John Fahey - Desperate Man Blues (cover)

One of my favourite Fahey pieces. I recorded this a few years ago when I didn't have a digital camera yet.
This is a heavily modified version of the folk song "John Hardy".
It is also featured in the soundtrack of Robert Redford's movie "The Horse Whisperer".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• john
• fahey
• desperate
• man
• blues
• folk
• acoustic
• american
• primitive
• guitar
• fingerpicking
• fingerstyle
• instrumental

[guild40]

Nice try! I've been working on this song for a while, and I stumble in the same places you do. Those transitions sound easy on the ears but are hard to find when you try to play the song. Keep playing -- you are so close. And I enjoyed your version, warts and all.

[pachacamacs]

@guild40 I recorded this years ago and it's far from perfect. Fahey had such a perfect sense of time, like all great musicians.

[cottageorgan]

Really cool. Captured the spirit in which John played and lived his music, really jaunty but solemn too. IF you don't mind me asking, what tuning are you using, I'd love to have a bash at this sometime. Keep playing man, so many great pickers out there it's really inspiring...A

[pachacamacs]

@cottageorgan Thanks. Tuning is normally GGDGBD. But here I tuned one whole step down (FFCFAC) and put a capo on the second fret. So it's still in G, but I avoid having to tune the 6th string way up to G, and I can easily get that typical buzz on the 5th string .

[sapjes]

That's amazing! Makes me wanna play guitar again :) How long have you been playing ?

[pachacamacs]

Thanks. I've been playing on and off for more than 20 years. John Fahey has been a huge inspiration to take the guitar more seriously a few years ago.

[Harmonicajello]

Dumpkopf me! Several more plays on and, after reading the FULLentry you put at the top of page i cotton on that it's you! And very good it is too. Had me fooled and i got a fairly comprehensive collection of our man. I thought it was early recording by Fahey. I think this is very close proximity to his playing. Knocked me out thinking it was him...

[WayToTheGrave]

Fahey's rhythm is incredibly hard to duplicate, still get hang ups on song of his songs after having played guitar for years. Outside of that, songs spot-on to the original. Good job, man.

[cottageorgan]

@pachacamacs Thank you. I'll give it a try. I use that tuning, however I tune the bottom string down to D and use the A string, tuned to G as the bass string. The possibilities Are endless. A

[MFincen]

Great job dude.Fahey hurts my head but I keep trying to play it.You got it.Hope you have gotten your camera and still do black and whites

[marvy1118]

poor rhythm

[mishajoel]

Damn, I am not even close after 2 months of dealing with this song.

Bravo!!!!

Greg, you are douche!!!!!