52 weeks of blues

Eric Patrick Clapton is one of the greatest guitarists and blues musicians who has ever lived. From straight blues, to psychedelic heavy blues, to clean electric blues, to traditional acoustic blues, Clapton has been at the very forefront of music for 40 years. He is massively successful, winnning 18 Grammy awards and is currently the only three time inductee in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Over his long and distinguished career, he has experimented and innovated, but has never strayed from the soul of the blues.
Eric was born on March 30, 1945 in the village of Ripley in Surrey, England. His mother was 16 year old Patricia Clapton and his father was Edward Fryer, a 25 soldier from Canada posted to England. Fryer shipped off to war, then back to Canada, before Eric was born, leaving him to be raised by Patricia’s mother, Rose, and her second husband Jack Clapp. When Eric was a toddler, his mother married another Canadian soldier and left to Germany and eventually Canada. Eric was raised believing Rose and Jack were his parents and that his mother was really his sister, but thought there was something odd about not sharing the same surname as Rose and Jack. At the age of 9 Pat and her husband visited England bring with them their 6 year old son (Eric’s half brother) and the truth of his parentage was revealed to him.
This affected young Eric deeply, he became sullen and withdrawn. He wax always a quiet and polite boy, and an above average student at school, but the shock deeply scarred him. He lost interest in studies and failed the exams given at the end of primary (elementary) school. He became increasingly withdrawn, and invested most of his time into art. After two years at a middle school, he was sent to a new school to study art at age 13. He began to see himself as different to other people and an outsider.
His family were a musical family: Rose played piano and the house as filled with the sounds of big bands and jazz. His birth father was also a pianist. In 1958 rock and roll exploded onto the words and for his 13th birthday Eric asked for and received a steel string Hoyer guitar. After a few weeks of trying to play, he lost interest and put it aside to concentrate on art. In 1961, at the age of 16, Eric was accepted into the prestigious Kingston College of Art on a one year probation, but in the months leading up to the start of the school year something happened: Eric discovered the blues.
On American radio shows, he first heard the electrified Chicago blues of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and the three Kings – BB, Albert and Freddie. Eric connected deeply to the non-traditional roots of the blues, he saw the blues and bluesmen as the same outsiders that was. He picked up his cheap acoustic again and began to try to emulate what these black Americans were doing. He bought himself a cheap reel to reel player and recorded his practice session, and spent long hours listening back until he could perfectly copy what his idols were doing.
At Kingston, his focus was purely in the blues and he was expelled for failing to do any class work. He was 16, and was working as a labourer on building sites and stayng up all night trying to learn the blues. He started busking on the street and in 1962 convinced his parents to buy him an electric guitar – a Kay copy of a Gibson Es-335 that Freddie King played. He started playing in local pubs and in early 1963 formed his first band with Tom McGuinness who would go on to play with Manfred Mann. This R&B band performed in local pubs and clubs where Eric started to gain a reputation as a hot blues player. The band dissolved in August and Eric went back to the construction sites for a few months before he and Tom were asked to play with Casey Jones and the Engineers, a touring band set up by Brain Cassser to promote the top 40 single he had released a month earlier. After a 7 gig stretch in which Clapton became the most talked about young guitarist in the scene, in October of 1963 Clapton was asked to replace the guitarist of a band who had a regular gig at the Crawdaddy Club. The Crawdaddy club was the place for blues in London; the previous regular band were the Rolling Stones. The new band had only been formed in May that year as a backing band, and they needed a gifted guitarist to headline at the Crawddady. They were called The Yardbirds.
They played Chicago style blues and with Clapton in the mix they exploded, becoming the biggest pub band in London, attracting sell out crowds where ever they played. The great harmonica player Sonny Boy Williamson II saw them at a festival a few weeks after Clapton joined, and asked them to play behind him in December 1963 at the Crawdaddy. The gig was recorded and was released as an album titled “Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds”, Clapton’s first ever record. In 1964 the band released their debut single, a cover of Billy Boy Arnold’s “I wish you Would” and followed it up with Sonny Boy Williamson I’s standard “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl”, which reached number 44 on the UK charts. In December 1964 another live album was released – “Five Live Yardbirds” – featuring songs by the likes of Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry and Willie Dixon. Later that month that played at Royal Albert Hall. Eric developed a habit during this time of standing on stage and replacing a string whenever he broke one, which was common. The crowd would start a slow hand clap whenit happened, which lead to his nick name – “Slowhand”.
In early 1965, the Yardbirds recorded a pop single titled “For Your Love”. Although he recorded on the track, Clapton was disappointed with the pop direction that the rest of the band wanted to go in, forsaking their blues roots. The single was released on March 25, and Clapton quit the band citing his desire to remain a blues guitarist on the same day. He recommended his friend and accomplished session guitarist Jimmy Page as his replacement; Page turned it down out of loyalty to Clapton and instead suggested Jeff Beck. Beck played his first gig with the Yardbirds 2 days after Clapton walked out.
He immediately joined John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, an influential British Blues band that had released a few singles. He took a break for a few months to go to Greece, then returned in November 1965. The following year, the album “Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton” was released to major success – peaking at number 6 on the UK charts. On the album, Clapton used a Gibson Les Paul plugged into a Marshall JTM 45 amplifier. The sound that he got has been described as “the sound that launched British blues-rock in the mid-1960s.” The Les Paul/Marshall set up became the standard of all blues and rock that followed, and is today still the most popular guitar/amplifier combination in the world. The JTM 45 amplifier is called “The Bluesbreaker” after this album. Clapton revolutionised had modern music – after the release of the album graffiti started appearing in London, simply stating “Clapton is God”. He was 21, and had been playing guitar for 6 years.
In March 1966, Clapton had joined a studio only band named “The PowerHouse” along with Paul Jones and Jack Bruce from Manfred Mann and Steve Winwood. Ginger Baker was the intended drummer, but had other commitments. They recorded a few songs and Clapton enjoyed the freedom that came with being the front man. In June that year, Mayall and Clapton saw Buddy Guy in concert, playing with just a drummer and bass. Inspired by the freedom and creativity offered by such a set up, Clapton agreed to joined Ginger Baker’s new unnamed project, insisting that Jack Bruce be hired as the bass player although Baker had fired Bruce from a previous band, which led to Bruce pulling a knife. The three piece considered them selves the best musicians in London, the cream of the crop and that decided their name: “Cream”.
In the 28 months of Cream’s existence, they released 3 big selling albums and a host of hit singles. They fused their blues roots with psychedelic tones, used new technologies like the wah pedal, and created a sound that influenced all rock music that came afterwards – Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath both were heavily influenced by Cream. They sold 15 million albums and were inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. The band fell apart due to internal conflicts but all three members were world famous by the time it ended. Clapton was regarded as only behind Jimi Hendrix as the best guitarist in the world.
After Cream, Clapton focussed on being a side man and collaborated frequently with Beatles guitarist George Harrison. He recorded the solo for “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, featured on the Beatles ‘White Album’, performed as lead guitarist on Harrison’s first solo album. He appeared with John Lennon, Keith Richards and Mitch Mitchell in ‘The Dirty Mac’ for a TV special. In 1969, tensions in the Beatles saw Harrison quit for a few days – the remaining Beatles lead by John Lennon were recorded discussing approaching Eric Clapton to join the band as his replacement.
In 1969 he formed Blin Faith, a super group that debuted in frnt of 100,000 people and recorded an album before disbanding. Clapton performed as a side man for various bands and projects, and in 1970 recorded and released his first and self titled solo album, which included the hit “After Midnight”. More side work and guest spots continued, and seeking to get away from his virtuosity, Clapton formed a new band with the concept of playing as aband, rather than showcasing his guitar work. The name was a play on words of a nickname – Del – and Eric’ – Derek and the Dominos. The band toured and recorded an album in late 1970 that was the product of numerous free spirited jam sessions. Clapton mat Duanne Allman of the Allman brother band, and encouraged him to record slide guitar on the album. Released in late 1970, ‘Layla and Assorted Love Songs’ was an immediate flop. It wasn’t until ‘Layla’ was released as a single that the album attained great success, and is now days viewed as the epitome of Clapton’s early career.
Calpton was burnt out and was suffering a heroin and cocaine addiction, not to mention a love affair with George Harrison’s wife (and subject of Layla) Patty Boyd. He took a hiatus from music, but returned in 1974 with a string of successful solo albums and singles – “I Shot the Sheriff”, his first number 1 a cover of a Bob Marley tune that was instrumental in exposing reggae to a massive audience; “Wonderful Tonight”, “Cocaine” to name a few. He released 10 successful solo albums and a host of guest performances from 1974 to 1990.
In 1990, he was touring with Stevie Ray Vaughan when Vaughan and members of his crew were killed in a helicopter accident. The year after this tragedy, Clapton’s 4 year old son Conor fell to his death from a 53rd story window in New York City. Contrary to rumours, Conor’s mother had care of the child and Eric was not present when the accident occurred, though he did arrive about 5 minutes alter. Clapton had been working on the soundtrack fro the film “Rush” at the time, and focussing his grief into his music he created the song “Tears in Heaven”. Conor’s death marked a turning point of sort in Clapton music, he produced more acoustic based material and explored the acoustic roots of blues.
1992 saw the release of an MTV Unplugged album which has sold in excess on 24 million copies, making it one of the biggest selling albums of all time, he followed it up with an album of blues standards, a 1999 compilation of blues songs, a 2004 album of Robert Johnson songs and a follow up album of out-takes from those sessions.
As of 2015, Eric Clapton has released 22 solo studio albums, 11 live solo albums and 37 albums perform with or as part of a band. He is single handedly the most influential blues guitarist since Hendrix, and is a living legend of the blues.

Cryin’ is a show piece of Clapton’s taste and clean, melodic playing and was recorded for his 1999 album titled “Blues”. It is an 8 bar blues in the key of A played in standard tuning. It is a homage to the great bluesmen of the past, most notably Robert Johnson in the form of an A7 chord that Johnson used a lot. It’s a work of subtlety – Clapton emphasises different notes of familiar chord shapes and plays a great turnaround that features few notes but is very effective.
Clapton uses a thumb and three finger approach to fingerpicking rather than the one or two finger style used by a lot of blues men. The high E is picked by the ring finger, the index and middle pick the G and B. This allows the G and B strings to be played on the beat and the thumb or ring finger adds syncopation by playing the shuffle beat in the first two bars. Then it goes to the standard thumb on the beat rhythm. The use of this syncopation is instrumental to the sound of the piece – you can play it with the thumb on the beat and it still sounds pretty good, but it loses something.
The song is relatively quick for a slow blues, and the main thing you need to do is play it clean. Clapton doesn’t have strings ringing where he doesn’t want them. Practice it slowly to get the notes you want ringing to ring, then gradually speed it up.

A7                E
She is cryin', she is cryin'.
D            
She's been cryin' all night long.
A                               E
She's been cryin' for her one and only son.
A             E                A

She will weep, she will moan.
She will moan the night away.
She will weep and moan until the break of day.

I had called for the doctor,
But the doctor can't be found.
So what could I do but sit and look around?

(Humming)

Oh Lord, won't you hear,
Won't you hear me when I pray.
Please send this girl her one and only son.

Solo

She is cryin', she is cryin'.
She is cryin' the whole night long.
She is cryin' for her one and only son

(Humming)

The intro features a nice little run down into the great tunraround of the song. Clapton uses a chord shape he got off Robert Johnson – basically a D shape but moved up a string – to make an A7 chord, then drops it down a fret to make it a diminished chord (Clapton drops it another fret to complete the run). This was one of Johnson’s innovative ideas 80 years ago – check out for my tab of Kindhearted Woman Blues to see how the master used it. Although Clapton doesn’t play the D string, here’s how it looks:
The turnaround has a great sound and although it doesn’t look hard in tab it is quite difficult to get right. His thumb work and left hand positioning here is really precise. The A notes on beat 1 of the last bar can be awkward – I play it as a ‘continuation’ of the E shape of the previous bar by flattening the middle finger to get the 2nd fret G string – then hit the open A on the “one – and” shuffle beat and use this extra split second to quickly change to the usual A shape to hit the high A on the high E with the pinkie.

The progression is a sweet little 8 bar that relies on a good technique with both hands to play accurately.
Somewhat unusually, he plays a major 3rd bassnote in the first E section, creating an A G# F# walking bassline over the first 3 chords, then slides the whole shape down to the D. Like the A7 in the intro, play the first A section in a D shape but moved up a string, then move the shape down to the usual strings to play the E and D.
The chords shown here aren’t 100% accurate – the plugin I use doesn’t have the proper shapes, so look at the tab for the proper shapes – then use the chord diagrams to play along to get the timing right.

The solo starts with some very quiet almost grace notes leading into the chord based first two bars. It starts on the last shuffle beat of the last bar of the progression. A bass guitar plays throughout the solo, and the guitar has plays no bass notes, but I’ve added them on the beat to help with timing and as a suggestion for a solo guitar performance.
There’s a lot of very quiet notes that Clapton uses here, and the C on the 8th fret high E is bent – listen to the song to work them out. His playing is soft, restrained and very, very fluid – exactly what you would expect from a guy called “Slowhand”. The triplets in bars 5 and 6 are quiet and build up in volume, and the timing of the G string notes really help to build up the momentum to the big A double stop of beat 1 in bar 7. He really highlights the shuffle beat in some measures – it’s all about playing strong notes exactly when you want to play them, and keeping them nice and subtle when you don’t.

A sweet little A minor pentatonic lick to take us out – the C 1st fret B string is bent. This replaces the turnaround in the progression – bars 7 and 8.