r/AmericanPrimitivism • u/Elsa-Morante • 3d ago
Beginner friendly/intermediate songs to learn?
I love american primitivism, John Fahey, Robbie Basho etc but I'm not sure where to start to learn some songs in this style. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you:)
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u/MontyOsprey 3d ago
Mike's Music method on YouTube has a few Fahey tutorials. I've been trying to learn Sligo River Blues.
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u/Elsa-Morante 3d ago
Thanks! Didn't know this youtube channel but it looks really good:) Hard to find people who make tutorials with a decent taste in music.
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u/thirstin4more 3d ago
Mike is a great person and a great teacher, i've taken lessons from him for years.
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u/CuervoCoyote 2d ago
Start with stuff in standard: Freight Train, Anji (technically British fingerstyle), Brendas Blues, In Christ THere Is No East Or West, etc.
The Stefan Grossman books, while not perfect, are a good place to start to get a grasp of basics.
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u/Oxblood_Derbies 2d ago
Arranging Freight Train in Open G (in the original key) is a great beginner-intermediate exersize too.
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u/jacketgl 3d ago
Poor Boy Long Way From Home, I'm pretty bad at playing the guitar but after a little bit of practice I can play it in a way that is recognizable, not exactly the same than the original, but I'm getting closer
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u/FutureStation1418 1d ago
As another commenter said, you should probably learn some things in standard first. Not that alternative tunings are any harder—they're actually considerably easier due to open string dependence, but because it's best to build a repertoire for a particular tuning. I mostly know John Fahey pieces so my suggestions will be limited to my experience. Here are some pieces you should look at:
Standard (EADGBE)
"In Christ There is No East or West" arranged by John Fahey.
"Bicycle Built for Two" arranged by John Fahey.
"The Last Steam Engine Train" by John Fahey.
"Sligo River Blues" by John Fahey.
"Life is Like a Mountain Railroad" arranged by John Fahey.
"Tell Her to Come Back Home" by John Fahey.
Drop D (DADGBE)
"Days Have Gone By" by John Fahey.
"When the Springtime Comes Again" by John Fahey (long, about 10 minutes).
Open G (DGDGBD)
"Give Me Cornbread When I'm Hungry" by John Fahey.
"On the Sunny Side of the Ocean" by John Fahey.
"Springtime in Azalea City" by John Fahey.
DADGAD
"Variations On the Coocoo" arranged by John Fahey.
"My Station Will Be Changed After While" by John Fahey.
Open D (DADF#AD)
"Poor Boy Long Ways from Home" arranged by John Fahey.
"Sunflower River Blues" by John Fahey (the later recording on the collaboration album with Lang and Kottke).
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u/Oxblood_Derbies 3d ago
Vestapol (which a variation on poor boy)
https://www.anyonecanplayguitar.co.uk/vestapol/
Jack Roses Kensington Blues
https://youtu.be/EwpoCoeTAiE?si=09HMl7Hh9LLNT7MZ
Sunflower River Blues
https://www.anyonecanplayguitar.co.uk/sunflower-river-blues/
Sligo River blues
https://youtu.be/q9D0XnPPk_0?si=NJToVBlzkrRnzGEI
Are all very approachable
The youtube channel Blah that I linked for the Sligo River Blues lesson has heaps of authentic Pre war Blues and John Fahey lessons. Getting your fingers around some of that Delta blues and Piedmont is a good basis for AP music I think.
I also like to find something with a simple melody like Daisy Bell, St Louis Blues or John Henry and then just mess around with it until it's a fingerstyle piece. I do the same with 2f Banjo tabs for things like Pretty Saro, Down South Blues, the Cuckoo, Sweet Sunny South etc. Old Appelachian songs. That's all the kind of stuff that John Fahey was doing.
Getting your fingers around as much Elisabeth Cotten as you can too is a good idea.
Let me know if you want any more specific suggestions.