Joni Mitchell Dulcimer Survival Tips

Описание: 0:00 All I Want
8:24 Carey
12:22 California
20:00 A Case of You

Here's all the dulcimer stuff from Joni's BLUE album plus some extras. I had to learn all this for a singer, Brenda Fulz of Cincinnati, Ohio, who wanted to do some of Joni's songs in keys more suited to her own voice.

(Joni Mitchell, if you want me to remove this video from YouTube, just say the word. My hope is that all this honors you. I honor you!)

Joni is THE MASTER. I am not. This is what I learned to do the gig. I'm sure I got some stuff wrong. I've shared this with others who have done the same gig. Joni Mitchell, please allow me the privilege of talking to you about your playing? I'll meet you anywhere, anytime. Thank you!

My notes: (Remember, the keys here may be different from the original album. The following ideas helped me map everything out. Also, not all of these songs should have dulcimer on them, but we tried anyway. If you have any questions, please email me using [email protected]. Please put "Joni Mitchell" in the subject line.)

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All I Want - Key of Db major (Doing in D)
Big Yellow Taxi - Key of E major
California - Key of E major
Carey - Key of Db major (Doing in D)
A Case of You - Key of Db major
My Old Man - Key of A major

All I Want D

Key of Db on album and video.
No 6.5 fret. On the 670 chord, it should be a 6.5,70, so is she bending? It’s very easy to do with the bass so low!
Is she also sometimes bending or over-pushing the 340? to 3.5 4 0?
I tuned roughly Gb, Ab, Ab (Bass is lower than usual. Other two are close to what you get with DAA.)
Looks like double melody and everything strung up backwards?

Real album is clearly more in tune Gb, Ab, Ab.
Added intro.

To tune, get 5th of key on middle and melody strings.
Fret bass at one to match octave lower.

Intro starts 330 and uses this shape except for high interval of 890.


California - D

Her double melody is farthest from her. Her bass is in the middle. My middle is closest to her belly.
Tuning on the BBC video is CFA (a little flat) - I’m tuning FAC.

Video: Key of F Major

Starts on 777
333
111
444

Next part
333
000
555
333
200
444

(Little 000 333 turn around on the album)

Next Part

888
333
777
444
888
333
111
444 666 444 (album is 111 666 444 I think)
(on album 333 —— 444 —— 000 into verse - )

[[[[[[[[[Figure out interlude here.]]]]]]]]]

Setup 444 000 333
then half of intro - the 444 with the lick that’s flat picked

Ending
keep doing 888
333
777
444 (end on 444 eventually)

Sometimes she does this little thing where she’s playing a 333 and then you hear 3 2 0 on the melody before the next part

(on the album, a 333 somewhere might have bent temporarily sus with 33+3 - find it!?)

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From Album

Key of E major.
I’d tune E G# B
Be ready for F or E or who knows what.


Carey D - a little faster

CGG? (confirmed on video. album was probably old string arrangement with same tuning up or down a bit - voice seems a little lower in video)
In video - different dulcimer - more bass - my favorite shapes like 230 340 120 - strung normal now? melody strings droning the whole time
she goes up high with some of her shapes



A Case of You C

74 video in D major - LowA A A
83 video in C on newer dulcimer where bass is in normal place - LowC C C

Lots of shapes like 460 350

Ending does 9 8 7 melody on the middle string



Big Yellow Taxi

Album key of E major.



My Old Man

Not sure I can do this one.
Key of A. Lots of slash chords so don’t worry about bass. Play triads.
You can probably do all this but you don’t have a G#m7 unless you just play C#s and F#s which might work.
I can do this but I don’t need to stand out at all.


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program - figure out when i’m tuning

california - consider thicker strings - tell sound guy to turn me up

on all tunes - interludes and setups

do charts -

doing album in order

arrive at 7:00