He has a 1994 blues album and the deluxe edition has a mini video documentary I believe of him talking guitar, he starts playing a song and its bad ass, then he says can I start over and its twice as bad ass.
God damn he plays one note and I'm immediately hearing cream songs. You could blindfold me and cut the voice and I'd know that's Eric Clapton any day. Amazing! Truly a one of a kind guitar player
Joe Bonamassa said something to the effect that Clapton can plug a Stratocaster directly into a Fender twin amp and you’d know instantly that it was him.
His peak years were from 92 to 2000. 94 to 98 being on another level. Watch the documentary nothing but the blues featuring EC, and his Fillmore shows from the mid nineties, this is not in the same Stratosphere.
@@robmorrison1043pre unplugged, but the thing about Eric isn't just one phase, it's his evolution throughout his career which makes him so special, his gift to make anything great from jazzy, to Robert Johnson back in cream, to reggae in the 70s, to 80s even his drug years was insane, but those 80s suits and short haired Clapton was monster, very close to SRV being so fast, but a better song writer because of his age, and smooth sounds, do you remember that special Carl Perkins had, Clapton, and some Beatles playing? You see how many influences he had, and country influence like lay down Sally, and 57 Chevy, all those in that era were so clean to me as a child from the 80s, but after his son died, he really got deep into his heavy stuff, and it was painful for me to listen to the anguish from his music both guitar and voice. That's the sign of a genius like him, same as he describes here about taking out his anger through his music, he used it as therapy for mourning and pain. One of the hardest things for someone to go through and you can actually hear it
Was thinking the same and thought it must have had a switch that needed to be pounded in order to switch on or off. Mine is sometimes sensitive like that.
Back at that time, nobody sounded like Clapton. Even today, only a few other guitarists like Hendrix etc. have been so influential. He took the sound of the blues which he learned from Robert Johnson, Freddie, BB and Albert King and others---- into a whole new creative dimension. Eric is a guitar genius with a God-given talent. He inspired a whole generation of guitar players.
Eric is a great player but most of what he did up to that point was destroyed by a trio of kids who released only a few albums that were mind-blowingly future-proof and fresh. The Hendrix Experience was like the 'Sonic Youth' or the 'Talk Talk' of their day. They abruptly changed the entire landscape. Listen to what hendrix is playing on his guitar when hes not soloing yet, singing vocals. Clapton could not come even close to that level of lyrical comping. That kind of comping is what you learn playing the chitlin circuit in the u.s with R&B acts. But no. I'm not knocking clapton he was a prophet ( not a genius ) in opening up white audiences ears to black musicians and black music. This is what Eminem did for rap music. And Eric gets nothing but praise from me for that, because it seemed like only a white person can sell black music and Black Ideas to white audiences back then. And yes, Im white AF. We've come a ways, to be sure.
@Andy Butler Hell yeah, dude. This wont be a debate! Zappa is certainly a better guitarist than eric clapton, but his thing was composition. Zappa could write for any instrument you presented him with. Johnny Winter... the Silver haired slider was great as well. Dont forget to add Jeff Beck to this list. Coryell and Hendrix had a guitar battle. Coryell played a wall of notes while Hendrix shattered his wall with one looong beautifully toned note. In the Audience was Robert Wyatt from softmachine and matching Mole. He said it was the only time hes ever heard one beautiful note destroy an army of notes. Alan Holdsworth, I had a beer in a pub with him years and years ago. He is a practical joker and keeps you in stiches. he is a guitar god without question and Zappa in interviews has gone on record for saying he likes listening to holdsworth. While were on the subject of holdsworth, the first guitarist from Chick Corea's return to forever ( Bill Connors )is up there too.
So, you practice for hours a day for year/s and become good at something and this is what you call god given ? And Robert sold his soul to a creepy old black fella in the middle of the crossroads too ;) yep all true.
Same deal with guys like Peter Green and Paul Kossof all of them had a completely unique vibrato, it’s sad how modern players underestimate the power of blues licks.
I'm constantly impressed by Clapton's humility. Whereas most guitarists act like alchemists who guard their skills like formulae, Clapton pulls back the curtain, shows his techniques, acknowledges his predecessors, and demystifies the instrument. Rather than judge the better guitarist, I think every musician could learn from Clapton's workman-like attitude, and from his openness.
@@Levottomat01 I'm glad you commented on this. What I thought thirteen years ago about his guitar playing is something I still stand by, but his statements outside the music world are disappointing. Makes me wonder if and how it's possible to divorce the artist from their art.
@@taoman108 I think that it is possible. I mean I like both Clapton and Rage against the machine but more Tom Morello, but yet I absolutely disagree with Clapton and his position on covid and I dont fully support Morellos politics either.
Clapton's playing in Cream was amazing and something he never captured later in his career. So much incredible talent at such a young age among many of the early Brit rock guitarists- Clapton, Townsend, Beck, Page, you can count Hendrix because he blossomed in the UK. Late 60's/early 70's an amazing time for rock.
Don't forget Peter green....never forget the great Peter Green. His performance of " ive got a good mind to give up living" is one of the best pieces of music I will ever hear.
Hahaha I love how he's just explaining extremely basic tone and volume control as these crazy groundbreaking new features, at the time just the concept of distorted guitars was such a novelty I suppose
3:11 Eric Clapton is so honest. When asked if he uses stock phrases while improvising, he honestly admitted he did! 💯 / 💯 for honesty, and over all such good behaviour.
I've heard players from one end of this earth to the other. From Yngwie to George Harrison, from Zappa to Jack White. . . And I'm telling you: Nothing sends chills in me like Clapton's playing with Cream. Simply elegant and heartfelt. His overall guitar playing is as close one can get to seeing an actual human soul.
He’s maybe the most overrated of the big names. He’s also kind of a shitty person, not that that’s related to his playing. I just don’t think he’s a big deal.
Grant Green? Pat Metheny? Scott Henderson? Charlie Christian? Pat Martino? Greg Howe? Joe Pass? Bireli Lagrene? Nelson Faria? Frank Gambale? Guthrie Govan? Bella Fleck? Paco de lucía?
@@paulcooper5748 Really? You think he had an exaggerated sense of his abilities? Pretty down-to-earth considering the Beatles were considering him as a replacement for George.
Shoulder length hair, big sideburns, moustache, Gibson + Wah through a cranked Marshall stack... The blueprint for every heavy rock/metal band to come.
This was back when the electric guitar had to be explained to skeptical, snobby posh people. And to be honest, I still find myself explaining it to those people. 😂
The more time a player puts under their belt the better they become. Fortunately music isn't like sports, where you retire in your 30s. Therefore, a Guitarist can keep getting better till the sweet lord choses to take him away. 🎸🤘
He's actually talking about perfecting his vibrato. You can still read interviews with many pro players who consider Clapton's vibrato the most musical and fluid of all time. Many will talk about how they've practiced it for years but still can't match the feel of it.
@@surviveandstrive6436 his vibrato is also known as whole hand vibrato where he pushes the string upwards. John Mayer and SRV use it. Traditional vibrato is just using your wrist e.g: bb king and jimi hendrix. Last but not least is classical vibrato where you just slide your fingers from left to right or vice versa. E.g: mark knopfler
I first saw this film 10 years ago and it changed the way I played guitar, and frankly that then changed my life forever. Eric, you grumpy old bastard, you changed my life. Keep slaying and keep inspiring us
Top move of all guitar legends, I saw Lennon do an interesting move on the new doc, he pierced the bottom of the filter on the end of an untrimmed string
And God picked up his guitar for a BBC interview and played upon the heavens on earth a minor pentatonic lick on the fly and thus noodling came to be. When asked to play the same noodle through an exceptionally large tone potentiometer connected to a pedal, a sound swept the Earth. Through the valleys and mountains, a "Wah," was heard and lo behold, angels were pleased, and became to be funky. Amen. Hallelujah.
We may find this trivial with him explaining the controls of his SG, but this was the late 60’s and it was all new. His phrasing is absolute gold. Even today, few play with the refinement and precision Eric does when he plays licks.
Caio, it’s most certainly true though. Go watch them play crossroads together. Clapton is one of the most overrated players of all time. He sounds like every thirteen year old wanking off his pentatonic scales at the guitar center.
Bryan Cortes i love both john and eric, but seriously, Eric is one of the reasons john was fucking around the pentatonic at the shop in the age of 13..
Everyone can learn scales. NO ONE can play like Clapton. I've tried playing Sunshine of your love which is one of the simpler ones. Fucking impossible to get the sound and that vibrato right.
yes these Eric Clapton's today and the way they dress, versus the way they used to dress 50 some years ago oh my God it's just terrible, The Clapton's today have no rock and roll fashion sense at all!! Not like the Clapton's of 47 to 50 some years ago!!!
I saw that film when I was 15 and it changed the way I tried to play guitar, copy that fluency of his, dynamic stuff from Eric, his early years were a godsend.
Great to be able to see this again-my first view was when the 'show' appeared on American television 'way back. We were desperate to know how in the world he got that vibrato sound. Saw him using this guitar then changing for a Les Paul when the SG broke a string, in Back Bay Theater, Boston. The Les Paul had a beauty and penetrating clarity that this SG lacked, in that setting. Thank you for posting this 'lesson'.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for this, i hadn't seenen it. this period of EC was what made me want to play the electric, and though the players and styles i was influenced by went all over the place after that, this still hammers me. it's so good to see the humility, objectivity, intellect and sweetness he put into his work.
His playing back then reminds me of SRV. Of course he became more interested in the song and not just shredding. There is no goat. Lots of beautiful players. I will say the ones that make great songs impress me more. That's why Hendrix is always thrown in to the conversation.
"can you show us some aggression in your music?" "oh yeah sure..." *Outplays not only any guitarist then, but any guitarist who has come along in the next 40 years*
And in 2021 he still sounds amazing. I've been learning to play since the 1960s and still can't sound like him. He is and was just amazing and am so privileged to have been around since he started with the Yard Birds, when I first saw him, and the Cream, so aptly named and they were just that. This is what I will remember of what normal life used to be like. So so blessed. RIP Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. We used to go around dressed like our heroes. Such such raw talent now we have f***** Simon Cowell..
Best advice I could give (which you didn't ask for..lol) is try to NOT sound like ole Slowhand, or anyone apart from you to be fair. Uniqueness makes a good guitarist 'Great' imo..and compose your own..no-one can tell you that you're wrong!😁
Drew Card Bleh, who cares about who is better anyway? After playing guitar for 7 years, I'm no expert, but everyone plays so differently. It's like saying basketball is better than pizza; there is sometimes just no comparison.
Those bunch always say the others are better than them: Clapton, Buddy Guy, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, the list goes on. It's all a mutual respect thing. In their own eyes, the others are always better than they are.
BB King is a humble guy. And what he means by better could mean technically. BB admits he's not the most technical. But the reason why we all love him is because every single note he plays is more gorgeous than anyone else's.
The goat thing is ridiculous. So many beautiful players. Mick Taylor and Wayne Perkins get no love. But when it comes to commercial song writing.Hendrix and Page did more for rock than anybody..
It’s so subjective to say who’s best. I think creativity/diversity in playing styles goes to Jimmy Page. Hendrix is my favorite rhythm guitar player. For technical capability you gotta give to to EVH and Eric Johnson, the speed and precision those guys have is incredible. Clapton is amazing and certainly up there but he doesn’t make the #1 spot in any of those categories for me.
@@LiLhusLLa094 You left out NUMBER ONE...The Late Great RORY GALLAGHER. NO ONE had that level of musical genius. Rory did not WANT the commercial fame. Love and peace to all. -Smythie
Great to be born at the right time to arrive at the beginning of it all..these guys were just born at the right time.. There were 1000s..of guitarists. But only s few got the breaks back then ..
Ugh. My favorite part has been cut! It's when Clapton remarks on Hendrix in a way only an Englishman could do. Something about "He plays the most the most amazing Gypsy blues...and occasionally freaks out a bit" Brill.
For my part, Eric made me realize you have to transfer your emotions through your instrument so listeners will feel the heart of blues you're playing He's the best and most valuable teacher i've ever had
I was a tone illiterate, this video has explained so much, thanks for posting, If he would have gotten into pickup combinations and switch settings it would have been awsome
@tassie dirt bikes I don’t know, man. There are lots of musicians who are great. Little rhetorical comparisons like this are so stupid. I don’t need to invent scenarios where I’m sitting Eric Clapton down in front of an arbitrarily young person who supposedly ONLY has “technique” or whatever weird, non-specific way of referring to music you clearly don’t like anyway, and watching it closely for the winner of my attention and respect. I guess I’m a little less cynical than you there in my understanding of the very basic concept of “technique” as it applied to every musician, clapton or not. Hahaha, man. Get a life.
@@petersc6952 Brooo looks like you're the humorless generation lmaooo. Look at you little angry old sod ranting out. What did most of your generation become huh? Corpo sellouts ain't it? Oh yeah, remember when beating your wife or cops killing people in the streets was "legal"? Yeah, your era buddy. And who are the ones keeping new generations from moving forward? Yeah highly conservative boomers. Go back to playing your boring pentatonic scale that you think is comparable to Hendrix or Clapton's playing. Most of Gen Z's are 16 to 22 years old dumbass, what do you expect? And what did most boomers do during their teen years? Leading their life to lung cancer and dropping out of school, that's your generation. The only thing I love about the boomers are the hippies and you sure ain't one bitch.
I remember Eric being asked how it felt to be the best guitarist around. He said, I don’t know. You would have to ask Prince. Both Eric and Prince are indeed two of the very best guitarists in history. I would imagine had Prince been asked the same question. He most likely would have said someone else he admired would have been the best guitarist. That’s why these guys are icons. Eric will be remembered for his amazing contributions to music and how he expanded people knowledge and minds with his abilities on a guitar. And Prince!! Oh man. Such a next level genius. He mastered so many different instruments during his lifetime. For me, he was the ultimate, consummate professional. Simply amazing.
@@addeman02 Sadly, The GREAT Rory Gallagher passed in '96...If He were still with us, it would have been incredible to see Rory trade licks with Clapton, Rory was more inventive and rather incendiary, Clapton was a bit tame...The BEST two Strat players of all time. The two Who made me play the blues for the past 50+ years. Peace. -Smythie
Pentatonic blues with a resolve to major 3rd...his tone is the thing that's so good..his technique was never the overwhelming factor in his playing..tone was, and that's what got EVH's attention. An absolute Clapton devotee but you wouldn't know it from his playing.
Holy shit I didn't know Eric Clapton was young
@@Liam.2000 thats the joke
@@Brian-pr1dq shut it Brian
@@Liam.2000 No you shut up
@@olyseth get to bed Seth
Back when he changed his face every few months
Eric Clapton is the only human I know who's appearance completely changed to being unrecognisable from one era to the next. Pretty nuts
All that ron
Agreed he’s had that many looks sometimes I don’t no when it’s him or not unless he’s got a guitar in he’s hand ofcorse
John Lennon also lol
One word - Drugs.😅
@@woowah32 naah
Can't believe they called it
"electronic guitar" back then.
He's British you must understand
@@cjsnidlio9409 and his father was a canadian
…and how about that volume knob? What an innovation! And as I typed this, I think the interviewer just said “wow wow pedal.” This is hilarious.
@@DaveSwart And a tone knob that can give you more bass or more treble just by turning it one way or the other!
@@jokermaan1 Well I mean it IS an electronical guitar lol
Even the guitar was nervous with the great Clapton playing it. It was chain smoking the whole time
So Eric Clapton's guitar is to Eric Clapton what Eric Clapton himself is to Jimi Hendrix.
Mathematically,
Guitar : Eric : : Eric : Jimi
It would have been great to see Hendrix interviewed like this and see close up his amazing abilities.
He has a 1994 blues album and the deluxe edition has a mini video documentary I believe of him talking guitar, he starts playing a song and its bad ass, then he says can I start over and its twice as bad ass.
Well grab yourself a peanut butter sandwich and let's have a sit down. And wait that is.
@@randalstilskin5266 where can I find this my friend?
Hendrix has done interviews like this. Continue your research and you’ll find the rabbit hole.
@@benjamincuevas199 that rabbit hole is very well hid then.
God damn he plays one note and I'm immediately hearing cream songs. You could blindfold me and cut the voice and I'd know that's Eric Clapton any day. Amazing! Truly a one of a kind guitar player
When he plays i hear Albert King ....:)
He liked Albert kings music
The most racist guitarist
@THE RENAGADE needs someone to get behind him & toot their horn again
Joe Bonamassa said something to the effect that Clapton can plug a Stratocaster directly into a Fender twin amp and you’d know instantly that it was him.
This is Eric at the height of his playing/creativity. It's a tragedy that more live Creams show weren't properly recorded.
Yup, too bad wasn't teaching lessions with the legendary les Paul guitar from the beano album
His peak years were from 92 to 2000. 94 to 98 being on another level. Watch the documentary nothing but the blues featuring EC, and his Fillmore shows from the mid nineties, this is not in the same Stratosphere.
@@ninjavigilante5311the stolen one you mean
@@robmorrison1043pre unplugged, but the thing about Eric isn't just one phase, it's his evolution throughout his career which makes him so special, his gift to make anything great from jazzy, to Robert Johnson back in cream, to reggae in the 70s, to 80s even his drug years was insane, but those 80s suits and short haired Clapton was monster, very close to SRV being so fast, but a better song writer because of his age, and smooth sounds, do you remember that special Carl Perkins had, Clapton, and some Beatles playing? You see how many influences he had, and country influence like lay down Sally, and 57 Chevy, all those in that era were so clean to me as a child from the 80s, but after his son died, he really got deep into his heavy stuff, and it was painful for me to listen to the anguish from his music both guitar and voice. That's the sign of a genius like him, same as he describes here about taking out his anger through his music, he used it as therapy for mourning and pain. One of the hardest things for someone to go through and you can actually hear it
The way how violently he kicks his wah on and off gets me every time
Was thinking the same and thought it must have had a switch that needed to be pounded in order to switch on or off. Mine is sometimes sensitive like that.
Old wahs were built like that. To engage you had to kick them real hard.
He needed a tech to lower the push button
Dude seems pretty humble for having a massive talent
Probably because he was speaking with other white people
@@Vaginaninja lmao
@@Vaginaninja What do you mean?
@@jonahn4151 this planet life person is a Chinese troll. Pay no attention
@@jonahn4151 Eric has a pretty spotty record on race relations, to say the least lol
is his guitar smokin a cig? 0.o
Heidi Engel lol😂
That's usually how it ends yea?
Yes
Hell yeah, ideal place to put anything behind the nut in the head. I keep my picks up there
Na man his cig is smoking a cig on a guitar 🎸
The man is doing this since 1965 at age 20.. Still going strong in 2022 at 77. He's a born virtuoso.
I can't think of any other musician that's played more live shows than Clapton.
"yeah, lemme turn this thing off"
CHK-A
Back at that time, nobody sounded like Clapton. Even today, only a few other guitarists like Hendrix etc. have been so influential. He took the sound of the blues which he learned from Robert Johnson, Freddie, BB and Albert King and others---- into a whole new creative dimension. Eric is a guitar genius with a God-given talent. He inspired a whole generation of guitar players.
Eric is a great player but most of what he did up to that point was destroyed by a trio of kids who released only a few albums that were mind-blowingly future-proof and fresh. The Hendrix Experience was like the 'Sonic Youth' or the 'Talk Talk' of their day. They abruptly changed the entire landscape. Listen to what hendrix is playing on his guitar when hes not soloing yet, singing vocals. Clapton could not come even close to that level of lyrical comping. That kind of comping is what you learn playing the chitlin circuit in the u.s with R&B acts. But no. I'm not knocking clapton he was a prophet ( not a genius ) in opening up white audiences ears to black musicians and black music. This is what Eminem did for rap music. And Eric gets nothing but praise from me for that, because it seemed like only a white person can sell black music and Black Ideas to white audiences back then. And yes, Im white AF. We've come a ways, to be sure.
@Andy Butler Hell yeah, dude. This wont be a debate! Zappa is certainly a better guitarist than eric clapton, but his thing was composition. Zappa could write for any instrument you presented him with. Johnny Winter... the Silver haired slider was great as well. Dont forget to add Jeff Beck to this list. Coryell and Hendrix had a guitar battle. Coryell played a wall of notes while Hendrix shattered his wall with one looong beautifully toned note. In the Audience was Robert Wyatt from softmachine and matching Mole. He said it was the only time hes ever heard one beautiful note destroy an army of notes. Alan Holdsworth, I had a beer in a pub with him years and years ago. He is a practical joker and keeps you in stiches. he is a guitar god without question and Zappa in interviews has gone on record for saying he likes listening to holdsworth. While were on the subject of holdsworth, the first guitarist from Chick Corea's return to forever ( Bill Connors )is up there too.
So, you practice for hours a day for year/s and become good at something and this is what you call god given ? And Robert sold his soul to a creepy old black fella in the middle of the crossroads too ;) yep all true.
@@wallywalpamur4960 Only now, the crossroads are full of non-black fellas looking to sell their souls to the creepy old black fella. Go figure.
Same deal with guys like Peter Green and Paul Kossof all of them had a completely unique vibrato, it’s sad how modern players underestimate the power of blues licks.
This guy could easily work in a music centre selling guitars
Underrated comment right here!
I'm the owner of the shop where he works... He's pretty good...
I'd like to have a dollar for every guitar sold to kids trying to emulate Eric. So yeah, he's a great guitar salesman. 🎸
I believe he likes his job (career) better than working at a guitar shop…!
@@eneastavora1943 r/whooosh
I'm constantly impressed by Clapton's humility. Whereas most guitarists act like alchemists who guard their skills like formulae, Clapton pulls back the curtain, shows his techniques, acknowledges his predecessors, and demystifies the instrument. Rather than judge the better guitarist, I think every musician could learn from Clapton's workman-like attitude, and from his openness.
His humility and humanity have waned recently. He is my favorite guitarist but it's fucking disappointing to hear he's an absolute cockhead.
@@Levottomat01 I'm glad you commented on this. What I thought thirteen years ago about his guitar playing is something I still stand by, but his statements outside the music world are disappointing. Makes me wonder if and how it's possible to divorce the artist from their art.
@@taoman108 I think that it is possible. I mean I like both Clapton and Rage against the machine but more Tom Morello, but yet I absolutely disagree with Clapton and his position on covid and I dont fully support Morellos politics either.
@@Levottomat01 Great second example. I agree.
@Doug Bull Whos name haven't you heard in years?
Clapton's playing in Cream was amazing and something he never captured later in his career. So much incredible talent at such a young age among many of the early Brit rock guitarists- Clapton, Townsend, Beck, Page, you can count Hendrix because he blossomed in the UK. Late 60's/early 70's an amazing time for rock.
Don't forget Peter green....never forget the great Peter Green. His performance of " ive got a good mind to give up living" is one of the best pieces of music I will ever hear.
@@11celtics11 Thx I'll chk it out.
@@thomascroce4672 let me know if you dig it.
Trower
Blackmore.
Hahaha I love how he's just explaining extremely basic tone and volume control as these crazy groundbreaking new features, at the time just the concept of distorted guitars was such a novelty I suppose
My all time favorite band - Cream! They lit the musical fire in my over 50 years ago and I've never been the same.
I love the first song from the first album
@@peterlorenzo615 Someone told me CREAM is an acronym for Cash Rules Everything Around Me.
@@matthewchunk3689 I think that was from the wu Tang clan album
@@matthewchunk3689 That's the Wu Tang Clan. Cream was the first "superband" with the best bass, drum and guitar players. The creme de la creme.
3:11 Eric Clapton is so honest. When asked if he uses stock phrases while improvising, he honestly admitted he did! 💯 / 💯 for honesty, and over all such good behaviour.
I've heard players from one end of this earth to the other. From Yngwie to George Harrison, from Zappa to Jack White. . . And I'm telling you: Nothing sends chills in me like Clapton's playing with Cream. Simply elegant and heartfelt. His overall guitar playing is as close one can get to seeing an actual human soul.
He’s maybe the most overrated of the big names. He’s also kind of a shitty person, not that that’s related to his playing. I just don’t think he’s a big deal.
@@guitarista67 Stop being offended to everything from the past just enjoy your life and stop judging people..
@@guitarista67 Found the redditor
Grant Green? Pat Metheny? Scott Henderson? Charlie Christian? Pat Martino? Greg Howe? Joe Pass? Bireli Lagrene? Nelson Faria? Frank Gambale? Guthrie Govan? Bella Fleck? Paco de lucía?
Gilmour and BB King are the kings of phrasing imo and Clapton is right there with them!
He was at the top of his game here. My favorite EC era.
Definitely
He was very arrogant around this period of time too.
@THE RENAGADE before he killed his son
@THE RENAGADE I was about 14 rows from him a few months ago and he tore it up. He still brings it live. Marcus King came out for the encore with him.
@@paulcooper5748 Really? You think he had an exaggerated sense of his abilities? Pretty down-to-earth considering the Beatles were considering him as a replacement for George.
Shoulder length hair, big sideburns, moustache, Gibson + Wah through a cranked Marshall stack...
The blueprint for every heavy rock/metal band to come.
This was back when the electric guitar had to be explained to skeptical, snobby posh people. And to be honest, I still find myself explaining it to those people. 😂
Let the music do the talkin’
@@blinddawg7901
Livin for the music
Yeah
Listen to the music talk
Saw him in Fort Worth just three months ago. He can still make his guitar scream or moan or cry. Unbelievable how good he still is.
The more time a player puts under their belt the better they become. Fortunately music isn't like sports, where you retire in your 30s. Therefore, a Guitarist can keep getting better till the sweet lord choses to take him away. 🎸🤘
The natural "feel" he has for the guitar is just incredible
He's actually talking about perfecting his vibrato. You can still read interviews with many pro players who consider Clapton's vibrato the most musical and fluid of all time. Many will talk about how they've practiced it for years but still can't match the feel of it.
Remember reading a piece about Clapton asking Paul Kossoff how he got his amazing vibrato
Can't beat Kirwans for me.... Such a skinny lad but so much vibrato
This is one of my all time favorite Clapton clips. He seems so open to talk and happy...not to mention this is extremely instructional.
I like how his vibrato is the basic one and he'll only develop his signature vibrato later. It looks like a piece of history
Interesting comment. Would you be up willing to provide a couple songs I could compare the vibrato? 🤙
@@surviveandstrive6436 his vibrato is also known as whole hand vibrato where he pushes the string upwards. John Mayer and SRV use it. Traditional vibrato is just using your wrist e.g: bb king and jimi hendrix. Last but not least is classical vibrato where you just slide your fingers from left to right or vice versa. E.g: mark knopfler
@@Ozzie143 steve vai does a circular thingy .......that sounds sweet too
“Yeah let me turn this thing off”
*prodeces to wreck the shit out of the pedal*
I love the way they cut to Jack for a second. Hysterical!
I first saw this film 10 years ago and it changed the way I played guitar, and frankly that then changed my life forever. Eric, you grumpy old bastard, you changed my life. Keep slaying and keep inspiring us
the fact that he stuck his cigarette at the tip of the guitar is all the evidence you need that this guy is a badass
Top move of all guitar legends, I saw Lennon do an interesting move on the new doc, he pierced the bottom of the filter on the end of an untrimmed string
He’s a racist
@@hairycrocs5038 we all are, in our own special way
The shadows jet Harris 1st one I’ve seen on TH-cam doing it!
@@hairycrocs5038 BLM is, and Jesse Jackson.
And God picked up his guitar for a BBC interview and played upon the heavens on earth a minor pentatonic lick on the fly and thus noodling came to be. When asked to play the same noodle through an exceptionally large tone potentiometer connected to a pedal, a sound swept the Earth. Through the valleys and mountains, a "Wah," was heard and lo behold, angels were pleased, and became to be funky. Amen. Hallelujah.
God, his tone was perfect back then. Nothing against strats but I wish he would have kept some SGs in his guitarsenal. It captured his style so well.
Not only SG.. any Gibson he played sounded so much better, remember Beano Burst or ES335 ?
With Strats it was all gone.
@@tomasvanecek8626 Beano Burst through a Marshall stack. And blues rock were never the same since.
@@theempires5 Absolutely.. yet some dont get it still
We may find this trivial with him explaining the controls of his SG, but this was the late 60’s and it was all new. His phrasing is absolute gold. Even today, few play with the refinement and precision Eric does when he plays licks.
Saw this as a kid and it floored me! One of those inspirational moments that made me need to play. Awesome!
So this is why john mayer always wears that necklace....
porno dickhead!
Caio, it’s most certainly true though. Go watch them play crossroads together. Clapton is one of the most overrated players of all time. He sounds like every thirteen year old wanking off his pentatonic scales at the guitar center.
Bryan Cortes i love both john and eric, but seriously, Eric is one of the reasons john was fucking around the pentatonic at the shop in the age of 13..
And in other news!. What’s the story behind the necklace and where can you buy one of those necklaces???.
porno you are an idiot
Guitar God
Pentatonic God. There's 5 actual Gods. They're all evil. He's like pretty low down in the pecking order.. at least since he quit the blow.
Everyone can learn scales. NO ONE can play like Clapton. I've tried playing Sunshine of your love which is one of the simpler ones. Fucking impossible to get the sound and that vibrato right.
Frank .....just practice. you can get that one its not that hard
can't get enough of this. dunno how many times i've watched this and i have enjoyed every second of it
And now he wear shorts when he plays.
Romandelaselva he's earned it lol
He can wear short pants ... he's Eric Clapton.
Romandelaselva yeah be weird if he was dressed like he is here now tho😂 all gotta get old
@@SkeletonKeey why should his name have to do with what he wears? Just let the man wear whatever the fuck he wants?
yes these Eric Clapton's today and the way they dress, versus the way they used to dress 50 some years ago oh my God it's just terrible, The Clapton's today have no rock and roll fashion sense at all!!
Not like the Clapton's of 47 to 50 some years ago!!!
True genius. True respect for a man like that.
The SG tone - brilliant in the hands of a master.
His 335 tone is the absolute pinnacle of sound that can be accomplished by mere mortals.
@@SimpleManGuitars1973Right up there with his tone on the famous Beano album!
What a cool analysis of his playing. I could listen to this stuff all day.
I saw that film when I was 15 and it changed the way I tried to play guitar, copy that fluency of his, dynamic stuff from Eric, his early years were a godsend.
Eric’s playing between 1965 and 1970 will never be equalled, let alone surpassed. The best electric blues player of all time.
My Blues Guitar Peter Green though!
My Blues Guitar Hendrix proved that wrong lol
Um, Hendrix?
My Blues Guitar Bb King.
@MetalCommand89 hahaha jimmy page was an awful lead guitar player.
Great to be able to see this again-my first view was when the 'show' appeared on American television 'way back. We were desperate to know how in the world he got that vibrato sound. Saw him using this guitar then changing for a Les Paul when the SG broke a string, in Back Bay Theater, Boston. The Les Paul had a beauty and penetrating clarity that this SG lacked, in that setting. Thank you for posting this 'lesson'.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for this, i hadn't seenen it. this period of EC was what made me want to play the electric, and though the players and styles i was influenced by went all over the place after that, this still hammers me. it's so good to see the humility, objectivity, intellect and sweetness he put into his work.
His playing back then reminds me of SRV. Of course he became more interested in the song and not just shredding. There is no goat. Lots of beautiful players. I will say the ones that make great songs impress me more. That's why Hendrix is always thrown in to the conversation.
"can you show us some aggression in your music?"
"oh yeah sure..."
*Outplays not only any guitarist then, but any guitarist who has come along in the next 40 years*
Great
His playing has so much feel here. Never was quite the same thereafter.
That's the most nonsensical thing you could say here.
Love that sweeping right-hand - who needs finger-picking?
Man I can't get enough of this video! I love the fuzz tone, well actually just his tone in general. I wish he would have stuck with humbuckers
And in 2021 he still sounds amazing. I've been learning to play since the 1960s and still can't sound like him. He is and was just amazing and am so privileged to have been around since he started with the Yard Birds, when I first saw him, and the Cream, so aptly named and they were just that. This is what I will remember of what normal life used to be like. So so blessed. RIP Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. We used to go around dressed like our heroes. Such such raw talent now we have f***** Simon Cowell..
please post some videos of you playing showing your skills and saying tips of things you learned from all these years
Best advice I could give (which you didn't ask for..lol) is try to NOT sound like ole Slowhand, or anyone apart from you to be fair. Uniqueness makes a good guitarist 'Great' imo..and compose your own..no-one can tell you that you're wrong!😁
¹1
Talent went down the drain with the advent of computerized CRAP and NO talent became the order of the day. Peace and the blues to all. -Smythie
It's crazy, because at one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies BB King said himself that Eric Clapton was better than him
Drew Card Bleh, who cares about who is better anyway? After playing guitar for 7 years, I'm no expert, but everyone plays so differently. It's like saying basketball is better than pizza; there is sometimes just no comparison.
Pizza is better than anything, man. LOL
magical Don't disrespect the pizza!
Those bunch always say the others are better than them: Clapton, Buddy Guy, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, the list goes on. It's all a mutual respect thing. In their own eyes, the others are always better than they are.
BB King is a humble guy. And what he means by better could mean technically. BB admits he's not the most technical. But the reason why we all love him is because every single note he plays is more gorgeous than anyone else's.
cool. I'd love to see the rest of this programme
Loved this look of Clapton....those were the days....can't recall believe he was wearing red Sox or red shoes.
To me, his greatest talent was knowing what to play, and when to play it. He is always "just right".
Eric Clapton is the best rock guitarist of all time. There have been other great ones, but for my money Eric Clappton IS the best.
He’s up there for sure. Such a smooth player.
The goat thing is ridiculous. So many beautiful players. Mick Taylor and Wayne Perkins get no love. But when it comes to commercial song writing.Hendrix and Page did more for rock than anybody..
@@tomslick2058 Steve Winwood
It’s so subjective to say who’s best. I think creativity/diversity in playing styles goes to Jimmy Page. Hendrix is my favorite rhythm guitar player. For technical capability you gotta give to to EVH and Eric Johnson, the speed and precision those guys have is incredible. Clapton is amazing and certainly up there but he doesn’t make the #1 spot in any of those categories for me.
@@LiLhusLLa094 You left out NUMBER ONE...The Late Great RORY GALLAGHER. NO ONE had that level of musical genius. Rory did not WANT the commercial fame. Love and peace to all. -Smythie
When i first saw this it changed alot my playing! I love this...
Lovely stuff !
I love "old" clapton stunning tone
I heard both Baker and Bruce have left us; he’s Cream’s last surviving member.
I just love how articulated he is when he turns off the wah-wah!
Excellent playing and feel
I've seen him live before. Musically it was the greatest concert I have ever seen.
Me too ! Great concerts
I have too, it is just behind Mccartney's live concert in my opinion.
3 time hall of famer. one of the best ever to pick up a guitar.
i love this, more then you can imagine
Thats the beauty of vintage gear my friend. Both guitar and amp....
This is when Clapton was God!!!!
Best Clapton clip ever.
You see Clapton is a prophet. He foresaw road rage and chambered it through his guitar.
Beautiful
The most artful and stylish type of aggression and way to blow off some steam that I’ll ever see
Eric Clapton the master of blues..
he is a "Master of the Understanding of Blues"
if you wanna see a Blues Master, check out Robert Johnson or Muddy Waters
+Bryan Figueroa what about Stevie Ray Vaughuan, Cheers bro
Diego Gudfer yeah I'll put SRV up there before Clapton all day. And I've listened to plenty more Clapton/Cream than SRV
+Bryan Figueroa fuck yeah dude
Guitar Dude Becker Clapton, master of the blues. B.B. King, king of the blues
That janglying noise machine sounds good.
Clapton is awesome forever, with his Divine Voice!!! 🙏💖🌹
Great to be born at the right time to arrive at the beginning of it all..these guys were just born at the right time..
There were 1000s..of guitarists.
But only s few got the breaks back then ..
"Jangling noise machine!"
lol :D
All hail the king of the blues players.
probably the most insightful explanation any guitarist has given
One of the most tasteful players to ever grace this earth 🌎
Ugh. My favorite part has been cut! It's when Clapton remarks on Hendrix in a way only an Englishman could do. Something about "He plays the most the most amazing Gypsy blues...and occasionally freaks out a bit"
Brill.
For my part, Eric made me realize you have to transfer your emotions through your instrument so listeners will feel the heart of blues you're playing
He's the best and most valuable teacher i've ever had
I love the smoke hangin on the guitar haha its awesome
Smooth and professional
the part from 1:13 is played by Page almost note-for-note on his live heartbreaker solos
4:27 ... one of the best solos of all time and not even in a specific song, now THAT's genius
Man digging the painting on that guitar! Noice playing as well!
haha love the joint placement! rock on clapton
BEST GUITAR PLAYER EVER:-))
Tone for days
I was a tone illiterate, this video has explained so much, thanks for posting, If he would have gotten into pickup combinations and switch settings it would have been awsome
SOLID GOLD!
Spinal Tap cutting room floor footage?
Seriously.
They can't write music like that any more, Technique is nothing without emotion but emotion still stands it ground without technique.
Really? No technique, huh?
boomer guitarists be like:
Boomerang
@tassie dirt bikes I don’t know, man. There are lots of musicians who are great. Little rhetorical comparisons like this are so stupid. I don’t need to invent scenarios where I’m sitting Eric Clapton down in front of an arbitrarily young person who supposedly ONLY has “technique” or whatever weird, non-specific way of referring to music you clearly don’t like anyway, and watching it closely for the winner of my attention and respect. I guess I’m a little less cynical than you there in my understanding of the very basic concept of “technique” as it applied to every musician, clapton or not. Hahaha, man. Get a life.
@@petersc6952 Brooo looks like you're the humorless generation lmaooo. Look at you little angry old sod ranting out. What did most of your generation become huh? Corpo sellouts ain't it? Oh yeah, remember when beating your wife or cops killing people in the streets was "legal"? Yeah, your era buddy. And who are the ones keeping new generations from moving forward? Yeah highly conservative boomers. Go back to playing your boring pentatonic scale that you think is comparable to Hendrix or Clapton's playing. Most of Gen Z's are 16 to 22 years old dumbass, what do you expect? And what did most boomers do during their teen years? Leading their life to lung cancer and dropping out of school, that's your generation. The only thing I love about the boomers are the hippies and you sure ain't one bitch.
Definite inspiration for spinal tap right here.
I remember Eric being asked how it felt to be the best guitarist around. He said, I don’t know. You would have to ask Prince. Both Eric and Prince are indeed two of the very best guitarists in history. I would imagine had Prince been asked the same question. He most likely would have said someone else he admired would have been the best guitarist. That’s why these guys are icons. Eric will be remembered for his amazing contributions to music and how he expanded people knowledge and minds with his abilities on a guitar. And Prince!! Oh man. Such a next level genius. He mastered so many different instruments during his lifetime. For me, he was the ultimate, consummate professional. Simply amazing.
Apparently Clapton never made that comment
The best guitarist alive.
brian may????
@@innoleo5893 Brian may is not even close.
@@aaronjoy980 brian may is a monster on the guitar! Clapton plays only pentatonic 😂🤣
@@addeman02 Sadly, The GREAT Rory Gallagher passed in '96...If He were still with us, it would have been incredible to see Rory trade licks with Clapton, Rory was more inventive and rather incendiary, Clapton was a bit tame...The BEST two Strat players of all time. The two Who made me play the blues for the past 50+ years. Peace. -Smythie
He still plays the same scales and runs for over 50 years now.
But today with less fire.
Great observation. I was hoping he would start finger tapping by now. WTF
Pentatonic blues with a resolve to major 3rd...his tone is the thing that's so good..his technique was never the overwhelming factor in his playing..tone was, and that's what got EVH's attention. An absolute Clapton devotee but you wouldn't know it from his playing.
Blah, blah, blah... And here we go again... yawn, how boring
Yes his playing sometimes is
i've never heard clapton talk before haha. this video is so wicked; i only wish it were longer.