If you're a fan of John Denver and you play guitar, you might want to learn the Leaving on a Jet Plane guitar chords. Since its initial recording by the Chad Mitchell Trio in 1967, the song has been rerecorded by such performers as Peter, Paul and Mary, Spanky and Our Gang, The Kendalls, Eve 6, and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. No matter which version you prefer, the chord changes remain the same. Knowing the basic chords of the song is the first step toward putting them together in the proper order. The chord changes can be found on a number of websites online.
Leaving on a Jet Plane Guitar Chords
There are six main Leaving on a Jet Plane guitar chords, although you may come across a few versions online that throw in an extra chord for a particular artist's version . You should know all of these to properly play the song.
- C: The "C" chord leaves the low "E," "G" and high "E" strings open or unfretted. You will depress the "A" string at the third fret, the "D" string at the second fret and the "B" string at the first fret. Do not strum the low "E" string.
- F: You will depress every string for the "F" chord, which leaves nothing strummed open. Fret the low "E" at the first fret, the "A" string at the third fret, the "D" string at the fourth fret, the "G" string at the second fret and the "B" and high "E" string at the first fret.
- A minor: Minor chords give music a melancholic, "folky" sound. This chord is no exception. Both "E" strings and the "A" string are left open. You depress the "D" string at the second fret, the "B" string at the third and the "G" string at the first. Do not strum the low "E" string.
- G: The "G" chord is perhaps the easiest chord to play in this song. You will depress only two strings, both "E" -- the low "E" string at the third fret and the high "E" string at the fourth fret. Do not strum the "A" string.
- G7: The "G7" chord is another one with a folky, melancholic feel to it that fits with the mood of this classic song. Another easy chord to play, you will depress the low "E" string at the third fret and the high "E" string at the first. Do not strum the "A" string.
- D minor: The last chord only requires you to play on the highest four strings -- do not strum the low "E" or the "A" string. Leave the "D" string open while fretting the "G" string at the second fret, the "B" string at the third fret and the high "E" string at the first fret.
Putting the Chords to the Lyrics
Knowing which chords to play only takes you part of the way to playing this classic folk tune. Here are a few sites that will show you how to pull it all together and play this song.
- Cowboy Lyrics features the John Denver version.
- Ultimate Guitar features chords based on the Peter, Paul and Mary version.
- AZ Chords features the Chantal Kreviazuk version.
Time to Practice
Now that you have learned how to play all the chords in the song, you have filled your tool kit with the items that you need to strum along with this hit -- no matter which version appeals to you the most. Print out a set of the chords, and you're ready to go.
