Eric Johnson - Cliffs Of Dover Pt.5 - Outro Chorus & Cadenza - Guitar Lesson

About Cliffs Of Dover Pt.5 - Outro Chorus & Cadenza

The outro chorus and cadenza section of "Cliffs of Dover" is where Eric Johnson really puts the technique demands on full display. The cadenza in particular is a solo showcase of fluid, lightning-fast pentatonic runs in G major that require clean alternate picking and smooth legato phrasing working together. At 120 BPM the passage feels brisk, and even small inconsistencies in pick attack or left-hand muting will stand out in a big way. The outro chorus rewards attention to dynamics too: Johnson shapes phrases with noticeable swells and falls in volume, so playing every note at the same intensity will flatten the feel entirely. This is exactly the kind of section where the Practice Toolbar earns its keep. Loop the cadenza run slowed down until your fretting hand can land every note cleanly before you push the tempo back up. Progressive Rock phrasing sensibility runs through the whole piece, and this closing section is the clearest example of it.

• The cadenza demands a fluid combination of alternate picking and legato hammer-ons and pull-offs across pentatonic runs in G major.
• E Standard tuning is used throughout, so no retuning is needed, but clean string muting is critical given the fast passage work.
• Tone clarity matters enormously here: Johnson's clean, glassy guitar sound means any fret buzz or sloppy transitions will be immediately audible.