Desperate Man Blues John Fahey
Hi All,
Here's one of my favourite Fahey tunes. I think it's one of
his first and is more melodic and less bizarre than others.
Fahey indicated in his liner notes that he used a bass string
tuned to G in unison with the second string but I couldn't work
that out. Maybe he it to maintain an alternate base picking
pattern during the first half instead of the one string bass
pattern I've shown here.
Take note of the ghost notes (). These seem to be done by
hammering or sliding up the neck on the first or third beat
of the bar. They add alot to the song.
Hope you enjoy it. If you have any questions or corrections,
on the Rhino Records double CD or one of the Blind Joe death
compilations.
Damien Batstone
DESPARATE MAN BLUES
JOHN FAHEY
d|2-------------------2-----------3-----------2-------------------| B|1-----------1---------------1------1----------------1-----------| G|----------------------------------------------------------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|0-------------------------------------------------------0-------| B|0-----------------------0-----------------------0-------0-------| G|--------------------------------0-------------------------------| D|------------------------0-------5-------5-------0---------------| G|0-------0-------0---------------------------------------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|--------2-----------2-----------3-----------2-------------------| B|(1)---------1---------------1-------1---------------1-----------| G|---------------------------------------(0)----------------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|0-------------------------------0-------------------0-----------| B|0-----------------------0-------0-----------0--------------(0)--| G|------------------------0---------------------------------------| D|------------------------------------------------0---------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0---------------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|--------2-----------2-----------3-----------2-------------------| B|------------1---------------1-------1---------------1-----------| G|---------------------------------------(0)----------------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|0---------------------------------------------------------------| B|0-----------------------0---------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------0-----------------------0-------| D|------------------------------------------------0--h2-----------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-----------------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
start A
vvv v
d|----------------------------------------------------------------| B|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|3---------------0-------------------------------0---------------| D|--------------------------------2-------------------------------| G|--------0---------------0---------------0---------------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|----------------------------------------------------------------| B|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|3---------------------------------------------------------------| D|------------0-------0-------0-------3-------3-------3-------3---| G|--------0-------0-------0-------3-------3-------3-------3-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|----------------------------------------------------------------| B|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|3-----------0---------------------------0-------------------0---| D|----0---------------------------0--h2---------------0--h2-------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
* End A
d|----------------------------------------------------------------| B|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|----------------------------0-----------------------------------| D|--------------------0--h2-----------------------0--h2-----------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
Repeat A; d|----------------------------------| B|------------0-----------------------------| G|------------------------------------------| D|------------------------------------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-----------------| D|------------------------------------------|
3 . . . 4 . . .
Repeat from start
d|----------------------------------| B|------------0-----------------------| G|--------------------0---------------| D|--------------------0---------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-----------| D|------------------------------------|
3 . . . 4 . . .
[(B)]
d|--------2-----------2-----------2-------------------2-----------| B|--------1---1---------------1---------------1--h3-----------0---| G|------------------------------------------------------------0---| D|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|0-------------------------------0-------------------0-----------| B|0-----------------------0-------0-----------0-------0-----------| G|------------------------0-------------------0-------------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|--------2-----------2-----------2-------------------2-----------| B|(1)-----1---1---------------1-------------------3---------------| G|----------------------------------------------------------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|(5)-----5---------------5-------5-------------------0-----------| B|(3)-----3---------------3-------3-----------3-------------------| G|----------------------------------------------------------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
Repeat from B
d|------------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-----------| B|--------3---------------------------------------------------0---| G|----------------------------------------------------------------| D|--------0---------------0---------------0---------------0-------| G|5---------------5---------------5---------------5---------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|0-------------------------------0-------------------0-----------| B|0-----------------------0-------0-----------0-------0-----------| G|------------------------0-------------------0-------------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
Repeat last two bars
d|--------------------------------7-----------7-------------------| B|---------------------------(8)------7---------------7-----------| G|--------7---h9------7--h9---------------7---------------7-------| D|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| G|----------------------------------------------------------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|5-------------------------------0-------------------0-----------| B|3-----------------------0-------0-----------0-------0-----------| G|------------------------0-------------------0-------------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|--------------------------------7-----------7-------------------| B|---------------------------(8)------7---------------7-----------| G|--------7---h9------7--h9---------------7---------------7-------| D|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| G|----------------------------------------------------------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|5-----------------------5-------5-------------------0-----------| B|3-----------------------3-------3-----------0-------0-----------| G|--------------------------------------------0-------------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
Next bar 3/4 timing
Start C
d|------------5---------------5---------------4---| B|----5---------------5---------------5-------3---| G|------------------------------------------------| D|--------5---------------5---------------5-------| G|5---------------5---------------5---------------| D|------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . .
d|s5--5-----------5---------------5-----------5---5---------------| B|----3-----------3---------------3-----------3---3-------3--p0---| G|----------------------------------------------------------------| D|--------0---------------0---------------0---------------0-------| G|0---------------0---------------0---------------0---------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
[End]Repe[C]at C
d|------------7---------------7----------10-------9--p8-----------| B|----7---------------7-------------------------------------------| G|----------------------------------------------------------------| D|--------7---------------7---------------7---------------7-------| G|7---------------7---------------7---------------7---------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
Repeat C
Repear second bar of C
[(D)]
d|--------0-----------0-------------------0-----------0-----------| B|3-----------3-----------3-------2-----------2-----------2-------| G|----------------------------------------------------------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
d|--------0-----------0-------------------------------------------| B|1-----------1-----------1-------0-------------------3-------0---| G|----------------------------------------------------------------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------| G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------| D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . .
Repeat Last two bars
Play from start through to second repeat of A then from B
After reaching end play from start of C to start of D slowing and
finishing.
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