Desperate Man Blues by John Fahey

Desperate Man Blues tab by John Fahey

Guitar tabs

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.

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -

Hope you enjoy it. If you have any questions or corrections,
please email me. I'm a bit iffy about parts. It's available
on the Rhino Records double CD or one of the Blind Joe death
compilations.

Damien Batstone
damienb@cheque.uq.edu.au

		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 C
Repeat 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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