John Fahey – Sunflower River Blues
Learn how to play John Fahey – Sunflower River Blues note-for-note on guitar.
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Barre chords: No
Thumb over chords: No
Playing Style: Fingerpicked (Travis picked)
Tuning: Open C
This lesson teaches the track as Fahey played it in the slightly slower version with the chordal introduction.
The complete file contains 3 lesson videos, a performance play thru video and full tabs. You’ll receive a link to download the lesson which will download as a zip file of 305 Mb containing all the lesson content.
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You’ll receive at least two videos per song, one lesson and one performance-standard play-through. You’ll receive the chords/lyrics and guitar tabs as PDF files.
The videos are mp4 format and should play on PC’s, Macs and most mobile devices.
They will download as Zip files. If you don’t have a Zip program on your PC you’ll need to install one to open the file. I use Zipeg which you can get free, here.
If you want to download to an iPad or iPhone you’ll need an app to do so, please read here to know more about it.
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Adam Dawson says
This is the tune that got me back into playing the guitar during lockdown. Took some time but got there, the videos and pdf are excellent. A lovely song to play. Thanks Jerry! Oh, and another request for some Mississippi John Hurt please.
Dennis Ferrell says
Hi Jerry,
Working on Sunflower River Blues – having a grand time! One question though. In your description of how to play bar 11 (beat 3 @ about 2:20 in the video) you say and demonstrate plucking string 4 with your thumb (“to keep the Travis pattern going” as you say), and to not hit string 5 but just let the hammer on make that string ring at the same time. OK I get that, but the tab does not show plucking string 4 on that beat but instead shows hitting string 5. Is that just a typo in the tab?
Jerry says
I’ll check that later on Dennis, but it sounds like a typo in the tab. Almost always, if there’s an apparent conflict, the video will be the definitive answer.
JB Fisher says
Great job on an otherwise difficult song. What guitar is that you play with the shark fretboard inlays?
Jerry says
Hi JB. It’s a Rainsong Black Ice.
George Vacca says
Just downloaded the Sunflower River Blues…and I’ll probably be up all night. Another fabulous job, Jerry. Now, to make the coffee…..