Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street - Guitar Lesson

City to City

1978 6:06

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About Baker Street

Most guitarists come to "Baker Street" chasing that famous saxophone hook, and the first thing to settle is how the guitar fits around it. Gerry Rafferty built the track on a clean, rhythmic Classic Rock foundation, with the guitar holding down a steady groove in A major at 122 BPM while the horn takes the spotlight. In E Standard tuning, the chord work sits comfortably in open and first-position A shapes, but keeping the strumming locked and even at that tempo demands more discipline than it first appears. The real challenge is feel: the rhythm guitar needs to stay relaxed and behind the beat rather than rushing into the riff spaces. Pick out the transitions between chords carefully, because the arrangement is sparse enough that any sloppiness is audible. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the verse and chorus sections slowed down until the timing feels natural before bringing it back up to 122 BPM.

• The guitar part sits in E Standard tuning in A major, making open-position chord shapes the natural starting point.
• At 122 BPM the rhythm guitar must stay relaxed and even, as the sparse arrangement leaves little room to hide timing errors.
• Practising the chord transitions looped and slowed down is the most effective way to build the controlled, steady feel the song requires.