Lesson 13 of 14Acoustic GuitarIntermediate

Portobello Road

Laurence Juber teaches his tune Portobello Road in DADGAD tuning, working through its C and G minor sections and the trickier key changes.

Part of the courseWooden Horses14 lessons (1h 33m)

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Laurence JuberYour guruLaurence Juber

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14 lessons (1h 33m) · 1 free
    • 01. Enough Is Never Enough

      8:12

    • 02. Guitar Noir

      5:34

    • 03. The Crow's Nest

      Free lesson

      5:15

    • 04. Maple Avenue Strut

      9:05

    • 05. The Ornament Waltz

      10:38

    • 06. Rufus

      7:19

    • 07. Highway 17

      8:38

    • 08. Being Here With You

      4:51

    • 09. Wooden Horses

      7:42

    • 10. Double Agent

      7:01

    • 11. Shebeg & Shemore

      4:44

    • 12. Around The Block

      6:39

    • 13. Portobello Road

      You are here

      6:28

    • 14. Parting thoughts

      1:03

Lesson transcript

Music Lesson: Portobello Road in Dadgad

Key Information:

  • Intro: Starts off in C
  • Main Body: G minor
  • Chords Used:
    • DADGAD C
    • B flat
    • A minor

Lesson Breakdown

  1. Intro:

    • Begin with D chord.
    • Transition into G minor for the main theme.
    • Important: Focus on hammer-on technique for articulation.
  2. Verse:

    • Straightforward chord changes.
    • Practice until comfortable with the transitions.
  3. Key Change (Measure 17):

    • This section is tricky; play slowly.
    • Use a slight frailing technique with the index and back of the middle finger.
  4. Phrase Repetition:

    • Return to Measure 9 for the theme.
    • Note:
      • Play straight (neither sixteenths nor eighths swung).
      • Sometimes feels like it wants a slight swing, especially in this section.

Bridge Section

  • Key Modulation: C minor (ties back to the intro in minor).
  • Important Technique:
    • In Measure 30, pivot to achieve the E flat (first fret of the first string).
    • Open up for the D, then return to bar for G minor.

Final Repeats

  • Variation:
    • Explore slight changes in Measure 43 before returning to G minor.
    • At the end, go back to the chorus at Measure 17.
  • Consistency:
    • Everything remains consistent.
  1. Coda:
    • Transition back to the intro figure.
    • Final Note: Play the last bit one more time for clarity.

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Meet your guru

Laurence Juber

Laurence Juber

Laurence Juber first became known as lead guitarist in Paul McCartney's band Wings. Since then he has built a career as a fingerstyle guitarist, composer and arranger, working largely in the DADGAD tuning that earned him the nickname 'the Duke of DADGAD'.

He has been voted Guitarist of the Year by readers of Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine and named among the top guitarists by Acoustic Guitar magazine, alongside a long list of solo albums and worldwide touring.

In his courses he teaches his fingerstyle technique and the DADGAD tuning he's known for, how to arrange melody, harmony and bass together for solo guitar, and the pieces - like his signature 'Wooden Horses' - that bring it all together.

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