Joni Mitchell

Question 1

Harmony

Answer 1

• Simple harmony (folk influence)
• Some use of extended chords showing jazz influence

Question 2

Melody

Answer 2

• Wide range of pitch
• Word painting (‘fly’ in river)
• Often avoids uniform melodic phrase length
• Melodic embellishments - melisma making some notes sound more improvisatory

Question 3

Texture

Answer 3

• Melody dominated homophony
• Later work uses more piano - rocking feel in LH and harmonic filling in RH.

Question 4

Rhythm

Answer 4

• Syncopation
• Dotted rhythm

Question 5

Instrumentation

Answer 5

• Mainly written for guitar in early work
• Alternate tunings on guitar - uses unconventional fingerings
• Integrates piano into later work

Question 6

Structure