A New Backing Track For “Speed The Plough”

This is an awesome song that Dave Hum recorded, “Speed The Plough.” Dave plays it in the key of A in standard tuning. Capo the 2nd fret, and also the fifth string on the 7th fret. Enjoy!

1. Speed The Plough (key of A, normal)
2. Speed The Plough (key of A, slower)
3. Speed The Plough (key of A, slow)
4. Speed The Plough (key of A, woodshed)
5. Speed The Plough (key of A, caveman)
6. Speed The Plough (key of G, normal)
7. Speed The Plough (key of G, slower)
8. Speed The Plough (key of G, slow)
9. Speed The Plough (key of G, woodshed)
10. Speed The Plough (key of G, caveman)

I added a real audio Cajon loop. I used a MIDI bass mostly. There's one interesting part where the bass note slides higher, which I needed to use my Fender Mustang bass to record. It went well. The drums are MIDI. I did something different in this song, by shortening the bass notes to 75% of a whole note. It gives the backing tract more of a human feeling. I think I'm going to start doing this in future songs. You'll hear the difference if you compare this tract to some of my earlier ones. The former ones sound good, but I think this backing came out really good.

I recorded real audio tracks using both my Eastman 505CC mandolin and Cort acoustic guitar. I tried to copy what Dave did on his backing track, although my track is inferior. I highly recommend buying Dave's original backing tracks from his family. It will help them financially, and you won't find better backing tracks anywhere. I realized years ago that the secret to Dave's happy sounding videos is not just his spectacular playing, but equally his driving well syncopated backing tracks. The tracks cost about $12.50 each, which is very reasonable when you consider the thousands of hours of hard work that Dave invested into making them.

If you check their pricing per song from a couple backing track websites, you'll discover that the going price today for a custom backing track is $150. And that's just to make the basic song, they charge extra for even the smallest of requests for something additional, like an alternate intro or ending. So, for about $125 per pack of 10 songs from Dave Hum's store, you're getting high quality backing tracks which you'll have for the rest of your life. I bought all 115 tracks, and I humbly hope Dave's wife will find some more to sell. She is a very sweet person if you contact her at their website.

I can't get enough of Dave Hum's music. I am so grateful to Dave's family for sharing his backing tracks with the world. If you haven't purchased any yet, you're really missing out. These are the actual backing tracks that Dave used for his busking videos. You can change the tempo and key of each track with MixCraft software, which I do every day. I need to slow the tracks down for me to learn. I can't play anywhere near as fast as Dave. MixCraft's basic version is only about $79, which is all you need. I bought the Pro Studio version for $149, which I prefer. You can always upgrade from the Basic to the Pro version later, if you go with the cheaper version now. The Pro Studio version comes with over 5,000 real audio loops in the library. I just recorded a whole bunch of djembe and Cajon loops for free. I just use the free Audacity software to record the sounds I hear, and save them in "My Loops" folder. You can hear one of the loops I saved, which I used twice in this song. There's millions of free loops online, from drums and percussive sounds to every musical instrument and genre imaginable. Anybody can make their own backing tracks. I'm getting better as I learn from my mistakes.

At first the song sounded complicated to learn, but when I actually started to learn it, I realized that this is a very easy song to learn and play. I have been studying Dave Hum's style for a few years now, and have thankfully learned that there is a large degree of overlap between his songs. That is to say, if you learn one song you are well on the way to learning the others. Because of the large degree of overlap (playing the same things), it makes the learning process progress exponentially. There is a steep learning curve on the banjo, like with most instruments. That means it is most difficult getting started, but if you stick with it through the initial boot camp phase, it gets much easier as time passes. I have figured out enough of Dave's songs, so that now I can figure out what he is doing relatively quickly.

Dave is not a complicated player; he keeps things simple and is very proficient in his skills. He is a master of technique and timing. I think Zarana is probably his most detailed song, which his family sells tabs for on their website. There is an original backing track for Zarana in Pack #4. Also, there are tabs for sale. The banjo is such a happy and beautiful instrument. Music makes the world a better place.

Dave Hum With His Baldwin Ode Banjo
(Dave sold the Ode before he passed away in 2012)

A Very Nice Dave Hum Lick On String One (updated)

I tabbed this wrong the other day, but it is correct now. The lick on string one starts on fret 2, not on zero. This cool run up is used in songs like "Speed The Plough" and "Mason's Apron." The whole lick executes in just one second. If your technique is correct, it sounds awesome. You can also rake your thumb across the strings for a greater emphasis.

God has blessed me with a good sense of figuring things out on musical instruments, but I know some people struggle with it. I wanted to explain one of Dave's most iconic licks that he plays. Here is the lick. I tabbed it out for you as well. You can watch Dave play it at 1:07 time in his video for "Speed The Plough." In the notation, I show the fingering, which is important to get right. It's a very simple lick, and can be used in many songs. I LOVE playing this lick! You can hear Dave Hum use it extensively in "Mason's Apron." He doesn't always use it on string one, but he does use it quite a bit once the song gets going. He uses it in Mason's Apron as soon as the bass kicks in.

• T = Thumb
• F = Forefinger
• M = Middle
• Tablature

Originally I was playing it wrong, picking only on string one. You need to start on string 5 with your thumb, and then string one with your forefinger, followed by your middle finger on string one, sliding from fret 2 up to fret 5, which gives you the redundant G note. It's a beautiful lick!

Proper technique (i.e., the way that you do something) is the key to playing anything right! Anytime that you are trying to play what someone else is playing, but it doesn't sound right, your technique is almost assuredly wrong.

By the way, it there's any particular song on the 5-string that you want tabs for, email me to let me know. I won't make any promises, but I'll do my best to tab out the main part of the song for you with TablEdit. I don't want or accept any money, I love freely helping other musicians. It is enough joy for me just to promote interest in the banjo.

A Cool T-shirt I Had Made With A Dave Hum Photo
(Women ask me who's the handsome guy on my shirt...lol)