lot of fun and enjoyment making these backing tracks. I love sharing them freely with everyone. I get so tired of everyone wanting money for everything. I can perfectly understand in the case of Dave Hum's family, they need some income. I strongly encourage you to purchase Dave's original backing tracks. Mine are inferior to his. Honestly, Dave was a brilliant musical artist in so many ways—from the mysterious phantom notes that he often plays on the banjo, his incredible picking speed, his ability to conversate with people while not missing a beat, to his musical acuity—the guy ceases to amaze me!

Since I was a teenager 40 years ago, I have loved giving and sharing. Dave is such a tremendous inspiration to me, and I know he is a blessing to thousands of other musicians and music lovers as well. Dave's favorite motto was: So many tunes, so little time!

By God's grace, I made this blog as a tribute to my friend, Dave Hum—to continue his legacy of making backing tracks, busking, helping his family out financially, and inspiring others to pursue an interest in the banjo. It is a worthy investment that over time will bring back much joy and satisfaction. With all the evil things in this world, I thank God for such a good, honest, pure and honorable hobby as playing the banjo. What a tremendous blessing!

Dave Hum (1966-2012)

A New Backing Track For 'Cripple Creek'

The origin of Cripple Creek is unknown, but many musicians believe the song is named after Cripple Creek, Virginia. The song doesn't seem to date further back than the year 1900. I made this backing track for the classic banjo favorite, Cripple Creek. Dave Hum did it in the key of A. I have made backing tracks for both the keys of A and G for you. Enjoy! ...

• Cripple Creek (key of A, fast)
• Cripple Creek (key of A, normal)
• Cripple Creek (key of A, slower)
• Cripple Creek (key of A, slow)
• Cripple Creek (key of A, woodshed)
• Cripple Creek (key of G, fast)
• Cripple Creek (key of G, normal)
• Cripple Creek (key of G, slower)
• Cripple Creek (key of G, slow)
• Cripple Creek (key of G, woodshed)

I used a MIDI bass. I played my Cort acoustic guitar. I added a Fruit Shaker audio loop.

This was the first song I ever learned to play on the banjo, back in the early 1990's. I lived in Chicago at the time, before there was a public internet. I had bought some learning books by Janet Davis and Jack Hatfield, but without having any fellow banjo enthusiasts to watch and learn from, I lost interest in the banjo.

It wouldn't be until 2018 that my youngest daughter on Guam took an interest in the banjo, that I discovered Dave Hum while searching the internet, and the rest is history. The first song I heard Dave play was The Ballad Of Jed Clampett. I had never heard anyone play the banjo like that before, and I was impressed and emotionally moved so much that I actually cried. I lived on the island of Guam for 17 years (2004 to 2021). I ordered a Recording King Elite 85 (maple neck) banjo in 2018 from Ross Nickerson for $1,795. It has a longer than normal 27 3/8" maple neck (most banjos have a 26 1/4" neck length). The RK Elite is okay, but in hindsight it lacks the resonance and lush tone of a professional banjo. My new Deering Calico and Golden Wreath banjos blow the RK Elite away in tone! I love Deering's 06 tone ring!

I bought my daughter a Recording King Madison. I think I paid $1,099 from Amazon. It has a standard length mahogany neck. From my own firsthand experience playing them, I personally don't like Recording King banjos. I think they lack tone. My Deering Calico is the nicest sounding banjo I've ever played. I bought it new at a 15% discount from Fuller's Guitar in Houston, Texas, for only $4,436. But they don't install railroad spikes. I went to HomeDepot this week and bought a small Dremel Stylo+ kit, and used a 1/32" drill bit to install the spike on my Deering Golden Wreath. It went very well. Here's some helpful things to keep in mind if you install your own railroad spike. 

Dave Hum (1966-2012)

A New Backing Track For 'Sailor's Hornpipe'

This is tremendous song to learn and play. I used Dave Hum's recoding as a template to make my backing track. This song is also called “The College Hornpipe” and “Jack's Lad.” Dave recorded the song in the key of G. I made backing tracks in both the keys of G and A for your preference. I carefully followed what Dave did, trying to make it as authentic as possible. I made the Caveman speed nice and slow to help you learn this great song. Here's also some tabs from Jay Buckey. Enjoy! ...

• Sailor's Hornpipe (Key of G, Faster)
• Sailor's Hornpipe (Key of G, Normal)
• Sailor's Hornpipe (Key of G, Slower)
• Sailor's Hornpipe (Key of G, Slow)
• Sailor's Hornpipe (Key of G, Woodshed)
• Sailor's Hornpipe (Key of G, Caveman)
• Sailor's Hornpipe (Key of A, Faster)
• Sailor's Hornpipe (Key of A, Normal)
• Sailor's Hornpipe (Key of A, Slower)
• Sailor's Hornpipe (Key of A, Slow)
• Sailor's Hornpipe (Key of A, Woodshed)
• Sailor's Hornpipe (Key of A, Caveman)
• Sailor's Hornpipe Tabs (tablature by Jay Buckey)

I used MIDI for the bass, and two MIDI piano tracks. I added real audio loops for the djembe, tambourine, crash cymbal and a shaker. The kick drum is MIDI. I had fun making this backing track. This is an enjoyable song to play on the banjo.

You can buy original backing tracks by Dave Hum from his family, which are super quality and worth every penny. I am so very grateful to Dave's wife for making his tracks available. They are a blessing to play along with, which motivates me to play the banjo more often.

Gotta Love Dave Hum (1966-2012)

A Cool Lick I Learned Today

Any musician knows that there are two essentials to playing great music, besides being quite familiar with what you're trying to play and having great tone. Those two things are: 1) building up your repertoire, 2) knowing where to use those things. A musician may know some awesome things to play, but if you don't utilize them at the proper place in a song, they won't be as effective, and might even sound bad. I ran across a lick today from Mike Hedding, that expanded my way of thinking on the banjo. Like most players, I easily fall into the habit of playing the same things over and over. So, I find it refreshing when I discover something new.

It's nothing fancy, but I had never thought of doing that before on the 7th fret until today. I always love learning new things on the banjo, because it increases my library of things to play.

Dave Hum (1966-2012)

New Backing Track For “Cold Frosty Morning”

This song, “Cold Frosty Morning,” is a traditional Irish/American reel. The song is also known as, “Frosty Morn.” My favorite banjo artist Dave Hum recorded this song using the Sawmill Tuning (gDGCD), which is a minor chord tuning. For the second fret that would be (aEADE). I have made backing tracks for you with varying tempos, in both Keys of G and A. Dave plays the song in A, using a capo on the 2nd fret, and a 5th string capo on the 7th fret. Enjoy!

• Cold Frosty Morning (key of G, normal)
• Cold Frosty Morning (key of G, slower)
• Cold Frosty Morning (key of G, slow)
• Cold Frosty Morning (key of G, woodshed)
• Cold Frosty Morning (key of A, normal)
• Cold Frosty Morning (key of A, slower)
• Cold Frosty Morning (key of A, slow)
• Cold Frosty Morning (key of A, woodshed)
• Cold Frosty Morning Tabs (several tabs from BanjoHangout)

There are 41 of Dave Hum's tabs available from his family's website, including Cold Frosty Morning.

This backing track was easy but a bit tedious to make. I enjoy the work. I used a MIDI bass and MIDI piano. I used a Rhodes organ for the piano fills. I also included the piano solo that Dave Hum does toward the last part of the song. I tried to reproduce Dave's backing track the best I could. I am weak in my percussive skills, which is where Dave excels. I plan to revisit all my tracks in the future if I learn how to improve them over time. But for now I humbly think all the recent tracks I've made are very nice and beneficial to banjo enthusiasts to play along with. It is my privilege to do this for others, and I sincerely appreciate your continued interest in my banjo blog. Thank you friend.

Dave Hum (1966-2012)

A New Backing Track For “Fireball Mail”

The song “Fireball Mail” is a Bluegrass classic that was popularized by legendary musician Roy Acuff. The song was written by Fred Rose, and was first recorded and released by Roy Acuff and His Smoky Mountain Boys in 1942.

I used my Fender Mustang bass for this song, and also made another set of tracks with MIDI bass, so you can hear the difference and compare. I also made backing tracks for both keys of G and A. This is a great Bluegrass song! I played along with my Cort acoustic guitar for some padding, using just the chords of G and D. Enjoy...

• Fireball Mail (normal, real bass, key of G)
• Fireball Mail (slower, real bass, key of G)
• Fireball Mail (slow, real bass, key of G)
• Fireball Mail (woodshed, real bass, key of G)
• Fireball Mail (normal, real bass, key of A)
• Fireball Mail (slower, real bass, key of A)
• Fireball Mail (slow, real bass, key of A)
• Fireball Mail (woodshed, real bass, key of A)

And now MIDI bass...

• Fireball Mail (normal, MIDI bass, key of G)
• Fireball Mail (slower, MIDI bass, key of G)
• Fireball Mail (slow, MIDI bass, key of G)
• Fireball Mail (woodshed, MIDI bass, key of G)
• Fireball Mail (normal, MIDI bass, key of A)
• Fireball Mail (slower, MIDI bass, key of A)
• Fireball Mail (slow, MIDI bass, key of A)
• Fireball Mail (woodshed, MIDI bass, key of A)

Jim Pankey explains in this YouTube video how to play Fireball Mail. Here's some free tabs by Jack R. Baker in the BanjoHangout forum.

Also, Dave Hum created a pause for a couple second just before the end of the song, but after playing along with the track, I decided not to use the pause. If you don't anticipate and have a banjo fill that fits the pause, it's actually annoying. At least it was for me, so I removed it. Sean Ray doesn't use a pause on his Fireball Mail track either.

By the way, if anyone has a certain song that you need a backing track for, I won't make any promises, but I'll see what I can do. I don't want any money, I enjoy making backing tracks and sharing them. It would be helpful if you could send me a pre-existing copy (e.g., a YouTube video) of the song you want, so I can use it as a template. You can contact me in the Banjo Hangout, or direct (it's the same email). I've got quite a few popular folk and Bluegrass songs that I am planning to make backing tracks for, Lord willing. Just keep visiting regularly to see what's new. Thanks for reading my banjo blogs.

Me And Deering Golden Wreath
(September 1, 2024)

Some Tips On Installing Railroad Spikes

I have installed spikes on three banjos. So, although I don't claim to be an expert, I have learned many things so far. I went to HomeDepot and bought a small Dremel Stylo+ kit, and used a 1/32" drill bit to install the spike on my Deering Golden Wreath this week. It went very well. I took this photo just now of my Golden Wreath, showing the railroad spike that I installed. I play in the key of A most of the time, so I just wanted a spike on the 7th fret. I admit that I felt hesitant installing a spike on a $4,130 banjo. But from seeing the shady work done at Banjo.com and other stores, I trust myself more than I do them. Since I know exactly where I want the spike installed, it makes sense to just do it myself. ...

Some things to keep in mind if you install your own railroad spike. I don't claim to be an expert, but these are some things that I have learned on my own about installing spikes. I bought my banjo spikes from Stew Mac:

1. DON'T drill the hole where the location marker exists in your neck (that's the little cosmetic circle on the side of your neck between the frets). If you drill over this marker, it might break the marker and cause it to come out of the neck.
2. Drill your hole TOWARD the bridge, not the nut. This will prevent buzzing when done. Plus it just feels like the proper place to install a spike, making it easy to slip the fifth string under the spike with your finger.
3. Drill your hole roughly about 1/4" away from the fret marker (the dot on the side of your neck). Again, drill the hole toward the bridge. There's no specific exact place to drill the hole, so you have some leeway. Just don't drill right over the position marker (or it might work it's way out if you break it), and don't get to close to the fret (or you'll have more difficulty trying to slip the string under the spike). In general, for installing a spike on the 7th fret, I like to drill the hole closer to the position marker than I do the 8th fret. See the photos I took for reference.
4. Drill the hole at a slight angle inward. Since your neck is angled inward, it makes sense to drill parallel with the neck's angle.
5. Don't drill too deep! Use your eyes to look at the length of your spike, and see how much of the drill bit has gone into the neck. You just need to drill deep enough for the spike to fit.
6. Drill the hole at the string (perpendicular to the string), or just the tiniest but inward (toward the first string). You don't want to drill too close to the neck's edge, to prevent cracking. Nor do you want to drill the hole too much inward, which will give you way too little string spacing. You want to have the same string spacing when you're done, as all the other strings have. When I ordered a Deering Sierra from Banjo.com, they installed the spikes halfway toward the fourth string. I hated what they did! Your string spacing between the 4th and 5th string when hooked on the spike, shouldn't be 50% of what the spacing is on all the other strings. The string spacing between the 4th and 5th string should be no less than 90% of the spacing between the other banjo strings. I don't know what is wrong with them at Banjo.com, but they did  terrible job! I returned their banjo.
7. Always take side cutters and cut off some of the railroad spike's tip, in effect blunting it to prevent cracking your neck. A sharp spike can split the wood.
8. Use a 1/32" drill bit width. This will give you a perfect tight fit. If for any reason you're hole is ever too big, you can use Super Glue and let it dry overnight to hold it in the neck.
9. I use two business cards, placed under the head of the railroad spike, while gently pounding the spike into the neck to prevent going too far.
10. Make sure you have plenty of light while working, so you can see what you're doing.
11. You can use needle-nose pliers to rotate the railroad spike's head if you need to turn it in the neck after installed.
12. If this is your first time installing a spike, you can practice on a piece of wood a couple times to get the feel for it, and see how it goes.
13. The spike should be tapped into the neck as far as possible, with just enough room left to easily slide the string under it.
14. I used a 1/4" socket extension as a drift to gently tap in the spike. You don't need hardly any pressure, so be careful not to use force.
15. Say a prayer before you begin for God to help you not mess up. Hey, it can't hurt.
16. The main thing is to GO SLOW before you drill. Don't just start drilling, take your time. PLAN your work, and then WORK your plan. Before you start to drill, you should already know exactly where you want the spike. You should know what angle you're going to drill at. I just drilled slightly angled in toward the center of the neck. You should know how deep you plan to go. You can always drill deeper if you need to. I pulled the drill bit out a couple times to see how deep it went, and compared it to the length of the spike. You want to drill just a little bit deeper than the length of the spike. If you use a 1/32" drill bit, it will be a nice tight fit. NEVER FORCE ANYTHING! If the spike seems to be too tight to go in, drill the hole again and it will expand a bit. DON'T use a bigger drill bit size.
17. Worse case scenario, if you drill in the wrong place, you can fill the hole with colored wood filler and drill another hole elsewhere. I've never had to do this. If you take your time, and have a solid plan before you start, knowing exactly what your objective is, you should have good success. Ultimately your goal is to be able to capo the fifth string at the 7th fret. So, even if you drill a little too far in, or too far out, or whatever, as long as you can capo the string, you've succeeded.
18. You should install the spike when you're alone; not when you have company, kids running through the house, dogs under your feet, a cat in your face, your wife nagging at you, the phone ringing, et cetera. Haste makes waste.
19. In summary: Press gently with the drill. Don't go too deep. Stay away from the edge of the neck. Avoid drilling directly over the position marker. Don't drill to close to the fret, because if you do it will make it harder to slip the string under the spike. Use a new sharp drill bit, not a worn or broken one. I have learned that not using any string thickness above .010" works best on the fifth string. Dave Hum actually used a .012" on his Gibson ESS for the fifth string, but when I used size 0.11" gauge on my Deering Calico, it deadened my tone on the fifth string. Dave used a .010" gauge for the fifth string on his Baldwin Ode and Epiphone banjos. To each his own. I'm using a .010" now.

Here's another photo I just took of my Deering Golden Wreath, showing the spike I installed this week. ...

My Deering Golden Wreath Banjo

You can do it my friend!