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Member Since 2/18/2011

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www.davehum.com
Playing Since: 1990

hum has made 304 recent additions to Banjo Hangout

Interests:
[Socializing] [Helping]

Occupation: Professional Musician

Gender: Male

Age: 46

My Instruments:
Gibson ESS '92
ODE/Baldwin Model D
Epiphone MB 250
Takamine EGS - 430 Acoustic Guitar
Paul Hathway Folk Mandolin

Picker in the Woods

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Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 9/6/2005
Last Visit 5/23/2012

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	hum commented on a video 'Dave Hum - Off She Goes' 5/23/2012 2:12:56 PM
	hum commented on a video 'Dave Hum - Shucking The Corn' 5/23/2012 10:51:56 AM
	hum commented on a video 'Dave Hum - Off She Goes' 5/23/2012 10:51:03 AM
	hum posted forum topic 'Shucking The Corn' 5/23/2012 7:03:33 AM
	hum uploaded a video 'Dave Hum - Shucking The Corn' 5/23/2012 7:02:47 AM
	hum posted forum topic 'Off She Goes' 5/23/2012 7:01:47 AM
	hum uploaded a video 'Dave Hum - Off She Goes' 5/23/2012 7:00:31 AM
	hum commented on a video 'Dave Hum - Louisville Breakdown' 5/23/2012 6:59:08 AM
	hum commented on a video 'Dave Hum - Sportsman's Hornpipe' 5/23/2012 6:58:48 AM
	hum replied to topic 'Louisville Breakdown' 5/23/2012 6:58:20 AM

Latest Blog Entry

My Picking Technique

Monday, November 01, 2010 @1:09:03 PM

Banjo players often comment that I don't rest one or two fingers on the drum head, so I thought I'd let anyone else who is curious know the reason why.

Since 1990 I played resting my pinky on the head for stability - however - in October 2009 I came down with septacemia and was diagnosed with multiple myeloma which is a form of blood and bone cancer - I lost the tip of my index finger on my picking hand and my fingers are left permanently curled so I can't rest my pinky and play comfortably in this position without the picks getting caught up in the strings - the webbing between my fingers has risen which restricts movement and the nerve endings in my fingers are damaged so I have areas of numbness.

I realised then that the only way forward was to learn a new technique that still enabled me to play wearing fingerpicks and to be able to use the 3 main styles of playing that I employed i.e. 3 finger style (Earl Scruggs) - Alternating Thumb and Index or Middle (Bill Keith - Melodic) - and single string style (Don Reno).

After trying different approaches I settled on resting the thumb base of my palm above the bridge for support as this is the technique I use when I'm playing up the neck and I taped the fingerpicks to my index and middle fingers to stop them falling off. Taping them also enabled me to fashion the index fingerpick so it stuck out more than usual to compensate for the loss of the tip on my index finger - It took me almost a year to feel comfortable with this new technique and get the speed and timing back - but so far so good! Nowadays I don't need the tape as I put velcro inside my picks and this holds them on.

I have included some pics in the photo section of my BHO homepage that shows my right hand with the picks on - and also a splint that was made for me by a hand physio team at hospital to try to stop my fingers curling into a fist.

I hope by sharing this info it will give inspiration and hope to any other banjo pickers out there who may be experiencing the similar difficultys that I have come up against.

I have a 2 Albums of popular bluegrass and celtic tunes available on CD at http://www.davehum.com

Thanks for all the support from BHO members.

Dave Hum

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