Every time you pick up your guitar to play, play as if it's the last time.
Eric ClaptonRead
My definition of Blues is that it's a musical form which is very disciplined and structured coupled with a state of mind, and you can have either of those things but it's the two together that make it what it is. And you need to be a student for one, and a human being for the other, but those things alone don't do it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Blues is a combination of musical structure and emotional expression.
Eric Clapton defines Blues as a musical genre that requires both a disciplined understanding of its structured forms and a deep emotional connection to the music. He emphasizes that mastering the technical aspects alone is insufficient; one must also possess the humanity and emotional depth to truly convey the essence of Blues music.
Themes
BluesMusicEmotionDisciplineExpressionHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
In a music class discussing genres, this quote can highlight the complexity of Blues.
More from Eric Clapton
All quotes →There are people these days who can do things on the guitar which are beyond my reach. There's one guy who plays with Queen who can do things I would dream of doing. I sincerely mean that.
Eric ClaptonRead
My original interests and intentions in guitar playing were primarily created on quality of tone, for instance, the way the instrument could be made to echo or simulate the human voice.
Eric ClaptonRead
When I saw Jimi Hendrix I knew immediately that this guy was the real thing ... and when he played it was like a rough sketch of what he was going to become ... this guy was our generation, and he wasn't in a suit .. he played a Howlin' Wolf song 'Killing Floor', and then we (The Cream) had to carry on the set. It was pretty hard to follow.
Eric ClaptonRead
My selective memory of what drinking was like told me that standing at the bar in a pub, on a summer's evening with a long, tall glass of lager and lime was heaven, and I chose not to remember the nights on which I had sat with a bottle of vodka, a gram of coke and a shotgun, contemplating suicide.
Eric ClaptonRead
Leave bands, go back to obscurity if I choose to, without a great sense of loss of security because it's all been based on the fact that I did it on my own or was doing, enjoying doing it on my own in the first place.
Eric ClaptonRead
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