beginner lesson. Leaving on a Jet Plane, John Denver

Hello again gang!

There's been some great songs posted on here recently, particularly by Vic who seems to have gone Tab crazy (got to have something to replace the fags Vic…). A big thanks to everyone who's contributed so much. However a lot of the recent stuff isn't really aimed at beginners, so very much as David has gone back to basics with his recent lesson on the Beatles Eleanor Rigby, I have done much the same here with Peter Paul and Mary's version of John Denver's “Leaving on a Jet Plane”.

I have tried to give as many hints tips and pointers as I could and keep the chords nice and simple, while adding a few little things to spice it up in places.

I hope beginners use this as a springboard to greater things!

Timing / Strumming
If you are a total beginner, I suggest you use all downstrums “on the beat” to get the hang of the chord changes and where they take place. This song is a nice steady 4/4 time so in your head you should be counting –

ONE TWO THREE FOUR, ONE TWO THREE FOUR, ONE TWO THREE FOUR

So when I say “on the beat” play a downstrum every time you say a number!
When you are a bit more advanced you can try mixing up the strumming, a good starting pattern would be something like

1 down
+ miss (arm is coming back up for the next down)
2 down
+ miss (arm is coming back up for next down
3 down
+ up
4 down
+ up
Keep your arm moving nice and steadily, it shouldn't feel jerky or rushed, and on the u (upstrum) part, just lightly brush the treble strings (the thin ones!) on the way back up.

Song Structure
Basically its intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, verse, chorus/outro

So I am going to concentrate on the intro, first verse and chorus, if you can learn that much, the whole song's licked!

First off though lets have a look at the chords you'll need. And don't worry, I know there's a few of them, but some are just one finger chords, others are variations on a theme. Don't panic!!

One finger chords
C/D xx0010 (use index finger on B string 1st fret, and only strum the highest four strings in pitch, so that's the high E, B, G and D strings)
G/D xx0003 use ring finger here, on the 3rd fret of the high E string.

Normal “open” chords
Am x02210
C x32010
G 320003
D xx0232
Dsus4 xx0233 (just take your normal D and add your pinky to high E 3rd fret)
D7 xx0212 (think of this as a D in reverse.

So yes, sure there's 8 chords in the song. But really, 2 of them are so easy a trained chimp could play them, and three are versions of D. So worry not!

Let's jump right on in and have a look at the INTRO

IntroThe chord progression here is

G/D four beats
D7 four beats
G/D four beats
D two beats
C/D two beats

Start off by working out the easiest (i.e least finger movement needed) to go from G/D (xx0003) to D7 (xx0212)….look at the high E string, you are going from fret 3 to fret 2 when you change chords yeah? So it makes sense to try and keep a finger on that string doesn't it? So, put your ring finger on the high E 3rd fret. Then do your four downstrums, then slide that finger down to fret 2 and add your index finger to the B string 1st fret, and your middle finger to the G string 2nd fret to get to xx0212 D7. If you can't follow that, try it again! What you are looking to achieve is a nice smooth change (or transition) from one chord to the next. Again, do your four downstrums then change back to your first chord, by removing all your fingers except your ring finger, and sliding this from the 2nd to the 3rd fret. Do your four strums again. Now this time, you are going to a proper D chord, so again from the G/D chord slide your ring finger down to the 2nd fret and then add your middle finger to the B string 3rd fret and your index to the G string 2nd fret to get to xx0232. BUT you are only staying on this for TWO BEATS, so immediately after your first two downstrums, remove all your fingers then use your index finger to quickly grab the 1st fret of the B string for the final two beats, forming your C/D chord. Be careful to only strum the highest four strings for all these chords so far!

And that is the intro sorted. Phew!

Now we are into the first verse. I am going to assume that you know how to form a C and G chord for the purposes of the rest of this!

OK so you start off with four beats of G, then 4 beats of C, another 4 of G, another 4 of C, another 4 of G, and 4 of C, then you leave your index finger in place on the B string first fret and use your middle and index fingers to form your D7 chord (on the “goodbye”), follow this up with four beats of our one finger wonder chord C/D, then back into your G and C progression, all the way to “I could die”. This is the bit where I have added a little “embellishment” (that's a posh word for something a bit fancy…!). On the word “die” you form your D chord and play this for 4 beats, then add your pinky onto the high E string to form xx0233 (Dsus4) for two beats, then remove it for the final two beats as you sing “so..”. Simple enough.

Finally the chorus.

Pretty much the same as you have played before – note the D / Dsus4 / D section as played in the verse above, the only change is right at the end when you go to D7, stay on that chord for 4 beats, then another 2 and finally go to your C/D chord to end and return to the verse.

And that's about it. This is a great song for a beginner to practice chord changes, the G to C change is one that needs a lot of practice to get right, and the little flourish on the D chords are well worth practicing. Remember, once you have got the chord changes ok with just downstrokes, play around with strumming patterns but keep the timing the same, and you're away!

Peter Paul and Mary's version of John Denver's “Leaving on a Jet plane”
Chord Shapes
G/D xx0003 only strum 4 highest strings } hint – work out what finger
D7 xx0212 “backward D” } stays on high E string
G 320003
C x32010
D xx0232 Dsus4 add pinky to high e to get xx0233
C/D xx0010 think of this as just an index finger C, strum 4 strings only.


Intro
G/D D7 G/D D C/D
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
all my
VERSE (all chords are for a count of 4 unless indicated)
G C
Bags are packed I'm ready to fly I'm
G C
Standing here out-side your door, I
G C D7 C/D
Hate to wake you up to say good-bye but the
G C
Dawn is breaking, its early morn the
G C
Taxis waiting, he's blowin his horn all-
G C D 1 2 3 4 Dsus4 1 2 D 3 4 (add pinky Dsus4)
Ready I'm so lonesome I could die so..

CHORUS
G C
Kiss me and smile for me
G C
Tell me that you'll wait for me
G Am D 1 2 3 4 Dsus4 1 2 D 3 4
Hold me like you'll never let me go cos I'm
G C
Leaving on a jet plane,
G C
Don't know when I'll be back again
G C D7 1 2 3 4 1 2 C/D 3 4
……..…oh baby I hate to go there's so

VERSE (all chords are for a count of four unless indicated)
G C
Many times I've let you down so
G C
Many times I've played around I
G C D7 C/D
Tell you now, they don't mean a thing every
G C
Every place I go, I'll think of you, every
G C
Song I sing, I'll sing it for you when
G C D 1 2 3 4 Dsus4 1 2 D 3 4 (add pinky Dsus4)
I come back I'l wear your wedding ring so

CHORUS
G C
Kiss me and smile for me
G C
Tell me that you'll wait for me
G Am D 1 2 3 4 Dsus4 1 2 D 3 4
Hold me like you'll never let me go cos I'm
G C
Leaving on a jet plane,
G C
Don't know when I'll be back again
G C D7 1 2 3 4 1 2 C/D 3 4
……..…oh baby I hate to go

VERSE (all chords are for a count of four unless indicated otherwise)
G C
Now the time, has come to leave you
G C
One more time, let me kiss you, then
G C D7 C/D
Close your eyes and I'll be on my way
G C
Dream about the days to come when
G C
I won't have to leave alone
G C D 1 2 3 4 Dsus4 1 2 D 3 4 (add pinky Dsus4)
a-bout the times I won't have to say

CHORUS
G C
Kiss me and smile for me
G C
Tell me that you'll wait for me
G Am D 1 2 3 4 Dsus4 1 2 D 3 4
Hold me like you'll never let me go cos I'm
G C
Leaving on a jet plane,
G C
Don't know when I'll be back again
G C D7 D7 (note this small change !)
……..…oh baby I hate to go ‘cos I'm
G C
Leaving on a jet plane,
G C
Don't know when I'll be back again
G C
Leaving on a jet plane,
G C
Don't know when I'll be back again
G (single strum to end)

Enjoy playing this song, whether you're just starting out or an old hippy like me that still likes this kind of stuff!!

all the best

Matt