John Fahey - Hawaiian Two Step

[oldbluechef]

Too damn many of the great blues pickers dead now. Of the 60s crowd, Fahey's gone, Barth's gone, Vestine's gone, Firk's gone too. The music lives, thank God.

[wyclifdotnet]

I've watched this video before, but just now I noticed how he uses two fingers to form a barre chord-- his first and middle fingers. Fahey had a really unorthodox technique. He breaks all the rules I was taught in classical guitar: everything from the basics of holding the instrument to the way he frets the strings and his left and right hand positioning. But who cares about technique if you can play like he could!

[tintosangre]

Damned Fahey always makes it look so simple...

[bradshawvincent]

genius guitar but what an a wful combover!

[xenophonon123]

Leo Kottke and John Fahey often played @ DC's "The Cellar Door" and down at The Bayou. I'd borrow my older sister's Virginia state ID to get in.

Leo was really just a kid like me. Fahey was rather businees like. Georgetown was crazy back then. Yikes! 40 years ago. WHFS- 102.3 Bethesda Maryland. "For the ships out at sea; and the ladies of the night".....Quicksilver Times and Blimpies and Dixie Liquor.......

[nmcclure79]

what album is this on? One of the early or mid 60s ones?

[eternallystoned]

@nmcclure79 after the ball 1973

[poetryandbeyond]

The man could make a single guitar sound like an orchestra. Check out the album "Fare Forward, Voyagers," one of my personal favorites.

[trilobite3339]

epic win

[smp156]

the only problem with this song is that its a few hours too short

[OspreyD40]

@smp156 This is a continuation of his common concert medley that began with On The Sunny Side Of The Ocean. (The two have been spliced apart here into separate postings. Sometimes Fahey also segued in and out of another piece or two in slower 3/4 timings.) I am so grateful for these postings). The concert DVD has just within the last couple months become available. Try to get to the youtube New Varsity concert posting of the two pieces also.

[Sincoola27]

Tuning???

[porkytard]

@Sincoola27 open G.

[jwalsh671]

I love how this song stays unpredictable, yet not unappealingly so. Fahey forever!

[JDBoelter]

2 minutes of sheer, giddy joy. Thanks so much for sharing this.

[razorman916]

Leo Kottke is so immature musically compared to John Fahey.

[graycoyotl]

The song started as Spanish Fandango, originally recorded by John Dilleshaw in 1929. Search it out! Clearly a seminal influence on Fahey.. almost makes me think he time-traveled back to '29 to make this recording! Would have been in character..

[treetoptop]

I really like that technique, like at :30, of strumming the open strings with the fretting hand.  What a full sound on this.

[guild40]

@treetoptop Thanks for that! I never noticed the swipe with the fretting hand. I play this song, and it never occurred to me. I will try it out.

[OspreyD40]

@treetoptop Notice also how he strengthens his barred chords by pressing his middle finger down on top of the index finger to assure full pressure- and take some stress off the first finger.

[majorhoop]

somewhere ive got a tape i made on a crummy cassette player from '76 or so of john fahey, the best guitar player ive ever seen, at the golden bear in huntington beach california......lemme look for it.....

[kingofthedeep]

Yeah.

[Krittikas]

One of a kind! Play on, John!

[GabeFed]

you know hes dead?

[Krittikas]

He lives on in the hearts of those who love him and his music.

[GabeFed]

k well i love his music and i happen to know that hes dead

[takingthepiss2]

check out the cover on here of this by artfulbodger thats good too

[flabbdad]

this is the best version of this track i've heard... awesome!

[campb450]

This is so good

[hamulomu]

Is John tuned to DADF#AD here? Please advise...

[Sumppiukko]

It's open G: DGDGBD

[Sumppiukko]

This is actually "Spanish two step"...

:)

[lapsteelguy]

John mostly plays in open tunings. That is what slack key actually means. You can probably find tab of many of his tunes if you look hard enough.

[malinao08]

man, this is some of the first I've heard of Fahey. Even when taking on hawaiian slack key, he's amazing. it almost fits him perfect. anyone know if he does any other slack key?

[astronaut7scum]

I've always loved this song, and it's cool to see it being played. He blows me away.

[fridrikur]

You can easily hear where Leo Kottke got his inspiration from

[picker38]

Fahey, Kottke, Knopfler, Buckingham. Yea!!

Fingerpicking rules.

[nichmars]

or how about Blind Blake, Elizabeth Cotten, John Hurt or Roy Smeck!

[bobgure]

Awright yeah. Too many to mention but B.Blake and Bonfa are enough for many lifetimes.

[nichmars]

Blind Blake!!!, who's Bonfa? I'm going to google that. cheers. n.

[bobgure]

Luiz Bonfa: Brazilian guitarist/composer.

Master musician. Some videos on YouTube..

[bobgure]

Check out the YouTube clip from search:

"Bossa Nova Composer Luiz Bonfa Introduced By Perry Como".

Outstanding and breath taking.

[martinmonte]

yeahh

[pomea]

Who told Charley Patton and John Fahey you could take it out with your right hand on the guitar?

[nloisoccer]

This song sounds particularly awesome on "Return Of The Repressed"

[woodtone007]

btw i saw him do this in my home town of Hobart Tasmania when the live in tasmania album was recorded. its listed on the album as the Tasmanian tiger two-step. he was a bit drunk at the time but flippin' heck he played well.

[woodtone007]

around that time he was using a martin d-76 (limited to 1976 instruments) to celebrate the american bicentennial. I don't think this is it though as instead of dots the d76 had stars as fret markers. it looks like its got a 3 piece back so it could be a martin d-35.

[walterneff]

man good, question its weird how he's got the double dots on the seventh fret and nothing on the third

[ZebraGang13]

@walterneff

looks like a martin. they use that distinctive marking pattern.

[montecore18]

What kind of guitar does he use? I ask because I'm looking for a new acoustic myself.

[medicinesocks]

what magic dave said-- my sentiments exactly! fahey's music is balm to the soul. bravo! and thanks for posting here

[magicdave93]

One of my guitar gods have you got more of this thank's