How to play SUNFLOWER BLUES, John Fahey | RARE FOOTAGE | Open C Tuning Guitar

How to play in an open c guitar tuning, using John Fahey's Sunflower Blues!. Using some old VHS footage as a guide, this a quick run walkthrough of how to play all the shapes, fingerings, and guitar tricks that Fahey uses in this open c tuning. This should get ya though Sunflower Blues, as well as give your guitar playing a leg up on how to play a number of his other tunes in this open c tuning!
This video was created by request for one of my patrons on Patreon! Support this by subscribing here or becoming a part of my Patreon!
/ kostringworks
How to play SUNFLOWER BLUES, John Fahey | RARE FOOTAGE | Open C Tuning Guitar

[@agordianknot]

Not a lot of lessons on the songs of John Fahey. Great lesson, thank you.

[@kostringworks]

I know right?! It’s tricky stuff to teach, such an elusive player! Thanks for checking it out and saying hey!

[@mikelord9860]

Open C is my favorite open tuning, and Low C (Irish) is my fave modal tuning (C G D G A D). The latter is championed by El McMeen. I learned Sunflower River Blues from the Kottke/Fahey/Lang album (Takoma, 1974 - neat album cover, too). That version is slower and tbh that's the tempo it sounds best in. Another Fahey tune that I'm pretty sure is in Open C is Jaya Shiva Shankara which was on his Old Fashioned Love album (w/Woody Mann), Takoma, 1975. I've recently gotten back into playing Open C and I've blown the dust off both these tunes. Good job!

[@kostringworks]

Niiice. Dude I also have an infatuation with this tuning. So lush. Thanks for sharing!

[@MrCubannn]

yes! I love Fahey. thanks for the lesson

[@kostringworks]

Me too 😁. Have fun with it!

[@chuck785]

I LOVE to play this tune. I go all the way down to Open B, y'all oughta try it. It is fire. 🔥 I am not kidding, feels good.

[@kostringworks]

Ok I will have to try this! I wish I still had that Galiano from this vid. It would take open B like a champ, the scale length is so long!

[@billallen1594]

Cheers Kyle for another great video. That will keep me busy for a while ☺️

[@kostringworks]

Thanks bill! Let me know how your guitar likes taking on this wacky tuning!

[@Alien918S]

Just stumbled onto this one. Smooth.

[@kostringworks]

Nice. I gotta learn more fahey tunes!

[@TheBabyskywalker]

Awesome Thanks!

[@kostringworks]

Absolutely! Thanks for say hey!

[@ericsharma3792]

Great lesson! Would be cool if you focused on more of the right hand picking patterns though. The magic of Fahey are in his idiosyncratic rolls etc...

[@kostringworks]

Thanks! Good tip! Yeah I kinda had to pick and choose a few things to keep this vid from going on forever. But I plan to do more fahey vids and I will keep your advice in mind!

[@rykwon4535]

Why tune up a half step?

[@kostringworks]

I’m sure he just didn’t tune to a tuner and ended up pitched high.

[@Orcastruck]

Also sounds good too