"Variations on the Coocoo," by John Fahey (Patreon)

Welcome back friends. This month we are looking at another Fahey tune, an early one from The Dance of Death & Other Plantation Favorites. "Variations on the Coocoo" borrows the main melody from Clarence Ashley's "Cuckoo Bird."  "The Cuckoo" is an English Folk song,  Being a folk song, it has been recorded numerous times and under various titles. These account for the variations in spelling of the word cuckoo. 

What I find most interesting about this piece is Clarence Ashley used a "Sawmill tuning," gDGCD, which he refers to as tuning to "a minor key" in the video of him talking about it (He is actually tuned a half-step high in the video). I would not consider it a minor tuning, but what we refer to as a modal tuning today. Essentially, the second string is tuned up from B to C and it eliminates the presence of a major third in the open strings. It would be referred to as modal because the open strings now create a chord without a strong major or minor emphasis. 

This becomes interesting when we realize that Fahey used DADGAD, or a D modal tuning for his arrangement. Both tunings have a suspended 4th relative to the key, and I just find it remarkable that Fahey arrived at DADGAD, which essentially perfectly reflects what Clarence Ashley was doing, and is to my knowledge his earliest use of the tuning.

In the YouTube recording I am using a short scale Martin 5-18 from 1945. I originally did this because Fahey was tuned up a half-step from DADGAD in his recording and I wanted a guitar that handled it well, but upon reflection I realize that most guitars should be able to handle the tension from tuning DADGAD up a half step, as only the middle strings are up beyond their normal range. All others remain a half step lower than standard tuning. I also hear a plain steel third string in Fahey's recording, possibly used because that G string was tuned to G# and he used a lighter gauge string to compensate. I also theorize that Fahey enjoyed the interplay between the second and third strings which are only tuned a step apart, so he could easily go from the very consonant sound of unisons to the more dissonant sound of a second. Perhaps the plain steel string was used on the third to adjust the timbre and make the second and third strings harder to distinguish from one another.

Most of what I have to say about the technique can be found in the lesson video available to tier 2 patrons. https://youtu.be/TWXUU0VtQBQ

My recording can be found here. https://youtu.be/Ww_IkDysnag

My transcription is attached below. I hope all of you have fun with this one. I think we will be back next month with a great Leadbelly tune.