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.
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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.
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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.
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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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