Chords for Joni Mitchell "Little Green": Intro to Alternate Tunings | Reverb Learn to Play

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[B] Hey friends, [Em] Joe here at Reverb.com and today I'm taking a look at some Joni Mitchell songs and tunings.
[N] In this lesson we're going to check out the song Little Green.
Little Green uses an open G tuning, so that's going to [D] be D, [G] G, D, _ G, B, D. _
_ _ _ _ _ [E] This song is also going to use [D#] a capo and the capo is going to be on the fourth fret.
[B] _ _ _
_ _ The open position here, the fourth fret, gives us an open B [E] basically.
Zero position would be open G tuning, capo is on four so [B] it's B.
B major is the key of the song.
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[B] _ [C#] _ _ _ [B] _ _ With this lesson, like the other Joni lessons on the [A#] site, I like to kind of break down the progression in its simplest terms.
So what we're looking at progression wise here [B] is B major _ _ _ [D#m] and then _ we're looking at [A#] D sharp minor, which would be the three [D#m] minor chord.
_ _ [B] And then [C#m] C sharp minor, which would be the two minor.
_ [B] And then back to one.
So the progression is essentially one, three minor, two minor, one.
First let's take a look at the movement in the bass.
_ We have open [Bm] B and our bass movement is just going to be following the roots of those chords.
So we have one, _ _ [D#] _ _
[G#m] D sharp, which is the root of the three minor [C#] chord.
_ C sharp, [C#m] root of the two minor chord.
[B] And then back to one.
So that's our bass movement there.
_ _ [D#] _ _ [C#] _ _
_ [B] _ _ _ Now let's take a look at the top line.
Again, taking it down [F#m] to its simple terms, we're going to add the tensions and the finger picking in a second here,
but just kind of laying out how these voices are moving together.
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_ _ [D#m] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [C#m] _ _ _ [B] _ _ _
_ _ _ Our one chord is not just a one chord, _ it's got this major seven on top. _ _
Beautiful. _ _ _ _ _
So I'm hitting [Em] the first two strings as [F] well as my root here, my B [B] root.
_ _ And I'm just lifting that off and then back on.
And my bass is following where the major seven hits.
One, two, three, four. _ _ _ _
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Going to my fourth string here with my thumb, and that kind of rocks an eighth note four [G#m] _ _ _ _
_ [C] [F#] times there.
_ [B] And then on top is going to be, _ _ _ _ _ _ so just top two strings there. _ _ _
_ Now we have this beautiful pattern.
_ I'm hitting the root of the three chord right here and [Cm] the top string at [D#m] the same time.
[B] _ _ [C] And then following up [D#m] the chord there.
[B] _ _ [G] Beautiful [B] tension. _ _
And then back up to the top.
_ [C#m] _ _ _ [B] _ _
Okay, so similar [F#] movement on the [D#m] three minor [B] to the two minor.
[C#m] _ _ _ _ [Bm] But that [E] top note on the two minor is going to be on your second string there.
It's going to be the [C#m] third. _
[B] Back up top.
And then [E] we're going open chord and then hammering on second fret and [B] first fret for a sus feel.
[C#] _ _ [B] Back up top.
[C#] _ _ _ _
_ [B] _ Something like that.
Boiling down to just the triads, right?
Okay.
One, _ [D#m] three, _ [C#m] two, _ [B] and one.
And [E] now let's play them as they're heard with the tensions in the song.
Still not fingerpicking, just hearing the chords ring [B] out. _ _ _ _ _ _
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Okay?
Beautiful.
Just simple, open tensions. _ _ _
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_ _ [B] _ _ _ Okay, that was Little Green from Joni Mitchell.
New tuning, capo.
Check it out.
[E] I hope you learned something from this lesson.
[B] Thanks for [C#] watching.
We've got some other Joni Mitchell [B] tuning lessons on the site. _
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