Eric Clapton
A look into Rock Blues
By: Levi Lewis
Contents
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Eric Clapton Biography
Composition History
Listening Guide
“Hideaway”, “Sunshine of Your Love”, “Tears in Heaven.”
Biography
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Introduced to the Rock
Hall of Fame 3 times
one of the most
influential guitarist of
all time
Number 4 in Rolling
Stones 100 best
guitarists
Biography
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Born March 30, 1945
Grew up in Surrey England
Raised by his
Grandparents
Very Musical family
Biography
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Depressed by unusual
circumstances of his
childhood
Flunked out of school
Attended Hollyfield Road
school of art
Biography
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Eric asked for his first
guitar at age 13
Played blues
Inspired by B.B. King
Biography
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Eric joined his first band at
17
Supported himself through
construction labor
Joined the “Yardbirds”
Earned the nickname
“God”
Biography
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Joined “Fresh Cream”
Achieved superstar status
Invented new blues guitar
sounds
Biography
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Eric began his solo career
Made himself known
through the 70’s and 80’s
Won a Grammy for “Tears
in Heaven”
Composition History
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Worked in blues, rock,
Worked in bands, and as a
solo artist
Composition History
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“Hideaway”
1966 six on the charts in UK
The Bluesbreakers
Eric Clapton
29 on billboards top 100
Originally written by Freddie King
Composition History
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“Sunshine of Your Love”
(Fresh) Cream
Eric Clapton
Inspired by Jimi Hendrix
Written by Jack Bruce and Pete Brown
“Woman tone” 1664 Gibson SG
Composition History
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“Tears in Heaven”
Inspired by Clapton’s son Conor
Written with the help of Will Jennings
Featured in the film “Rush”
Clapton won 3 Grammy’s with this song
Listening Guide
“Hideaway”
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0:05 The drummer counts
them in using his sticks
0:10 Eric’s blues guitar
twains in leading the band
with amplifier at a high
octave
0:11 A pianist tunes into
the fast tempo of the
blues guitar hammering
the pianos action
Listening Guide
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0:13 The drummer gently
hits the cymbals of the
drums acting as a
tambourine joining the
allegro mix chanting to the
beat of the electric guitar
0:35 The music alternates
between the background
of the two guitars,
tambourine and the piano,
with blues guitar
Listening Guide
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0:45 By this time the
trombone is highly
recognizable with it’s long
bursts of sound
protruding into the solo
0:56 The blues guitar solo
ends and the piano takes
over with the cavatina
leading the group in short
bursts of sound back and
forth between roles
Listening Guide
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1:53 The blues guitar takes
a short solo leading them
to seemingly all stand out,
as they compete with each
others instruments for
glory
2:47 The battle is broken
with a harmonica taking
the rest of the band back
it it’s regular tempo as the
harmonica makes it’s solo
Listening Guide
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4:00 The bands tempo
picks back up to it’s
original beat with the
piano and blues guitar
standing out
4:17 The pianist strikes his
last not hard throwing the
lead to the blues guitar
Listening Guide
“Sunshine of Your Love”
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0:02 Electric guitar bursts
out with alternating notes
0:05 The drummer strikes
the toms as it welcomes
itself to the song
0:06 The electric guitar
and drums alternate
between each other
Listening Guide
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0:18 The vocalist begins
singing, keeping up with
alternations of the drums
and guitar
0:53 The guitars tempo
changes to fast paced,
forcing the drums to slam
the toms at a doubled rate
Listening Guide
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1:09 The electric guitar
leads the band back to its
original tempo and
alternation
1:48 The guitar, drums, and
vocalist lead back to the
faster paced notes and
lyrics, then simultaneously
hold notes taking us back
full circle
Listening Guide
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2:47 The electric guitar
solo makes for more
complication as it hits
even higher octave pitches
2:54 Electric guitar solo
ends, bringing us back to
theme 1
Listening Guide
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3:35 The vocals, electric
guitar and drums return
to quicker alternations
3:55 The vocals, electric
guitar and drums all hold
notes to once again come
full circle
Listening Guide
“Tears in Heaven”
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0:01 The music is
introduced with adagio
tempo of acoustic guitar
0:12 The vocals are
introduced with two hits
on hand percussion
Listening Guide
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0:39 The acoustic guitar
tempo get much slower,
and the vocalist holds on
to his notes much longer.
The vocals end with two
short chords strung on
the acoustic guitar
Listening Guide
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1:52 The music once again
comes full circle with a
musical solo, only this time
there is clearly a flute
distinguishable in the
background with long held
high octave notes
Listening Guide
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2:35 We are then brought
back to original theme,
that now seems to hold a
much slower somber
tempo with an
incorporated tremolo arm
affect on the acoustic
guitar to draw out
dramatic notes
Listening Guide
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3:48 Original tempo is
brought back, with guitar
and vocals slowing down
4:10 Chorus is repeated in
the lyrics accompanied by
theme 2 to bring the song
to a close
Bibliography
Biography, Composition History, Listening Guide
www.ericclapton.com
Wikipedia/Eric Clapton
www.johnmayall.com
Youtube.com/hideaway/sunshine of your love/tears in
heaven
Google images