Joni Mitchell

Question 1

Big Yellow Taxi: Main points

Answer 1

• Protest song, known for its environmental concern within a quintessentially folk idiom
• ‘They paved paradise and put up a parking lot’ - most memorable line highlighting negative impact of urbanisation
• Tonic of E major
• Acoustic guitar tuned in an alternative tuning rather than standard

Question 2

Big Yellow Taxi: Intro

Answer 2

• Intro 8 bars long, strummed guitar chords - 1st chord is subdominant (A major) which has an added F#on beats 3 and 4 creating an A6 chord
• ^This pattern is repeated in the 2nd bar while the 3rd bar moves up a tone to the dominant B major before repeating a B-B6 pattern for the next 2 bars
• Final 4 bars are based around the tonic, played prominently in the bass of the chord while E7 and A major chords alternate over the top of the tonic pedal
• These 3 chords are all primary chords

Question 3

Big Yellow Taxi: Verses

Answer 3

-4 Verses in total, each employing the chords outlined in the intro of the song
-Each verse is 8 bars long and can be divided into different sections:
*The 1st line, lasting 2 bars uses A major and A6 chords
*Guitar strummed chords lasting 2 bars, using tonic pedal with E and E7 chords and A chords over the top
*The second line, lasting 4 bars uses A and A6, B and B6
chords and the tonic pedal with E, E7 chords over the top
-2nd verse uses more developed chord strumming pattern, giving the effect of thickening the musical texture as well as light percussive backing which is present in the third verse
-3rd verse slightly changes the ending of the second line by adding a higher vocal line outlining E-C#-B on the word please

Question 4

Big Yellow Taxi: Chorus

Answer 4

• Slight change of harmony, use of primary triads continues though
• Use of E5 (Bare 5th chord, power chord) at the start of the chorus which is filled in to include the 3rd and 7th
• Final line of the chorus repeats the opening VI-V-I chord pattern heard in the intro and verse
• Introduction of the triangle in the 1st 2 lines playing an initial dotted rhythm that becomes increasingly syncopated towards the end of the phrase
• ^This varies the instrumental timbre and marks the change of section
• At the very end of the chorus, a 3 part chord is sung to nonsense syllables giving a sense of musical climax to the section, sung in close harmony clearly confirming E major
• Final chorus is different, initially a quieter dynamic with less prominent strumming, with a change in vocal tessitura with a final strummed major chord