Women's History Month - Celebrating Guitarist Joni Mitchell

Happy Women’s History Month! In honor of this special month, today we'll be celebrating the innovative guitar playing skills of the one and only Joni Mitchell.

In this episode, Marlene will explore the brilliance of Joni Mitchell—her groundbreaking use of alternate tunings, her innovative fingerstyle playing, and her iconic voice. Joni Mitchell is a true trailblazer in the world of guitar and beyond!

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
I'm Marlene Hutchinson and welcome to Tips for Guitar Plane Success.

(00:09):
As many of you know, I've been sharing my guitar plane tips every Thursday for more than
10 years.
It's been my way to hopefully help you stay motivated, be inspired, and continue expanding
your guitar plane journey.
If you're interested in more learning resources, go to my website, marlene'smusic.com.

(00:33):
And for anyone who's listening and feeling like you're missing out on all the guitar plane
fun, you can easily get started with my super simple, learn to play guitar in a day course.
Now on to today's tip.
This podcast is brought to you in part by Gator.

(00:57):
Whether you just need a bag to gig with on the weekends, or a frequent flyer needing
a flight-friendly TSA series case, or a dedicated road warrior bringing your instruments on tour.
Gator has a solution for you.
For the stuff you love, guard it with Gator.

(01:17):
Today's tip is celebrate Women's History Month.
Learn about the groundbreaking guitarist and singer songwriter, Joni Mitchell.
Happy Women's History Month.
You know, there are countless incredible female guitar players who have made their mark on
the world.

(01:37):
And though I'd love to celebrate them all, today I'm diving into the music of the one and
only, Joni Mitchell.
In this episode, I'll be exploring the brilliance of Joni Mitchell, her groundbreaking use of
alternate tunings, her innovative finger style playing, and of course, her iconic voice.

(01:58):
From her unique approach to songwriting to her undeniable influence on music history, Joni
Mitchell is a true trailblazer in the world of guitar and beyond.
So let's celebrate her legacy together.
This is always a big shout out this week and thank you to our fellow guitarists joining

(02:19):
us from Canada, Poland, Guadalupe and Australia.
By the way, if you listen on Spotify, Apple or wherever you listen to your podcasts, please
do me a favor and hit the subscribe button.
It will help other players easily find this podcast.
Thank you.

(02:40):
Joni Mitchell, born Roberta Joan Anderson, is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, guitarist,
multi-instrumentalist, and a painter.
She is one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s music scene and is

(03:00):
known for her lyrics and unconventional music, incorporating elements of folk, classical,
pop, jazz, and rock.
Her songs often reflect social and philosophical ideas, as well as her feelings about romance,
disappointment, and joy.
From an early age, Joni was drawn to the arts, music, and performing.

(03:26):
Her first instrument was a piano, but she wanted to play guitar.
Her mother disapproved, so Joni settled on learning to play the ukulele.
She eventually taught herself to play guitar from a Pete Seeger songbook.
At age 9, she contracted polio which weakened her left hand.

(03:48):
So she devised alternate tunings to compensate and later used those tunings to create nonstandard
approaches to harmony and structure in her music.
She is well known for her acoustic guitar music.
But in the late 1970s, she began incorporating an electric guitar into her performances.

(04:12):
Joni began writing her songs in standard tuning, but as her writing evolved, she soon branched
out to using her developing 51 alternate guitar tunings to create her music style.
She began performing in Canadian nightclubs in the early 1960s, before beginning a tour

(04:32):
in the United States in 1965.
Her debut album was recorded and released in 1968.
She's gone on to record 19 albums.
Her 1971 blue album is often cited as one of the best albums of all time.
Hey everyone, I'm super excited.

(04:53):
We've been really busy here in my studio getting ready because in April we'll be launching
tips for guitar playing success on YouTube podcasts.
It's going to be the same great content that you hear on the podcast show, but it will be
in video format.

(05:14):
I think it's going to be a great way for me to not only share the topics that are important
to us guitarists, but I'll be able to show you what I'm talking about too.
Stay tuned, the first episode will air on April 10th, and don't forget you can be part
of our vibrant guitar tips community and join us for a fun and exciting jam session.

(05:41):
Whether you're a seasoned musician or just starting out, this is the perfect opportunity
to connect, play and create music together.
So don't miss out on this fantastic event, become a member today, the link is in the show
notes.
And let's make some music magic happen.

(06:03):
Some of her original songs include Chelsea Morning, both sides now, The Circle Game, Help
Me, Free Man in Paradise and Big Yellow Taxi.
She has received 11 Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 1997.
Rolling Stone called her one of the greatest songwriters ever.

(06:27):
All music said, "Joni Mitchell may stand as the most important influential female recording
artist of the late 20th century."
In 2002 she received the Grammys Lifetime Achievement Award.
And in 2017 NPR ranked her 1971 album Blue as number one on its list of greatest albums

(06:53):
made by a woman.
It should be no surprise that her music is influenced numerous contemporary artists such
as Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding, Harry Styles, Prince, Madonna, and Pink Floyd's David Gilmore
to name a few.
Her songs have been covered by Judy Collins, Janet Jackson, Amy Grant, Crosby Stills

(07:20):
Nash and Young, Diana Crawl, Prince, and Annie Lennox.
Again, to name just a few.
"Joni, if you happen to be listening, thank you for sharing your talents and timeless music
with all of us."
Alrighty, I'm inspired.
I'm going to go grab my guitar, sit outside on my patio, and play Joni Mitchell's songs

(07:43):
to celebrate this groundbreaking female guitarist.
Starting with my favorite, Big Yellow Taxi.
I hope this episode's tip has helped you to continue expanding your guitar playing skills
and knowledge.
If you'd like to learn more, please check out the many learning resources available at

(08:08):
MarleneSmusic.com.
Thank you for joining today's podcast.
And as I like to say, play on.
[MUSIC]