Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell - California guitar tab

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From: spxhaw@thor.cf.ac.uk (Howard Wright \(Hman\))

California - Joni Mitchell

------------------------------

From the album 'Blue'

Tabbed by Howard Wright

spxhaw@uk.ac.cf.thor

The original has a dulcimer part playing the intro, and playing chords in

the main part of the song. I've tabbed the dulcimer intro bit for guitar

using an alternative tuning. For the main part of the song, the acoustic

(using normal tuning) dominates; I've written out chord shapes ( and a bit

of tab) for this, as well as shapes for the 'dulcimer' part.

The original acoustic part adds a few noodles on top of the basic chords

(mostly sus4 and sus2 type of things). I've tried to include a few of these,

but I havn't tried to TAB note for note what is played.

The acoustic part is played with a capo at the 3rd fret, so when I

write D I mean play a D shape above the 3rd fret. (The actual

chord would be F)

OK ?

To play the dulcimer part, tune to : F Bb D A C F (no capo used)

Low E up to F

A up to Bb

D - same

G up to A

B up to C

E up to F

h - hammer on

p - pull off

/ - slide

INTRO :

--------

G A D G/A

F-------------------------------------------2---------------------------0--0--

C---4h5p4-0---0--2---2-2---2---2-----0----4---4-----0---0-0---0-0-------2--2--

A-----------0----1---1-1---1-------0------3-----3---0---0-0---0-0-------1--1--

D----------------3---3-3---3------------------------3---3-3---3-3-------------

Bb---------------0---0-0---0------------------------------------------2-2--2--

F---------------------------------------------------0---0-0---0-0-------------

VERSE 1:

--------

D

Sitting in a park in Paris France

G D/F# E7

Reading the news and it sure looks bad

E7

They won't give peace a chance

Em/A A7 D

That was just a dream some of us had

D G

Still a lot of lands to see

D/F# E7

But I wouldn't want to stay here

E7 Em/A A7

It's too old and cold and settled in its ways here

CHORUS:

-------

G Gsus4 G

Ah but California

D B7 B7/F# B7

California I'm coming home

G

I'm gonna see the folks I dig

D/F# A Asus2

I'll even kiss a sunset pig

A D

California I'm coming home

D Gmaj7 D Dsus4 D A/G

E--0h2p0--------2---2--0----------2---3---2-----------------

B--3-----3---3--3---3--3-----3----3---3---3---------3--3----

G----------2----4---4--4-----2----2---2---2---------4--4----

D----------------------------0----0---0---0---------5--5----

A------------------------------------------------0--0--0----

E---------------3---3---------------------------------------

VERSE 2:

---------

D

I met a redneck on a Grecian isle

G E7

We did the goat dance very well

E7

He gave me back my smile

Em/A A7

But he kept my camera to sell

D

Oh the rogue, the red red rogue

G

He cooked good omelettes and stews

E

And I might have stayed on with him there

A7

But my heart cried out for you

CHORUS:

--------

G Gsus4 G

California

D B7 B7/F# B7

Oh California I'm coming home

G

Oh make me feel good rock and roll band

Dsus2/F#

I'm your biggest fan

A

California I'm coming home

D Gmaj7 D Dsus4 D

E--0h2p0--------2---2--0-----2----2---3---2-----------

B--3-----3---3--3---3--3-----3----3---3---3-----------

G----------2----4---4--4-----2----2---2---2-----------

D----------------------------0----0---0---0-----------

A----------------------------------------------------

E---------------3---3---------------------------------

MIDDLE 8:

---------

D E

Oh it gets so lonely

G

When you're walking

D A

And the streets are full of strangers

A E D/F# G E7

All the news of home you read just give you the blues

C A Asus4 A Asus2 A

Just give you the blues

G A D G/A

F--------------------------------2---------------------------0--0--

C-----2---2-2---2---2-----0----4---4-----0---0-0---0-0-------2--2--

A-----1---1-1---1-------0------3-----3---0---0-0---0-0-------1--1--

D-----3---3-3---3------------------------3---3-3---3-3-------------

Bb----0---0-0---0------------------------------------------2-2--2--

F----------------------------------------0---0-0---0-0------------

VERSE 3:

---------

(For the standard tuning acoustic, use the G,E7 and A shapes which are

higher up the neck - I've marked them below with a '*' )

D G*

So I bought me a ticket I caught a plane to Spain

E7*

Went to a party down a red dirt road

There were lots of pretty people there

A* G* D

Reading Rolling Stone reading Vogue

D G*

They said how long can you hang around

G* E7*

I said a week maybe two

A*

Just until my skin turns brown

G*

And then I'm going home

CHORUS:

--------

G Gsus4 G

To California

D

California

B7 B7/F#

I'm coming home

B7 G

Oh will you take me as I am

D/F#

Strung out on another man

A7 D

California I'm coming home

D Gmaj7 D Dsus4 D

E--0h2p0--------2---2--0-----2----2---3---2-----------

B--3-----3---3--3---3--3-----3----3---3---3-----------

G----------2----4---4--4-----2----2---2---2-----------

D----------------------------0----0---0---0-----------

A----------------------------------------------------

E---------------3---3---------------------------------

D E

Oh it gets so lonely

G

When you're walking

D A

And the streets are full of strangers

E G

All the news of home you read

D A

More about the war and the bloody changes

E G

Oh will you take me as I am

D

Will you take me as I am

A E

Will you, will you take me as I am

G D A

Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm

E

Take me as I am ......

Chord Shapes :

--------------

Standard tuning (acoustic guitar part)

REMEMBER - these are capoed at the 3rd fret

EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE

xx0232 3x0003 020100 x02020 3x0013 xx5433

D G E7 A7 Gsus4 G*

EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE

x21202 x02220 2x023x x02230 x02200 2x0230

B7 A D/F# Asus4 Asus2 Dsus2/F#

EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE EADGBE

x32010 x02030 x0543x x0200x 2x120x xx2434

C A7sus4 G/A Em/A B7/F# E7*

EADGBE

xx7655

A*

Alternative tuning (Dulcimer part)

-----------------------------------

Just to keep things simple I'll keep the same chord names as for

the standard tuning guitar part. In actual fact, the dulcimer chords

are all in F, but since the acoustic guitar is played in D with

a capo on the 3rd fret, it's also effectively playing in F, although

all the chord names are written in D. So to make it easy (I hope!)

I'll write all the chords as though it were in D.

If you can't understand what the fuck I'm on about, mail me and I'll try

to explain.

I havn't tabbed all the chords, but these are the basic ones.

(I'll write 'b' for the Bb string to save space)

FbDACF FbDACF FbDACF FbDACF FbDACF FbDACF

023000 xx3354 x03120 x03555 243222 x22102

D D G G E7 A7

FbDACF FbDACF FbDACF FbDACF

xx0321 x03130 4x3000 x2x120

B7 Gsus4 D/F# G/A

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