Desperate Man Blues tab by John Fahey

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+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,
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
[email protected]

		DESPARATE MAN BLUES
		JOHN FAHEY

d|2-------------------2-----------3-----------2-------------------|
BB|1-----------1---------------1------1----------------1-----------|
G+G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

d|0-------------------------------------------------------0-------|
BB|0-----------------------0-----------------------0-------0-------|
G+G|--------------------------------0-------------------------------|
D MajorD|------------------------0-------5-------5-------0---------------|
G+G|0-------0-------0---------------------------------------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

d|--------2-----------2-----------3-----------2-------------------|
BB|(1)---------1---------------1-------1---------------1-----------|
G+G|---------------------------------------(0)----------------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

d|0-------------------------------0-------------------0-----------|
BB|0-----------------------0-------0-----------0--------------(0)--|
G+G|------------------------0---------------------------------------|
D MajorD|------------------------------------------------0---------------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0---------------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

d|--------2-----------2-----------3-----------2-------------------|
BB|------------1---------------1-------1---------------1-----------|
G+G|---------------------------------------(0)----------------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

d|0---------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|0-----------------------0---------------------------------------|
G+G|--------------------------------0-----------------------0-------|
D MajorD|------------------------------------------------0--h2-----------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-----------------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

start A augmentedA
 vvv               v
d|----------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|3---------------0-------------------------------0---------------|
D MajorD|--------------------------------2-------------------------------|
G+G|--------0---------------0---------------0---------------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

d|----------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|3---------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|------------0-------0-------0-------3-------3-------3-------3---|
G+G|--------0-------0-------0-------3-------3-------3-------3-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

d|----------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|3-----------0---------------------------0-------------------0---|
D MajorD|----0---------------------------0--h2---------------0--h2-------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .



                 * End A augmentedA
d|----------------------------------------------------------------|
BB|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|----------------------------0-----------------------------------|
D MajorD|--------------------0--h2-----------------------0--h2-----------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

Repeat A; 		 	  d|--------------------------------|
				  BB|------------0-------------------|
				  G+G|--------------------------------|
				  D MajorD|--------------------------------|
				  G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------|
				  D MajorD|--------------------------------|
 		 		   3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

Repeat from start

			 	  d|--------------------------------|
				  BB|------------0-------------------|
				  G+G|--------------------0-----------|
				  D MajorD|--------------------0-----------|
				  G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------|
				  D MajorD|--------------------------------|
 		 		   3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .
(BB)

d|--------2-----------2-----------2-------------------2-----------|
BB|--------1---1---------------1---------------1--h3-----------0---|
G+G|------------------------------------------------------------0---|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

d|0-------------------------------0-------------------0-----------|
BB|0-----------------------0-------0-----------0-------0-----------|
G+G|------------------------0-------------------0-------------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

d|--------2-----------2-----------2-------------------2-----------|
BB|(1)-----1---1---------------1-------------------3---------------|
G+G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

d|(5)-----5---------------5-------5-------------------0-----------|
BB|(3)-----3---------------3-------3-----------3-------------------|
G+G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

Repeat from BB

d|------------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-----------|
BB|--------3---------------------------------------------------0---|
G+G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|--------0---------------0---------------0---------------0-------|
G+G|5---------------5---------------5---------------5---------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .


d|0-------------------------------0-------------------0-----------|
BB|0-----------------------0-------0-----------0-------0-----------|
G+G|------------------------0-------------------0-------------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

Repeat last two bars

d|--------------------------------7-----------7-------------------|
BB|---------------------------(8)------7---------------7-----------|
G+G|--------7---h9------7--h9---------------7---------------7-------|
D MajorD|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
G+G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

d|5-------------------------------0-------------------0-----------|
BB|3-----------------------0-------0-----------0-------0-----------|
G+G|------------------------0-------------------0-------------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

d|--------------------------------7-----------7-------------------|
BB|---------------------------(8)------7---------------7-----------|
G+G|--------7---h9------7--h9---------------7---------------7-------|
D MajorD|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
G+G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

d|5-----------------------5-------5-------------------0-----------|
BB|3-----------------------3-------3-----------0-------0-----------|
G+G|--------------------------------------------0-------------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .
Next bar 3/4 timing
Start C majorC
d|------------5---------------5---------------4---|
BB|----5---------------5---------------5-------3---|
G+G|------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|--------5---------------5---------------5-------|
G+G|5---------------5---------------5---------------|
D MajorD|------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .

d|s5--5-----------5---------------5-----------5---5---------------|
BB|----3-----------3---------------3-----------3---3-------3--p0---|
G+G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|--------0---------------0---------------0---------------0-------|
G+G|0---------------0---------------0---------------0---------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .
End C majorC
Repeat C majorC
d|------------7---------------7----------10-------9--p8-----------|
BB|----7---------------7-------------------------------------------|
G+G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|--------7---------------7---------------7---------------7-------|
G+G|7---------------7---------------7---------------7---------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

Repeat C majorC
Repear second bar of C majorC
(D MajorD)
d|--------0-----------0-------------------0-----------0-----------|
BB|3-----------3-----------3-------2-----------2-----------2-------|
G+G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

d|--------0-----------0-------------------------------------------|
BB|1-----------1-----------1-------0-------------------3-------0---|
G+G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G+G|0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
D MajorD|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 1  .  .  .  2  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  4  .  .  .

Repeat Last two bars
Play from start through to second repeat of A augmentedA then from BB
After reaching end play from start of C majorC to start of D MajorD slowing and
finishing.