Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell - Cool Water guitar tab

Cool Water - by Bob Nolan, revised lyrics & arrangement by Joni Mitchell

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

From Chalk Mark In A Rain Storm, 1988

Transcribed by Howard Wright

Howard@jmdl.com

Tuning:

-------

low to high: DAEGAD

Joni notation: D77325

There are several electric guitars playing in this track, and not all of

them are Joni's. I think the two guitars panned far left and right are

Joni's, and the guitars in the centre of the stereo image are played

by someone else. The chords here are just for Joni's guitar part.

Joni uses a lot of upward strums on the top three or four open strings

between chords, a favourite technique of hers. I've indicated most of

these as xx0000 (I think of them as a kind of "punctuation" between

chords). In most cases, these open strings should be left to ring on

as the next chord is fingered.

To contrast with the open string chords, most of the shapes at the 5th

and 7th fret (5554xx and 7776xx) are played without using the top open

strings. Try adding an occasional open string to these shapes (as Joni

does), but try and play most of them using just the bottom four strings.

INTRO

------

(Keyboard solo)

(Guitar starts at 00:36)

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

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

G-----2--0----1--1---1--1--1--1----2-----2--------

E---2---------2--2---2--2--2--2----2---2----------

A-------------2---------2------------0------------

D-------------2---------2----------0--------------

(repeat above part once)

VERSE 1

--------

002200 xx0000 7776xx xx0000

All day I face the barren waste

002200 xx0000 7776xx

Without a taste of water

002200 xx0000

Cool water

5554xx 550000 7776xx 770000

Old Dan and I, our throats slate dry

999xxx 999000 555400 002200 xx0000

Our spirits cry out for water

7776xx 999000 xx0000

Cool clear water

Note: for the chords on "Old Dan and I ...", and for equivalent

sections of the other verses, Joni usually takes off the fingers

that are fretting the middle two strings before playing the chord

with the open strings. Exactly which fingers are removed can be

varied, e.g you can play 5554xx 550000 or 5554xx 550400.

Sometimes it sounds as though the two guitars played by Joni do

slightly different things here, so one might add the open strings

without changing the chord at all (5554xx 555400). Try different

variations here - the main thing is to contrast the chords that use

only the bottom four strings with the fuller sound of the chords

that also use the top open strings.

VERSE 2

--------

002200 xx0000 7776xx xx0000

Keep on movin' Dan, some devils had a plan

002200 xx0000

Buried poison in the sand

7776xx xx0000 999000 xx0000

Don't drink it man, it's in the water

2221xx 002200 xx0000

Cool clear water

MIDDLE 8

---------

5554xx 550000 7776xx 770000

In my mind I see a big green tree

5554xx 550000

And a river flowin' free

7776xx 770000 999000 xx0000

Waitin' up ahead for you and me

2221xx 002200

Cool clear water

repeat intro riff:

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

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

G-----2--0----1--1---1--1--1--1----

E---2---------2--2---2--2--2--2----

A-------------2---------2----------

D-------------2---------2----------

VERSE 3

--------

002200 xx0000 7776xx xx0000

The nights are cool and I'm a fool

002200 xx0000 7776xx

Each star's a pool of water

002200 xx0000

Cool water

5554xx 550000 7776xx 770000

But come the dawn we carry on

999xxx xx0000 555400 002200 xx0000

We won't last long without water

7776xx 999000 xx0000

Cool clear water

VERSE 4

--------

002200 xx0000 7776xx xx0000

Keep on movin' Dan, we're still in no-man's land

002200 xx0000

Dry bones and sand

7776xx xx0000 999000 xx0000

People never planned here for water

2221xx 002200 xx0000

Cool clear water

MIDDLE 8

---------

(It sounds like most of the open string strums on 5554xx

and 7776xx are done without removing any fingers this time).

5554xx 555400 7776xx 777600

In my mind I see a big green tree

5554xx 555400

And a river flowin' free

7776xx 770000 999000 xx0000

Waitin' up ahead for you and me

2221xx 002200

Cool clear water

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

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

G-----2--0----1--1---1--1--1--1----

E---2---------2--2---2--2--2--2----

A-------------2---------2----------

D-------------2---------2----------

VERSE 5

--------

002200 xx0000 7776xx xx0000

The shadows sway, they seem to say

002200 xx0000 7776xx

Tonight we pray for water

002200 xx0000

Cool water

5554xx 550400 7776xx xx0000

And way up there, if you care

999000 555400

Please show us where

002200 xx0000

There's good water

7776xx 999000 xx0000

Cool clear water

2221xx 002200 xx0000

Cool clear water

2221xx 002200 xx0000

Cool clear water

(repeat and fade)

Get this song at:  amazon.com sheetmusicplus.com

Share your thoughts

Comments