Hey Blues Fans,
Here’s the last blues lesson for 2009. This lick is similar to what Eric Clapton plays in the Cream version of Crossroads. This is played in the key of A, but it’s one of those licks you can move up and down the neck to play in other keys.

I’ve broken the lick into two parts: Part 1 is where he comes out of the intro; part 2 is the turnaround. You can see the tab for each part below.

One of the keys to make this lick sound good is nailing the quarter-note bends. It’s a slight nuance, but it makes a huge difference.

Another tip for playing part 2 is to keep your index finger barred across the top three strings so it’s in position to play the 1/4-bend note on the 5th fret G string.

As always, have fun.

[flv:crossroads_turnaround.flv 550 412]

Hey blues fans,
Here’s the second part of Eric Clapton’s solo from “I’m Tore Down” off the “From the Cradle” album. This lesson builds upon part one from the previous lesson. It’s broken down into four parts to make it easier to learn. As always, have fun.

[flv:tore_down_solo_part_2.flv 512 384]
Practice along with this backing track:

Hey blues fans,
Here’s the first part of Eric Clapton’s solo from “I’m Tore Down” off the “From the Cradle” album. This lesson builds upon the intro licks from the previous lesson. It’s broken down into four parts to make it easier to learn. As always, have fun.

[flv:tore_down_solo_part_1.flv 512 384]
Practice along with this backing track: