I learned a very different version of "John Hardy" from Mike Seeger long ago. From a staight-ahead open-G tuning, lower your second string one half note and you've got a minor chord.

"John" is the open chord. "Hardy" is backed by holding the first two strings at the second fret. It's a great sound---but I love minor chords.

I wish I could tell ya better how to do this but I was ALWAYS an ear musician and learned by watching Mike---and then continued with my own trial-and-error / hit-or-miss method. I did the song for 30 years without ever really thinking twice about it---'til now.

Art Thieme