Almost every song she composed on the guitar uses an open, or non-standard, tuning; she has written songs in some 50 different tunings, which she has referred to as "Joni's weird chords". The use of alternative tunings allows more varied and complex harmonies to be produced on the guitar, without the need for difficult chord shapes. Indeed, many of Joni's guitar songs use very simple chord shapes, but her use of alternative tunings and a highly rhythmic picking/strumming style creates a rich and unique guitar sound. Her right-hand picking/strumming technique has evolved over the years from an initially intricate picking style, typified by the guitar songs on her first album, to a looser and more rhythmic style, sometimes incorporating percussive "slaps", that have been featured on later albums.
Mitchell's longtime archivist, the San Francisco-based Joel Bernstein, maintains a detailed list of all her tunings, and has assisted her in relearning the tunings for several older songs.
In 2003 Rolling Stone named her the 72nd greatest guitarist of all time; she was the highest-ranked woman on the list.
Discography
1968 Song to a Seagull
1969 Clouds
1970 Ladies of the Canyon
1971 Blue
1972 For the Roses
1974 Court and Spark
1974 Miles of Aisles
1975 The Hissing of Summer Lawns
1976 Hejira
1977 Don Juan's Reckless Daughter
1979 Mingus
1980 Shadows and Light
1982 Wild Things Run Fast
1985 Dog Eat Dog
1988 Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm
1991 Night Ride Home
1994 Turbulent Indigo
1998 Taming the Tiger
2000 Both Sides Now
2002 Travelogue
2007 Shine
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