Learn a Ukulele-Friendly Arrangement of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”

BY JIM BELOFF | FROM THE SPRING 2025 ISSUE OF UKULELE

When Hal Leonard invited me to compile and arrange a third Daily Ukulele songbook, The Daily Ukulele: Another Year, one of the main inducements was the chance to include tunes by singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, whose song “Both Sides Now” topped my list. She originally recorded it in F# major, and Judy Collins’ early version was in Ab—neither key is ideal for ukulele. To find a middle ground, I arranged the song in G, closely following Collins’ interpretation.

Like all the songs in the book, there are many ways to play “Both Sides Now.” If you’re just learning it, try playing four downstrokes per measure on the beat. While you’re doing that, experiment with the tempo. Changing the tempo of a well-known recording can often pay dividends. Slower versions, for example, can reveal a depth of feeling that wasn’t as obvious in the faster version. When Mitchell re-recorded the song in 2020 with an orchestra and took it at a far slower tempo, it took on a more pensive quality.

The Collins recording is notable for its harpsichord accompaniment, and you can approximate that sound using the basic eighth-note picking pattern shown here on a G chord, which can be repeated throughout the song as the harmony progresses. (Remember, p = thumb,  i = index finger, and m = middle finger.) Also, note that the Dsus4 chord in bar 24 is a D triad (D F# A), in which the fourth (G) replaces the third (F#). Sus, or suspended, chords can be found across all genres, and they are used to create the tension and release that makes music so emotionally satisfying.

Due to copyright restrictions, we are unable to post notation or tablature for this musical work. If you have a digital or physical copy of the Spring 2025 issue of Ukulele magazine you will find the music on page 40.