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
