A New Backing Track For “Mason's Apron”

One of my very favorite songs performed by Dave Hum is Mason's Apron. He really out did himself on this song, and a bunch of others too...lol. The Mason’s Apron (a traditional Irish reel) is also known as Braes Of Glenorchy, Lady Carbury, Lowrie Tarrell, Mason Laddie, The Mason’s Apprentice and the Mason’s Cap. Whew! I really enjoy playing this song and am slowly getting better at it. I diligently tried to recreate Dave's backing track, mandolin and all. The song is done in standard tuning, Key of A. 

• Mason's Apron (fast)
• Mason's Apron (faster)
• Mason's Apron (normal)
• Mason's Apron (slower)
• Mason's Apron (slow)
• Mason's Apron (woodshed)
• Mason's Apron (caveman)

I used a MIDI bass. I'm playing acoustic guitar and I used an MD505 Eastman mandolin. I deliberately kept the mandolin's volume very low, so as to not clutter the track. It just helps carry the song along. They sent me the wrong one though. I wanted the Satin finish, but they sent the gloss, which holds back the sound. So I ordered the MD505CC, which is a Satin finish on a contoured comfort body (i.e., rounded edges without binding). I tried to imitate Dave's mandolin playing, but he is much better than I am. The fun is in learning, which I am enjoying. I love stringed instruments.

As a result of getting rear-ended by a bus in 1992, I suffer in constant agonizing neck pain and burning nerves, which makes everything in my life more difficult to do. It is a heavy burden, but I have no complaints to God, because I have seen a lot of people much worse off than me. Pain medications help some, but it's impossible to get enough from a doctor nowadays. If you are a Christian too, I'd kindly ask for your prayers for my health. I have lived along for 18 years since my wife divorced me in 2006, and I still struggle with loneliness often. I've looked for a woman to remarry, but never had the blessing of meeting someone. So, I'd appreciate your prayers friend. Who knows what the future holds. God is always good.

Okay, back to Mason's Apron. I'm just playing the low notes for the intro on my guitar, using the chords E, D and A. In fact, nearly all of the song uses those three chords, but there is a Bm used a couple times in the chorus. I also added a shaker and a Cajon box audio loop to the song, just like Dave used. There's a crash cymbal at the end.

I have provided 7 different backing track speeds, something for everyone. I am up to the slower speed, which is challenging for me to keep up but a good speed for me to learn. I like to warm up with the slow speed. If you are just learning the song, you should start at the caveman speed until you learn all the parts. Enjoy!

Selfies I Took Today On July 22, 2024
(My 10-year-old grandson gave me that cool shirt)

More 'Band-in-a-Box' Backing Tracks

Here's a handful of songs I made this week with Band-in-a-Box (BIAB). They have a different vibe to them, which I enjoy playing along with. I left in the melody line for 'Mason's Apron,' because it sounds nice and goes well with the banjo. BIAB doesn't generate great intros for Bluegrass, they're all for Jazz or Pop, so I need to work at making better intros. I'm surprised that BIAB doesn't offer Country and Bluegrass intros. BIAB's intros work, they just don't always fit the songs. I think 'My Grandfather's Clock' came out nice. Enjoy! ...

• My Grandfather's Clock (80 bpm, key of A)
• My Grandfather's Clock (95 bpm, key of A)
• My Grandfather's Clock (110 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron (65 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron (80 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron (95 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron (110 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - DOCBG F Style (75 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - DOCBG F Style (90 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - DOCBG F Style (105 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - TONFRO Style (85 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - TONFRO Style (100 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - TONFRO Style (115 bpm, key of A)
• Devil's Dream (85 bpm, key of G)
• Devil's Dream (95 bpm, key of G)

I can't get enough of the 5-string banjo, which sure brightens every day in this crazy world. God made music for us to enjoy it. I've been watching Jim Pankey's video banjo lessons. Jim sure is a great teacher and a blessing. Music makes the world a better place.

Here's Dave Hum's three banjos. In his YouTube videos, I can always identify Dave's Epiphone MB-250 made in China, because there's no fret marker at the first fret position. He plays it just as brilliantly as his Gibson, which just goes to prove that the sound is mostly in the musician's hands. The headstocks are quite different between the Gibson and the Baldwin ODE.

Dave Hum's Banjo Collection

An Updated Backing Track For "Mason's Apron" (More Punch)

One of my top five songs that I love playing by Dave Hum is Mason's Apron. I went back to listen to the earlier backing track that I made in July of 2024, but it lacks the punch I've come to expect in a backing track. My skills are steadily improving as I make more backing tracks. So here is Mason's Apron again, but this time with more punch in the bass and drums. I think you will be pleased. Enjoy!

• Mason's Apron (updated, key of A, normal)
• Mason's Apron (updated, key of A, slower)
• Mason's Apron (updated, key of A, slow)
• Mason's Apron (updated, key of A, woodshed)
• Mason's Apron (updated, key of G, normal)
• Mason's Apron (updated, key of G, slower)
• Mason's Apron (updated, key of G, slow)
• Mason's Apron (updated, key of G, woodshed)

There are so many nice things you can do to improvise in this song, which is a lot of fun and sounds great. If you listen to Dave Hum's different recordings of the same tune, he always plays each version a little different. I love that, because it encourage me to know I don't have to play any song a certain way every time to sound nice.

Dave Hum's Busking Buddies

New 'Band-in-a-Box' Track For 'Mason's Apron'

I love playing this song the way Dave Hum does (albeit slower). Dave Hum's style backing track is my favorite, when the bass kicks in after several bars. I also I did the same thing with these new 'Band-in-a-Box' (BIAB) tracks that I made yesterday. I made a backing track in July of 2024 the same way, but I later improved the track in October of 2024, putting more punch into it. From listening to Dave's music, I can feel the punch in his tracks. To replicate this I increase the bass and drums about 25%. I have included the BIAB style used, if you use BIAB.

• Mason's Apron - DOCBG F Style (75 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - DOCBG F Style (90 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - DOCBG F Style (105 bpm, key of A)

This backing track has a quality sounding dulcimer playing throughout, which I really like. ...

• Mason's Apron - TONFRO Style (85 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - TONFRO Style (100 bpm, key of A)
• Mason's Apron - TONFRO Style (115 bpm, key of A)

BIAB is so in-depth to use, if you want to really get the best results from it. I'm still learning. God willing, on occasion when I make something new and I enjoy playing along with it on BIAB, I'll share it with you.

By the way, the best way to learn to play Dave Hum's songs (apart from having his tabs) is to slow down the song in YouTube's settings to 50% or 25% to study each note (both audibly and visually). All of his songs are really simple once you understand what he's doing.

Also, after years of studying Dave's music, I have learned that he closely follows the original way songs are written in the tabs; he just adds his own improvisations. Dave developed his TECHNIQUE (the way something is done), making much use to pull-offs and hammer-ons in his playing. For example: Look at 1:00 time in the tune 'Merrily Kiss The Quaker's Wife' and you'll see him do two pull-offs. The first pull-off is on fret 4; the second is on fret 5, on the first string. It sounds great! That is technique. Two players can have the same banjo tabs in front of them, yet sound totally different when they play the tabs. The reason is TECHNIQUE!

I only mention this because when I first started to play Dave's music in 2018, I had the wrong impression that I could never play like him, but that is not the case at all. If he can do it, so can you and I. Dave learned to play all those songs the hard way, just like we have to do, one note at a time. None of the great banjo artists had it any easier than we do. They just buckled down and paid the price through countless hours of making music.

I've also noticed that Dave commands the banjo with authority, which you can only do if you know exactly what notes you intend to play next. This only comes with familiarizing yourself with the tune, until you know the song well enough to play it without thinking much what comes next.

And don't be afraid to manhandle the banjo! You control the instrument, don't let it control you. I love watching Dave play, he really drives the banjo. I don't think I'll ever play just like Dave. That is not possible. Nor could he play like me, or want too...lol. My goal is to learn as much as I can from watching and listening to his banjo playing, and then incorporate those things into my own music.

It's always MUCH easier to follow someone who has already done something, but Dave pioneered his style of music. It never ceases to be amazed when I hear him play 'Maid Behind The Bar' in Double C tuning. Beautifully done! I've never heard anybody play the banjo the way Dave does. But he learned with the SAME tabs that you and I use, and then he added his own personality to it. So, we first need to learn the basic songs as they were originally written, and then you can expand your repertoire from there.

Thanks for visiting my music blog. So many tunes, so little time!

Dave Hum
(April 11, 1966 - November 14, 2012)

Hear Me Play 'Mason's Apron' On A Deering Golden Era Banjo

Mason's Apron. I just bought I Deering Golden Era banjo from Fuller's Guitars in Houston, Texas (they gave me 15% off), but it has an issue and I might send it back. I only paid $4,376 for it! Nice! Most dealers list it for $5,149. They had a weekend special last week at Fuller's. I have to wait to hear from the music store. They're closed for the weekend. The string slides off the fret when I do a pull-off on the first string, which it's not supposed to do, causing the string to buzz. I made this short video so you can hear what I am talking about.

I also added this recording I made tonight of The Old Spinning Wheel, using another of Dave Hum's backing tracks. I didn't work up an arrangement, so it is just adlib, but this time I used a Shure 57 microphone, so you can actually hear what the Golden Era sounds like. It's a nice banjo. The more I play the banjo, the more I like it. The string buzz is there, but it's not as noticeable when I'm caught up in my playing with a backing track. What intrigues me about this banjo is that Dave Hum played a 1992 Gibson ESS, and this banjo is Deering's best attempt to recreate the Gibson ESS. So It is special to me because of Dave Hum.

I'm wanting them to send me a Deering Calico to try it out (and I'll return the one I don't want). I still have a week to return the Golden Era if I don't want it. I have to see if they'll work with me. I've had such bad experiences with music stores. When I received the Golden Era, the strings were about 3/8" away from the neck. I had to turn the truss rod about 3/4 of a turn to get the action right. It's good now.

I took some photos with my phone of my different banjos, so you can see the distance between the fret edge and the string. ...

My Recording King Elite 85

My Deering Goodtime Special

My Deering Golden Era

You can see in the above photos that the Golden Era has only half the fret space beyond the edge of the first string. This causes the first string to slip off the fret and buzz when doing a pull-off. When I capo the second fret the problem goes away. So I'm thinking the nut's raised elevation contributes to the issue. In my humble opinion Deering poorly designed the neck, by not making the fret a little longer. On my Deering Goodtime Special and Recording King Elite 85, I cannot pull the string off the fret even if I try, because there is ample fret space still available to work with. But on the Golden Era the string flops off the fret sometimes when doing a pull-off which is annoying. If I decide to keep the banjo, I might need a have a Zero Glide Nut installed by a local Deering Dealer in Pensacola. However, I am not sure if that will fix the problem, it is my best guess. I am not a Luthier. Having said that, I really like this banjo!

I made the following MP3 recording today of me playing the song Mason's Apron along with a backing track I got by Dave Hum (that I bought from his website). I missed some notes and it's a bit rough, but I'm still learning the song. It's one of the folk songs I've been learning. ...

I'm Playing Mason's Apron On a Deering Golden Era

I Used Painter's Tape To Temporarily Protect The Head

I recorded Mason's Apron in the Key of A, using a capo on the second fret. When I put a capo on the second fret the problem goes away. As I mentioned, I think it's because the capo lowers the string height, preventing the string from sliding off. Without the capo, the nut holds the strings higher, and that's when the first string slides off the frets.

I took a photo of the Golden Era. It's one of Deering's nicest banjos. I put blue painter's tape on the head, so my picks wouldn't scratch the head in case I choose to return it. I still have a week to decide. I might get the Calico banjo instead. The Golden Wreath also intrigues me. I have to wait and see. I'm trying to see if the music store in Texas will send me the Deering Calico, and I'll choose which one I want to keep and send the other back. If I keep the Golden Era, I'll take it down to a local Luthier and have them install a Zero Glide Nut, which lowers the string height, as if the nut were just another fret. All Gold Tone banjos come standard with Zero Glide Nuts now, except their new OB3 Twanger model.

I'm not recording live with a microphone for Mason's Apron, I used a Gold Tone Dynamic (ABS-D) microphone on my banjo. It attaches to the J-hooks. It has a guitar cable that plugs into my Scarlett interface, and then it has a USB output to my computer.

Anyway, you can hear some of my banjo playing. I just made a quick recording so you could hear what I'm working on. I missed some notes and need a lot more playing to perfect my skills, but I'm doing well so far, by God's grace. Dave Hum is such an inspiration. I love that man! I really enjoy learning and playing the banjo. It takes my mind off of my chronic neck pain. Thanks to everyone for visiting my blog.

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 (TablEdit tabs)
• Tablature (.PDF tabs)

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)

What's The Difference Between The Eastman MD300 Versus MD500 Series Mandolins?

There is about a $300 to $400 price difference between the Eastman 300 and 500 series mandolins. I received some helpful information today about the Eastman mandolins from The Mandolin Store in Kentucky, which I found very helpful and wanted to share with anyone else who may also be trying to decide which mandolin is better to buy...

1. The MD500 series has better hardware, gloss finish, and a hardshell case.
2. The 505 (A-style) comes in gloss or the CC version which is more of a hand rubbed matte finish. The browns been discontinued, but some with a reddish finish are still available.
3. The gloss finish holds back the tone and punch and tends to make it a little brighter on the standard 505s.
4. The hardware on the 300 series are not going to wear out quicker, but they are super stiff. If someone has arthritis or issues with their fingers, forget about the 300 series as they are incredibly hard to turn.
5. The 500s come with a hardshell case. The 300s do not.
6. The only common problem is sometimes the Eastman tailpieces fail, but when they do Eastman will send you a replacement.

Lord willing, I'm going with the MD505CC. The gloss finish of the MD505 may look nicer to some folks, but it smothers the instrument's tone. I prefer the natural stained wood of the MD505CC. Both the 300 and 500 series are constructed of solid woods (solid spruce top, solid maple sides and back).

Our pastor's wife at the Baptist church I attend plays a Northfield mandolin. I asked the pastor what they paid for it and he said about $3,000 over ten years ago. I checked and today it sells for around $5,000. Goodnight in the morning! I think the Eastman's are a very nice affordable alternative. The Eastman mandolins are built in China but are still quality made. To me tone is much more important than the aesthetics (looks). The satin finish still looks very nice, but doesn't hold back the tone with all that lacquer gloss coating. Gotta love mandolins!

I'm working now on making a backing track Dave Hum style for the song, Mason's Apron. It will be done when I add a mandolin to it, like Dave did. It's just simple mandolin chord chops and some two-finger chord padding. Dave also uses a shaker and Cajon box. I already have the guitar intro down pat and recorded, like Dave did using chords E, A and D. Mason's Apron is one of my favorite songs to play. I love the way that Dave articulates the song on his banjo. I'm glad that God made Dave Hum (1966-2012).

Dave Hum (1966-2012)

Banjo Lick Of The Week Series

I found this helpful web page by John Boulding with some great banjo licks...

Lick of the Week

Banjo Video Lessons by John Boulding

This is a really great lick that can be implemented in your playing...

LOTW - Banjo Lessons: Useful licks - A low-position Scruggs lick

I'm having fun learning new licks and playing along with Dave Hum's backing tracks. I am so thankful to Dave's family for sharing these with the world. I hope they'll make many more available. They are worth more than gold to me as a home musician. I am working on making some more backing tracks of my own. I want to make one for Peaches & Cream by Alan Munde. I really like that song. Lord willing, if I do make it, I'll share it with everyone. My neck alway hurts, and I have Peripheral Neuropathy (burning nerves, numbness, radiating arm pain, et cetera), which makes it difficult for me to do anything. One day at a time.

Banjo Ben Clark did a wonderful job playing this song. I really like Ben. A couple years ago, I signed up for 6 months of his monthly banjo lessons. It was only about $25 per month. GOOD STUFF!!! Ben's got some backing tracks also, which is the main reason I signed up. I won't sign up for any lessons that don't include backing tracks, which I need to motivate me. Alan Munde has some tabs for sale on his website, but there are no backing tracks, which is unfortunate.

I am surprised that the BanjoHangout has so little in the way of backing tracks. The one's that do exist are nearly all junky computerized tracks. I was looking in the forum this evening for Earl's Breakdown (I really like that song), but there is no backing track for it. Lord willing, I want to make a track for that song. To play the song correctly, you need a Keith D tuner, or Cheat-A-Keys (to lower string 2). It is a classic favorite Bluegrass song.

I just paid a guy (who makes backing tracks for a living) to make me a backing track for Gaspe Reel the way Dave Hum played it. Dave used the Double C tuning, one of my favorites. When I receive the backing track in a couple weeks, I will share it freely with everyone. So, please come back and visit every so often.

By the way, I really appreciate everyone's interest in my BanjoHeaven blog. I'm a born-again Christian (since age 13 in 1980), so I thought "BanjoHeaven" was an appropriate name for my blog. I just love the banjo, love music, care about people and desire to create and share stuff to encourage, inspire and help other banjo enthusiasts enjoy the instrument more. My main instrument is the steel guitar, so pursuing the banjo is new and exhilarating to me. I'm having a lot of fun learning. Dave Hum is my main inspiration.

I want to record some banjo videos, but I am still learning and working toward it. I just ordered a Hatfield Buck Creek banjo last month. Arthur was very kind when I emailed him. He told me that his wife recently passed away. I shared with him that my wife divorced me in 2006, and I have lived alone and lonely for the past 18 years. He actually expressed empathy and said he hoped that I find a wife. I thought that was sweet of him to care. I'm glad that he is building me a banjo.

Most banjo makers use a CNC machine to make their necks, but Arthur makes all his necks by hand. I really like that. I had originally ordered a Deering Golden Era from Banjo.com in 2022, but that turned into a gigantic nightmare and I never got the banjo. It took me 20 months to get my $4,899 back. I will never buy anything from Banjo.com again! What a horrible place.

From all the reading I've done, I don't think I can go wrong with a Hatfield banjo. I've never read even one negative comment about Arthur or his banjos. So far I am well pleased with doing business with Mr. Hatfield. He said I should get the banjo in about 4 months, but I sincerely told him to take his time. I'll let you know when it arrives, take some pictures and Lord willing, record a song.

I'm working on Mason's Apron now as played by Dave Hum. I love that song. I can only play it at about 70% speed, but I like it slow. YouTube allows you to change the playback speed of videos, which is helpful. I have Dave's backing track for Mason's Apron, which is awesome! I sure hope Dave's family release more backing tracks. If you haven't purchased the 40 now available, I encourage you to get them while you can. You won't be disappointed. They are really great!

That's it for now. God bless.

New Backing Track For “Jig Runrig” & “Wee Todd”

These are two Scottish jigs by Fergie MacDonald: “Jig Runrig” and “Wee Todd,” played on the 5-string banjo with improvisations. This is a tremendous song to learn and play in standard tuning (gDGBD tuning - capo 2nd fret, 5th string capo 7th fret for keys D then A). I used Dave Hum's performance on YouTube as a template. This was a tedious song for me to make, because of the complicated bass lines, jig rhythm and extensive piano parts. It took me about 12 hours over 3-days to complete the backing track. I also tabbed out the song “Jig Runrig” as Dave Hum played it. What tremendous tunes! Enjoy!

• Jig Runrig Tabs (.pdf tabs)
• Jig Runrig Tabs (TablEdit tabs)
• Jig Runrig & Wee Todd (Normal, Key of A)
• Jig Runrig & Wee Todd (Slower, Key of A)
• Jig Runrig & Wee Todd (Slow, Key of A)
• Jig Runrig & Wee Todd (Woodshed, Key of A)
• Jig Runrig & Wee Todd (Normal, Key of G)
• Jig Runrig & Wee Todd (Slower, Key of G)
• Jig Runrig & Wee Todd (Slow, Key of G)
• Jig Runrig & Wee Todd (Woodshed, Key of G)

I'm using MIDI bass, piano padding, piano chords, drums and sticks. I also used a real audio tambourine, cymbals, djembe, and then a kick drum (for the intro). I tried meticulously to recreate the extraordinary rhythm that Dave Hum did. Since he is using Reason software for his MIDI and then recording his audio files into Sonar, and I am using MixCraft, I simply don't have some of the sounds that he used. I tried Sonar but didn't like it. Plus, it costs $499, whereas MixCraft Studio Pro is only $149 (sometimes it's on sale for $99).

I love MixCraft because it is very user friendly. I have made all my Dave Hum style backing tracks using MixCraft. And once you purchase the program, it's yours for life. I have also purchased some percussive audio loop bundles (e.g., Drums On Demand) elsewhere online to use with MixCraft, which are invaluable. Even though I don't have the exact sounds that Dave Hum used, I always seem to find something that works well.

To be honest, I am not sure if Dave recorded his bass live or used MIDI. His bass playing has a texture in this song that I couldn't recreate. You can actually hear the bass strings being picked, a nice percussive sound which I couldn't recreate with MixCraft, or even by playing my bass. I am still learning. Albeit, I think the backing track overall came out very nice. Artists are always most critical of their own work, and that is certainly true of me too.

Dave is such an incredible inspiration to me. I have kept in touch online with his wife, Mel, for the past couple years and she is a very sweet lady. I cannot thank her enough for making Dave's backing tracks available to the banjo world. If you haven't purchased them yet, I highly recommend buying all of his backing tracks. They're pricey, about $12,50 a piece, but when you consider all the several hundreds (if not thousands) of hours of hard work that Dave invested in making the 115 tracts that are available, it's a super great deal.

Dave's wife told me recently that there hasn't been much interest in his backing tracts. That is so sad. I know the economy is hurting right now, but it's a matter of priorities. I thank God that I don't smoke tobacco, drink booze or gamble on lottery tickets (I don't condemn those who do). That is why I have the extra money to buy things like Dave's backing tracks. I bought all 115 of the backing tracts and cherish them! The thing that makes Dave's banjo playing shine and come alive are his driving backing tracks. That is why I strongly encourage you to buy some of them. If you just buy one pack each month, you'll have all 12-packs in a year. The available backing tracks are 100% authentic—the same exact tracks that Dave plays along with in his public performances as seen on YouTube.

Having said that, I know that some of you guys don't have the extra money to purchase $1,400 worth of Dave's backing tracks. So, I have continued in the spirit of Dave Hum, making my own backing tracks to play along with, and gladly share all of them freely in this blog for the love and joy of making music and playing the banjo. The banjo is a happy instrument.

I recorded myself in August of 2024 playing along with Dave's backing track for Mason's Apron, one of my favorite songs. I used a Deering Golden Era banjo for this recording. The banjo had a bad buzz on fret one, so I returned it and bought a Deering Golden Wreath instead, which sounds very nice. I slowed the track down a bit to accommodate my slower speed. This is such a fun song to play. You can hear that I am trying to emulate some of the cool things that Dave plays. I wrote this blog to teach you how to play the captivating run-up that Dave does in songs like Mason's Apron and Speed The Plough. There is a technique to everything that Dave plays on the banjo. If what you are playing doesn't sound like what he is playing, your technique is likely wrong. Technique is how something is done.

Here is another favorite fun song that I recorded, called: “Green Gates.” I'm using my Deering Calico banjo for this recording. I have three Deering banjos: Calico, Golden Wreath and a Goodtime Special with a tone ring. They are all uniquely different. For sustain, the Calico wins hands down, but for recording I like the Golden Wreath; and believe it or not, the Goodtime Special sounds great for recordings, weighs 3 pounds less and is one very nice quality banjo for $1,100. Here is my recording of “Green Gates” played on my Deering Goodtime Special.

Here is my recording of “My Grandfather's Clock” played on my Golden Wreath banjo. These are all Dave Hum's backing tracks. It's hard to sound bad when you're playing along with Dave's rhythm tracks. I've been learning new things from Don Reno. He likes to strum pick a lot, which you can hear me doing quite a bit in this song. Gotta love banjo pickers! Check out Jason Skinner's YouTube channel. In the same way that I love and humbly try to emulate Dave Hum's artistry, so also does Jason skinner love and try to emulate Don Reno's playing.

Here is an invaluable FREE banjo course by Jason Skinner teaching the Don Reno style of playing. The course is 31-pages long. If you download the .pdf file to your computer, the interactive audio links will all work. On my computer, there was a message at the top of the page when I opened it, which said for security reasons the links were blocked. Simply click on “Options” and specify to trust the document and then the links will all work, so that you can hear Jason play the tablature. I love this Don Reno course!

Psalms 150:3, “Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.” God bless you friend and THANK YOU kindly for reading my banjo blog.

Dave Hum
(April 11, 1966 - November 14, 2012)

A Very Interesting Analysis Of Dave Hum's Songs

Dave Hum Songs

SONG	TUNING	CAPO	KEY	BANJO
Acorn Hill	gDGBD	No	D	Epiphone
Apples And Sloes (2)	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Arkansas Traveller	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Arkansas Traveller (2)	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Arkansas Traveller (3)	gDGBD	2	A	Ode
Bag Of Spuds	gDGCD	2	A	Gibson
Ballad of Jed Clampett	gDGBD	2	A	Gibson
Behind Haystack & The Setting Sun	gDGBD	2	E	Gibson
Big Mon	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Big Sciota	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Bill Cheatham	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Bill Cheatham (2)	gDGBD	2	A	Gibson
Black Mountain Rag	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Blackjack	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Boys Of Bluehill & Harvest Home	gCGCD	2	D	Gibson
Boys Of Malin	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Buffalo Girls	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Buffalo Girls (2)	gDGBD	2	A	Gibson
Busking In Norwich – Whisky Before	gCGCD	2	D	Epiphone
Carolan’s Concerto	gCGCD	2	D	Gibson
Cherokee Shuffle	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Cherokee Shuffle (2)	gDGBD	2	A	Gibson
Chicken Reel	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Chicken Reel (2)	gDGBD	2	A	Gibson
Clinch Mountain Backstep	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Clinch Mountain Backstep (2)	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Cluck Old Hen	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Cluck Old Hen (2)	gDGBD	2	A	Gibson
Cold Frosty Morning	gDGCD	2	A	Epiphone
Cold Frosty Morning (2)	gDGCD	2	A	Gibson
Coleman’s March	gCGCD	2	D	Gibson
Cripple Creek	gDGBD	2	A	?
Cripple Creek (2)	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Dancing Ledge	?	2	?	Gibson
Devil’s Dream & Blackberry (3)	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Devil’s Dream & Blackberry (2)	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Devil’s Dream & Blackberry Blossom	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Down The Road (3)	gDGBD	2	A	Gibson
Down The Road (2)	gDGBD	2	A	Gibson
Down The Road	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Dueling Banjos W/ The Huckleberries	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Earl’s Breakdown	gDGBD	No	G	Ode
Eight More Miles To Louisville	gDGBD	2	A	Ode
Eight More Miles To Louisville (2)	gDGBD	2	A	Epiphone
Eight More Miles To Louisville (3)	gDGBD	2	A	Gibson
Eight More Miles To Louisville (4)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Eighth Of January	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Eighth Of January (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	?
Farewell To Erin	gDGCD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Farewell To Erin (2)	gDGCD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Fergal O’ Gara	gCGCD	2 + 7	D	Gibson
Fetching Fred	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Fireball Mail	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Fireball Mail (2)	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Flint Hill Special	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Flop Eared Mule	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Flying Cloud Cotillion	gDGBD	No	G	Ode
Foggy Mountain Breakdown (2)	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Foggy Mountain Special (2)	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Foggy Mountain Special	gDGBD	No	G	?
Forked Deer	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Gaspe Reel	gCGCD	2 + 7	D	Gibson
Golden Slippers	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Grasshopper Sitting On A Sweet	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Grasshopper Sitting On A Sweet (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Gravel Walks	gDGCD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Green Gates & Silver Spear	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Groundspeed	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Growling Old Man And Grumbling	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Epiphone
Growling Old Man And Grumbling (2)	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Epiphone
Growling Old Man And Grumbling (3)	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Gibson
Half Past Four	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Half Past Four (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Helvic Head	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Humours Of Glendart/Connaught	gDGBD	2 + 7	A, E	Gibson
Humours Of Glendart/Connaught (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A, E	Gibson
Humpty’s Jig	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Hum’s Hornpipe	gCGBD	No	C	Gibson
Hunter’s Purse	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Epiphone
Hunter’s Purse (2)	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Epiphone
Hunter’s Purse (3)	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Epiphone
In The Summertime	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
In The Summertime (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Jerusalem Ridge	gDGBbD	2 + 7	Am	Ode
Jig Runrig & Wee Todd	gDGBD	2 + 7	D, A	Gibson
Jig Runrig & Wee Todd (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	D, A	Gibson
Jig Runrig & Wee Todd (3)	gDGBD	2 + 7	D, A	Gibson
King Of The Faeries	gDGBD	No	E	Gibson
Last Night’s Fun	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Lilting Banshee	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Epiphone
Lilting Banshee (2)	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Gibson
Locust Hill	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Locust Hill (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Lost At Sea	f#DGBD	No	G7/F#	Epiphone
Louisville Breakdown	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Louisville Breakdown (2)	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Lulworth Moon	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Gibson
Lulworth Moon (2)	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Epiphone
Maid Behind The Bar	gCGCD	2 + 7	D	Epiphone
Maid Behind The Bar (2) w/spoons	gCGCD	2 + 7	D	Gibson
Mason’s Apron	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Mason’s Apron (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Mason’s Apron (3)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Mason’s Apron (4) w/Little Dancers	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Merrily Kiss The Quaker’s Wife	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Merrily Kiss The Quaker’s Wife (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Mississippi Sawyer	aDGBD	0 + 7	D	Gibson
Mississippi Sawyer (2)	aDGBD	0 + 7	D	Gibson
Mist Covered Mountain	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Monaghan’s Jig	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Morrison’s Jig	gDGBD	No	Em	Epiphone
Morrison’s Jig (2)	gDGBD	No	Em	Gibson
Morrison’s Jig (3)	gDGBD	No	Em	Gibson
My Grandfather’s Clock	gDGBD	2	A	Gibson
My Grandfather’s Clock (2)	gDGBD	2	A	Gibson
Nashville Blues	aDFAD	No	Dm	Gibson
Nola	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Nola (2)	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
O’Carolan’s Concerto	gCGCD	2 + 7	D	Gibson
O’Carolan’s Concerto (played in yard)	gCGCD	2 + 7	D	Epiphone
Off She Goes	gDGBD	2 + 7	A, E	Gibson
Off To California	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Off To California (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Ode
Off To California (3)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Old Ned (Steptoe Theme) - Winter	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Old Ned (Steptoe Theme) - Summer	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	?
Over The Waterfall	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Over The Waterfall (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Palladium Rag	gDGBD	N0	G	Gibson
Peeler’s Jacket	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Peeler’s Jacket (2)	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Pike County Breakdown	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Pike County Breakdown (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Raggle Taggle Gypsy/Drowsy Mag	gDGBD	No	Em	Epiphone
Raggle Taggle Gypsy/Drowsy (2)	gDGBD	No	Em	Ode
Red Haired Boy	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Ode
Reed’s Hornpipe	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Rueben	f#DF#AD	No	D	Ode
Rueben (2)	f#DF#AD	No	D	Gibson
Rickett’s Hornpipe	gDGBD	2 + 7	D	Gibson
Rocky Top	gDGBD	4 + 9	B	Gibson
Sailor’s Hornpipe (2)	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Sailor’s Hornpipe	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Sally Goodin	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Salt Creek	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Salt Creek (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Shady And The Tramp	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Shake The Shed	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Shaving A Dead Man	ADF#AD	No	G	Gibson
Shenandoah Breakdown	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Shenandoah Breakdown (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Shove That Pig’s Foot A Little Closer	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Shuckin’ The Corn	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Smoke Behind The Clouds	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Smoke Behind The Clouds (2)	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Soldier’s Joy	gCGBD	No	C	Epiphone
Southern Flavour	aDGBD	2 + 9	Em	Epiphone
Southern Flavour (2)	aDGBD	2 + 9	Em	Epiphone
Southern Flavour (3)	aDGBD	2 + 9	Em	Gibson
Speed The Plough	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Speed The Plough (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Sportsman’s Hornpipe	gDGCD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Sportsman’s Hornpipe (2)	gDGCD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Star Of Munster	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Epiphone
Star Of Munster (2)	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Gibson
Star Of Munster (3)	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Gibson
Tam Lin (The Glasgow)	aDGBD	0 +2	Dm	Epiphone
Temperance Reel	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Temperance Reel (2)	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Temperance Reel (3)	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
The Boys Of Malin	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
The Boys Of Malin (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
The Crow	gCGCD	No	C	Epiphone
The Lark In The Morning	gDGBD	2 + 7	E	Epiphone
The Lark In The Morning (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	E	Gibson
The Lilting Banshee	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Epiphone
The Lilting Banshee (2)	gDGCD	2 + 7	Am	Epiphone
The Maid Behind The Bar	gCGCD	2 + 7	D	Epiphone
The Maid Behind The Bar (2)	gCGCD	2 + 7	D	Gibson
The Mathematician	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
The Merry Blacksmith	gCGCD	2 + 7	D	Epiphone
The Merry Blacksmith (2)	gCGCD	2 + 7	D	Gibson
The Old Spinning Wheel	gDGBD	No	C	Gibson
The Old Spinning Wheel (2)	gDGBD	No	C	Gibson
The Traveller	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Theme From The Third Man	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Theme From The Third Man (2)	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Theme From The Third Man (3)	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Those Magnificent Men In Their	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Timour The Tartar	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Timour The Tartar (2)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Timour The Tartar (3)	gDGBD	2 + 7	A	Gibson
Twin Sisters	gDGCD	2 + 7	A	Epiphone
Waiting For The Federals	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Waiting For The Federals (2)	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson
Whisky Before Breakfast	gCGCD	2 + 7	D	Epiphone
Whisky Before Breakfast (2)	gCGCD	2 + 7	D	Epiphone
Whisky Before Breakfast (3)	gCGCD	2 + 7	D	Gibson
Whisnant’s Rag	gDGBD	No	G	Epiphone
Zarana	gDGBD	No	G	Gibson

The preceding study that I did of Dave Hum’s banjo performances yielded some very interesting and I think encouraging information for banjo enthusiasts:

1. Whenever you see Dave wearing a winter coat, he is nearly always using his inexpensive $500 Chinese-made Epiphone banjo. That makes sense. Why use your $5,000 Gibson in temperature extremes that could warp or crack the wood?
2. Dave used his Epiphone MB-250 banjo a lot more than I realized.
3. For Arkansas Traveller (3) Dave used his Ode banjo made in Arkansas in the 1970s. I mentioned that to Mel, Dave’s wife, and she said Dave would have got a big kick out of knowing I recognized that detail.
4. In his video comparing his three banjos, there are some easy ways to identify the different banjos:
1. The Gibson has no mark on the head; the Ode has an upside down filled-in triangle; the Epiphone has a hollow star.
2. The Ode has white binding trim on the neck.
3. The Epiphone neck has no inlay on fret one.
4. Frets 20 and 21 are blank on the Ode.
5. On the Gibson the bright “Mastertone” decal is on the 21st fret, but on the Epiphone it is on the 22nd fret.
6. On the Gibson, the fret before the “Mastertone” decal is blank; but on the Epiphone, the fret before the “Mastertone” decal has a fret design on it.
7. The Mastertone decal is much brighter on the Gibson than on the Epiphone.
5. Since Dave only played one particular banjo in each setting, I was able to identify the banjo used in some difficult to see videos, from a different video in the same setting.
6. I really enjoyed doing this analysis of Dave’s playing. The one thing that stands out to me is that more than half the time Dave chose to use his $500 Chinese-made Epiphone banjo, which just goes to prove that it’s the man and not the banjo which produces his awesome sound.
7. Dave's wife told me that he later sold the Ode. It encourages me that he kept the Chinese-made Epiphone and sold the American-made Ode. In his banjo comparison video, according to my ears, you can hear how full and deep the Epiphone sounds. The Ode has a tighter constricted sound to it, and the Gibson is brighter with more treble and resonance.
8. Thank you for your continued interest in my banjo blog. God is good.

Here's a .doc file of this webpage which opens with Microsoft Word if you'd like to download it.

Dave Hum

(April 11, 1966 - November 14, 2012)