Streets of London

by Ralph McTell • Lesson #534 • Jan 6, 2024

Hey there, friends! In this video I’ll teach you how to play Ralph McTell’s fingerstyle classic, Streets of London. This is a terrifically fun song to play, whether you’re using Travis-style fingerpicking or have a preference for a straightforward strummed version. I’ll teach both approaches – and show you how you can actually combine these playing types (as I do in my full playthrough) to make things a bit more manageable.

My lesson teaches this using capo 4th fret, which is what McTell uses in his album recording. This puts us in the Key of E (if we go by ear), but from a guitar standpoint we’re using Key of C chord shapes (C, F, G, Am, Em). There’s one non-diatonic chord required (D7/F#), but I’ll walk you through that chord to ensure you’re in good shape. Let’s get to it!

0:00 Overview
1:29 Strumming the Verse
3:56 Strumming the Chorus
8:49 Fingerstyle Intro: Melody
14:46 Fingerstyle Intro: Bass Notes
19:04 Fingerstyle Verse
20:50 Fingerstyle Chorus
24:47 Misc. Tips & Advice

Lesson Discussion

Licensed Song Sheet 6 pages

Follow along with my print-friendly guide for this song! It’s available for purchase at Musicnotes.com, the web’s leading provider of licensed sheet music.

On the fence? Here's a guide I made showing the purchase & print process, including answers to common questions about my song sheets.

Buy at Musicnotes.com

Extended Video Lessons

Play-Along Cover

Here’s how I play the song from start to finish, using a mixture of fingerstyle and strumming. Typically, I strum during the verse and chorus sections, which makes things easier to manage. I’ll use fingerstyle during the instrumental portions, where I have a bit more mental bandwidth to spare – and can focus on playing the distinctive fingerstyle riff without messing up.

Slow Playthrough: Intro Fingerstyle

Slow Playthrough: Verse Fingerstyle

Slow Playthrough: Chorus Fingerstyle

Recordings of Ralph McTell Playing Streets of London

His Original 1969 Album Recording

This video technically is the entire album, but fortunately Streets of London is the first song! Posting this so you can hear exactly how he recorded it (capo 4th fret).

Live version from 2014 (John Williams 70th Birthday Concert)

A very nice guitar duet! The audience singing along (during the chorus sections) is quite magical as well.

McTell Playing it Live 2022

He’s up there in age quite a bit in this video, but it’s great because you can see his fretting hand clearly the entire time. I’m not able to embed this video directly on my site (due to the preferences of the video owner), so you have to view this one directly on YouTube »

Here’s a handful of lessons I’ve made that may help with some of the techniques used in this song. Be sure to check out my Travis Picking page for all my lessons on that topic.

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Streets of London

Lesson Discussion

Licensed Song Sheet 6 pages

Extended Video Lessons

Play-Along Cover

Slow Playthrough: Intro Fingerstyle

Slow Playthrough: Verse Fingerstyle

Slow Playthrough: Chorus Fingerstyle

Recordings of Ralph McTell Playing Streets of London

His Original 1969 Album Recording

Live version from 2014 (John Williams 70th Birthday Concert)

McTell Playing it Live 2022

Related Lessons I’ve Made

Unlock My Secret Stash!

Browse Related Lessons

Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!

Looking for More Song Lessons?

Featured Courses

Strumming & Rhythm

Fingerstyle & Travis Picking

Blues Starter Kit

Reading Music for Guitarists

Learning Lead Guitar

Beginner Chord Guide

Practical Music Theory

Using a Capo

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Fret Monster

Capo Captain

Key Master

Blank Tabs

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Recent Lessons