Saturday 2 September 2017

Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi

I was working out the chords for Joni Mitchell's 'Big Yellow Taxi'.

On the album, the song is in the key of E, but on a BBC live recording she is playing in F#; she's actually playing D shape open chords, with a capo on the 4th fret to make it F# key.

But in a 1983 concert at Wembley she's playing in E with open and barred E shapes!

And in an official DVD she's playing in D with a open D and barred other chords!

So there are lots of keys and chording styles that you could play the song in and it would still be in the style of how Joni played it!

BBC 1970:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFB-d-8_bvY

Wembley 1983:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FOqJq2GK_4

DVD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7agB7jriyUU