How John Fahey destroyed my life

[Chaddyxp]

Dislike! On grounds that your youtube name is far from the truth!

[matthami]

Fingerstyle is the direction I want to take my playing. Any advice on where to start? I've only learned to play with a pick with some hybrid picking and I'm at an upper entry skill level with that.

[clumsystrummer]

@matthami You may want to consider starting with John Fahey's early stuff, there is a web site that has a lot of his pieces tabbed out -just goggle "John Fahey tablature."

[sheltech12]

very nice working of the material . nice box too!.

[iTwitchAlot1]

you sir are amazing

[ioriorioriorio]

Yes....an old jefferson airplane trick, as well as other folk groups then.....they all kind of copped Charlie patton, or guys like Charlie Patton...adds so much richness, I can't understand why a pro like fahey might say that about mixing major and minor like that

[pjherron]

@clumsystrummer You're not clumsy. you play this with great touch and feel.

[lectrikdog]

Like it. Interesting tuning, I'll have to try out, thx

[TheHauntOfEriatarka]

I'm not an experienceed folk player, so can someone explain the john fahey quote in the info box. I know what a minor third is, its an interval thats 1 whole step and 1 half step. Like A to C. But why is playing them over major chords bad?

[clumsystrummer]

@TheHauntOfEriatarka What I think Fahey meant, is there are tunes that haunt you, which have certain chords that just grab you (and for some, you have no choice but to dig deeper into the music to a point where it becomes obsessive.) In his book, Mr. Fahey used Jimmy Rodger’s “Blue Yodel #7” as an example, for myself an it would be Charley Patton’s “High water everywhere (pt2)” Musically (theory) speaking, it’s when Patton plays an A chord with a minor 3rd in the bass and the major 3rd on top.

[TheHauntOfEriatarka]

@clumsystrummer Well, as he said it was bad ecology, i got confused. Ecology being the relationship between organisms in their environments. By bad ecology, i was pretty sure he meant it was just bad in general to play the two together, a bad relationship. Idk, i was confused. thanks for clarifying.

[JazzmanJibilla]

@clumsystrummer  beautiful playing clumsy. Just to add my two cents worth about the Fahey quote...I think he had his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. Years of listening to John and other freestyle fingerstylists has taught me that relief is just a semi-tone away, there are no wrong notes, only bad approaches to a note, and that is very subjective. Anyhooo..you are a fine picker clumsy and have obviously studied the genre. I've subscribed.

[dantean]

@TheHauntOfEriatarka I get the idea that what he meant was that the music gripped his soul and never let go, and that he was being facetious in saying they "destroyed my life." Probably he meant "destroyed" in a good way.

[lectrikdog]

@TheHauntOfEriatarka I think there's a bit of sarcasm as to how Bluegrass sucked him in, be forewarned 

[funkathighdoses]

just baught this on itunes :) is it in open C? have you made tabs perhaps?

[clumsystrummer]

@funkathighdoses I haven't gotten around to tabbing any of my original stuff yet, with my bad memory it's something I need to do - on more than a few occasions I had to go back to my yt vids just to figure out how I played something. I play this in D/C tuning: DADGCE.

Thanks, Jeff

[GoldenFinchFellow]

I just started learning finger style guitar last little while after someone told me my music had a sort of Fahey feel. But I only ever used 2 fingers and thumb until now. I then bumped into a Fahey song and said I want to learn it! Am I doomed?!

I have no money and the cheapest mini classical guitar I could find after my old guitar bridge warped right off the guitar cause I couldn't play it anymore, cause it was warping worse and worse... I'm doomed right?

This is a really nice song! :)

Josh

[clumsystrummer]

@GoldenFinchFellow Hi Josh, John Fahey's right hand technique was just the thumb and two fingers (he did use fingerpicks and a thumb pick,) so you're in good company.

[GoldenFinchFellow]

@clumsystrummer I'm doomed then! well I found an old worn out book in the library called Fingerstyle guitar by Ken Perlman and it was using 3 fingers I'm relived cause I never could get the hang of the 4th finger.. well maybe it's a sign I should stick with my style.. bu tthe book has tought me some interesting variation so far so maybe I'll switch back and forth.

Thanks for your thoughts and again for your song too

[irchristo]

@GoldenFinchFellow . . . and @ clumsystrummer . . . you are a really nice fellow and talk nice to the people and all, but I think you know and I know that GoldenFinchFellow , like the rest of us, is doomed. hahaha

[GoldenFinchFellow]

@irchristo haha yes clumsystrummer is awesome! this made my day, not in the Arnold Schwarzenegger way lol but I do admit it... doomed! hey, a guy found an Oscar Schmidt in the garbage perfect except the neck was broken off(don't ask me how it's amazing..) he bought a new tuning piece for one side, got lazy and charged me only for the piece he bought. I glued Oscar up and renamed him Oscar the Grouch cause he came from the garbage. so I've upgraded at least

[wheresmychickenwing]

Amazing, thanks for sharing

[smp156]

did you read his book How Bluegrass Destroyed My Life? its a fantastic read

great song btw

[clumsystrummer]

@smp156

Thanks, I did read his book awhile back (may be time for a re-read,) fascinating. Fahey definitely didn't pull any punches with some of those folk/blues icons.

[gordn55]

superb! Thanks fore sharing this

[markyb53]

wow - very nice...

[JanVanGalen]

Haunting, desolate superb executed soundscapes.  Think i might just buy that book now... impeccable effort!

[robertchallen]

very nice piece..what mic are you using? that's a good sound.

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks Robert, using a Neumann km184 through a Mackie mixer

[Rich915]

Very Nice...Colling's sure sound great, esp when tuned down...Thx!

[pinofluvius]

Thanks, I really enjoyed that, it made my mind start wandering...

Martin

[OMGWUNSIU]

Absolutely wonderful & exactly why I play acoustic and fingerstyle. Not, however as good as you my friend, but I thank you for posting such a beautiful tune - things like this are what keep me inspired to keep practicing.

[fuciledacaccia]

Alaska picks are the best!! John Fahey is one of the best also!!

[treetoptop]

I see the thumbpick, do you grow your fingernails for a sharp sound, and what type/brand of strings do you use please? Also what brand of thumbpick? Nice work my friend. moody

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks treetoptop. I'm using alaska picks on my fingers. I have started using a large alaska pick on my thumb lately, smoother attack than the thumbpick; for this piece though, it seems to require more of an attack you get with a thumbpick. Using Elixer medium bottoms, light tops for strings.

[bopbopbobert]

nice, thank you

[piptaylor99]

Lovely playing and nice right hand feel. Thank you for posting

[FQuezo]

Very nice. From 2:15 to 2:50, that's my favourite one.

I'm 17 and listen to Fahey since a year ago, maybe less. Love his 70's stuff, as well as his more edgey 90's works.

If you like Fahey you should try Jim O'Rourke's "Bad Timing". That's one hell of an album. Mail me if you want a link

[TyFord]

Nice one! What's the tuning?

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks, it's in D/C tuning: DADGCE (D on the low strings, C triad on the high strings)

[Reaper2k]

I love that title.

[clumsystrummer]

Taken from Fahey's book "How bluegrass music destroyed my life"

[gdwest999]

Very nice. You've captured the meditative quality of Fahey's work without being a copy. Excellent!

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks

[artiehill1]

Wonderful playing, reminds me of songs from my youth.

[deweypug]

...the Rev. and Jorma pushed me into the hole, laughing all the way. They didn't even have the dignity to through in a shot of whiskey.

[patsaretherealchumps]

Fahey? Blind Blake destroyed MY life. Fahey just threw dirt on my grave....while Kottke packed it down with a shovel......

[ryan1428elm]

i'm going to buy your album by the way...

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks! Hope you like it. jh

[ryan1428elm]

tabs? :( PLEASE. this was amazing.. reminds me of so many wonderful things and songs..

[clumsystrummer]

It may be awhile before I get to this notation/tab. Starting to tab out a lot of my youtube stuff- "Bonaparte's Retreat" is just about done -I'll have it on my website shortly (hillgrovemusic- add the w's and dot.)

[davo171]

Still digging your stuff.

[clumsystrummer]

good to hear

[clumsystrummer]

thanks marcassin

[enochnu]

Thanks

[marcassin300]

It's MAGIC !

Congratulations form Brussels ! Tanks man .

[2raloo]

Congrats! Nicely destroyed.

[ppboogers]

well, call me crazy but, i've developed quite a taste for mixing minor and major 3rds...... major chord with a flat 2..... sounds awesome if the intervals are spaced tastefully....... loved your piece.... i can hear part of myself in it.... this is a good thing and a complement.... thank none other.

[Sserifibic]

Good Beautifull

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks şerif

[rayoll]

nicely played....very fine and tasty

[PoetryHound]

Very nice playing. I can certainly hear the Fahey influence. I've loved Fahey's playing for many years.

Just by chance I ended up living in his home town of Takoma Park, MD. I used to pick my kids up from the school bus a couple doors from his old house.

[clumsystrummer]

Hallowed ground :)

[Stumpp3]

This song is amazing.

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks for listening, jh

[gunthypunthy]

why is this called this

[shivarudra]

very smooth, and that acoustic has a very beautiful tone to it

[ljscurtis]

Yeah, I hear that. Some Fahey tunes are not too far removed from Bartoks Hungarian peasant songs (well depending on whos performing them), and then theres the undertones of Ravel, and Debussey for sure.

I had that book you reference in your song title, but I couldn't read it after a chapter because I had a nasty split with the woman who gave it to me. Makes me think of the later Fahey album 'old girlfriends and other horrible memories' ha ha!!

[clumsystrummer]

Good point about Bartok, they both mined their own countrys folk heritage. You should try to get your hands on a copy of Faheys book, had an interesting take on some of the icons of folk/blues music; then again, he seemed to have an interesting take on just about anything.

[ljscurtis]

Great stuff man!! I've seen a lot of people try to forcefully inherit the Fahey sound, and those hipsters just end up butchering it. I think you really get it man! Great song.

[clumsystrummer]

Ive always felt that to emulate Fahey you need to drink from the same well. Listen to [take from] American roots music, European classical (he seemed to favor romanticism) and later, music from the far east. I guess its pretty much what a lot composers do, its just that Fahey seemed to know how to pull it all together and create something all his own. Thanks ljscurtis

[ZengGuoFan]

beautiful

[MKMcHenry]

I agree that the recording quality is superb, ear candy. Also, as a fan of J. Fahee, W. Ackerman, M. Hedges, and L. Kottke, I really enjoyed your performance. Favorite & 5 stars.

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks for having a listen and the nice comments

[jonasjar]

god bless your equipment and recording gear! Its exceedingly rare to hear such exsquisite acoustic gitar sound from a home recording. Your playing is also very interesting.

[clumsystrummer]

interesting works for me, thanks

[davo171]

Nice composition. I keep trying to make it happen with music ensembles-but I think the solo songwriter/musician is where Im supposed to be.

[clumsystrummer]

It's a dilemma, I always had fun playing in bands (until the last quarter of the group's life-span with it's inevitable collapse) but I feel more at home playing solo. It would be nice in a perfect non time-constraint world to do both. Good luck davo

[PinkyOnTheGString]

Nice job. It's stuff like this that makes people want to take up guitar and do their own thing. No offence, but it's what I call simple, but clever.

[imairlax]

is this a fahey cover or an original composition in the style of? it's pretty amazing either way!

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks, this is one of my own. The title is a take off of Fahey's book "How bluegrass destroyed my life"

[dice228YT]

"The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party and Other Excursions" was my first ALBUM also !

I was hooked !

Beautiful clumsystrummer

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks dice, I still love that album -even though Mr Fahey didn't seem to regard it as one of his better efforts, it remains one of my all time favorites.

[oldusty123]

Man, its stuff like that which gives me something to aspire to myself :)

[omni1963]

You can play a dirge at my funeral.

[clumsystrummer]

Ha, okay but not anytime soon

[blkvegas]

Beautiful playing...inspired. Thanks for posting.

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks for listening

[BillyLobster]

Goodness gracious. Was this played in standard tuning? If so, the dexterity to do it the hard way was on display. In any case BEEYOUtiful. Congratulations. However much time went into that was well well worth it. Thanks.

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks BLobster for the nice comments. I actually play this in what I refer to as D/C tuning: DADGCE (D chord on the lower 3 strings and a C chord on the higher strings),

the only tuning that I could come up with for making the piece playable. Thanks for having a listen. jh

[833P]

Bravo!

[androidstar]

Nice guitar work my friend! Cheers! 5*****

[usedtobe42sack]

Whilst possibly not having the crispness, or dynamics of J F he certainly captures the slightly meloncholy air & deep love of understated melody. I'll listen to this one again

[Timmybear]

I like how your title references Mr. Fahey's book 'How Bluegrass Music Destroyed My Life'.

[rasmichael]

godt gaaet, Finn !

[WayToTheGrave]

Sounds very reminiscent of John Fahey. Gorgeous piece of guitar, reminds me about how creativity doesn't adhere to popular theory and arrangements.

[jj1038]

I love your playing... And your Collings. I got a Clarence White model a few months ago. My good friend builds the new archtop electrics with Bill Collings. Between that and my Taylor, I am one happy picker.

[clumsystrummer]

A Collings CW, a happy picker indeed

[jessupar]

lol! i'd never heard that quote. i wasnt sure what to make of the video until i hit play.... its quite an unusual arrangement. i like it either way. reminds me, on the high notes of a song i forget the name of... i want to say "The Yellow Princess" but i dont know. i think it was on that album anyways.

Cheers, 5/5.

[basserase]

The low end of that little guitar sounds so nice. I love this song but if I listen to this song in the dark it scares the hell out of me.

[pistolschlapper]

Brilliant, Do you know of a guy called Ton Van Bergeyk by any chance?

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks, I'm not too familiar with Ton Van Bergeyk's music so I did a search, how did I miss this guy!!!? especially since he was on the old Kicking Mule Label - just another player on the long list of musicians I should know about.

[eireanhead]

I keep youtubing and I keep coming back to this piece of music. It's so wonderful.

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks eireanhead

[guitaress1]

hey, I like those sounds too! what tuning is that?

[mrtuttle]

i stumbled across death chants, breakdowns and military waltzes a couple of years ago (i'm a young one) and I didn't know whether I should be elated, in awe or sort of cautious. while digging through youtube after stumbling across the album again, i decided to check out youtube and stumbled across this video. very well played. point being, somewhere out in the vast expanses of space, someone wants to buy you a beer.

[clumsystrummer]

cheers, mate

[billwendt]

I have the next round. Beautiful piece, beautiful performance. Makes me want to pick up my guitar and play NOW.

[greybeard73]

I have been watching your video again and again since I found it accidently when I was searching for John Fahey stuff. Its a great tune. I love the mood and your playing is outstanding. You get a wonderful sound out of that guitar.

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks Greybeard, the guitar is a Collings om2h -pretty happy with the sound of it

[swimmmerrr]

poetic...

[tracgyrl]

Beautiful! You do John proud!!!!!!!!!!!

[eireanhead]

"clumsystrummer". That's rich. That's ironic. You call yourself clumsystrummer when you're clearly anything but that. Your guitar playing is divine, utterly exquisite. By the way, I love the title of this You Tube clip. How John Fahey destroyed my life. I think I might be destroying the You Tube servers because I play and play their John Fahey music remorselessly.

[clumsystrummer]

Oh man, I don't think you would be so generous with your comments if you heard me playing rhythm using a flat pick -never had a feel for that folk strumming thing. I know what you mean about the Fahey vids -sure miss the ones from the "Laura Webber show" that used to be posted on youtube. Thanks for having a listen and the nice comments. jh

[eireanhead]

You're too modest. Your guitar playing is wonderful. This is always a YouTube clip I return to when I need something to cheer me up.

[petterisariola]

extremely nice tune!! have you done sheets for it? i'd love to learn it.

-pez

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks pez for nice comment and interest in my tune, hopefully I''ll get the tab up on my website (it may be awhile though). Dig the percussive stuff you do on guitar -pretty impressive. jh

[petterisariola]

ok. thanks! i'll be waiting.

all the best!

-p

[buenalma]

An excellent piece. You should truly be proud.

[axisboldas]

Beautiful guitar sir.

[off1chance]

That's exactly what I said to John in 1981(Santa Barbara) having first seen/met him in 1963(Golden Ring). Weird to see my words on MySpace

[blueturtleblues]

you have the style man .Bravo.

[CausticReason]

That was so good i nearly choked on the sandwich I was eating. Fantastic !!

[robindavies24]

Nice playing...nice guitar too..a Martin ?

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks RD, it's a Collings OM2H, pretty happy with it.

[NXavier787]

Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks, :)

[StandingBear1956]

Very nice!! What's the tuning on this piece?Hope you'll post more, keep it up.

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks SB1956, the tuning is DADGCE - dropped D with the the B string tuned to a C (everything is tuned a half step down - medium strings, bends -tough on the old hands)-seemed to be the only tuning that would work for this piece. Probably post a few more tunes here and there, Thanks for listening

[bradshawvincent]

amazing playing and haunting tune...did you compose it? look forward to more!

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks BV, Yes this is one of my own, by the end of February I should have my cd of all original pieces out and then I'll post a few more -Can only hope that fans of Fahey's music might find some merit in it -"string quartet music for American Primitive guitar"? Thanks for having a listen. jh

[bradshawvincent]

cant stop listening to this..its hypnotic but in a great way.how long does it take to get that good on guitar?fixed up a few lessons a while back but it seems too daunting.are you self taught?..what do you think of nick drake? a fave of mine as im from uk.vince.

[clumsystrummer]

Hi Vince, You ever thought of maybe learning a few fingerpicking patterns with some of the more common open tunings on guitar? - seems to be the quickest and easiest route to making decent sounds on guitar. Just checked out Nick Drake's "River Man" now there's your haunting music - I need to get a lot more familiar with his music -Thanks

[bradshawvincent]

the main nick drake albums are 'five leaves left' 'bryter layter' and 'pink moon'...i really recomend a recent release of home recordings called 'family tree' which has him playing some stunning blues (black mountain blues).bert jansch's strolling down the highway and bob dylans tomorrow is a long time. vince.

[oceanplanet602]

Very nice composition!

[clumsystrummer]

Thanks, jh