2007-10-24 16:15:00 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music ➔ Rock and Pop
He's very talented, but I don't think he's a technical genius. He's not much of a songwriter either, but he does know how to play.
2007-10-24 16:18:45 · answer #1 · answered by Montag 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Clapton developed the "slowhand" approach to Strat guitar playing, making his signature guitars wail with unmistakable clarity, hence this nickname--"Slowhand".
It's not that huge a trick: Notes can be duplicated by finger "popping" the strings at exact areas of the fretboard, while resting other fingers on the strings to pick other notes.
With a lot of work and earned effort--any guitarist carrying the passion for rock can accomplish this feat--Eric Clapton simply makes it look effortless.
And that talent is what makes Eric Clapton a revered rock icon, worthy of his place in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
2007-10-25 04:09:17 · answer #2 · answered by Mr. Wizard 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Extremely talented in many different ways. Rolling Stone's list of 100 greatest guitar players ranks him at #4 (#2 among living guitarists). As a guitarist myself, I personally rank him only behind Jimi Hendrix.
Clapton has a great deal of technical talent. He's most famous for his expressive vibrato, considered to be the best at applying it. He also bends notes more easily than any other guitarist I've ever heard. Listen to the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (Yes, Clapton plays the solo on this) and you can hear just how emphatic and impressive his string bending is. Clapton plays difficult solos with such ease, almost appearing bored while improvising through fast-paced guitar licks.
While his solos on his studio albums may not be considered the best solos ever, he is in my opinion, the greatest LIVE soloist. He has never played the same solo twice, always changing the solo except for phrases that have made that solo famous. The solo considered his best is "Crossroads," a live song done with the band Cream. His great live solos show how much knowledge about the guitar and its scales Clapton has. His live solos always "fit." If you listen to another great guitarist, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, you will hear in some live performances that the solo seems to drift away from the song's backbone, therefore not quite "fitting."
Clapton also is responsable for influencing rock and blues-based rock music. He was one of the first along with Hendrix to use effects pedals such as wah-wahs and fuzz pedals. His stint with the band Cream eventually paved the way for hard rock and metal in two ways: 1) His departure from the Yardbirds led to the formation of Led Zeppelin several years later. 2) Cream heavily influenced Black Sabbath. Finally, along with Hendrix, Clapton help popularize 2 of the most iconic figures in rock: The Fender Stratocaster, and the Marshall Stack.
2007-10-25 04:42:19 · answer #3 · answered by Slowhand Ben 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are literally dozens of guitarists who are technically more proficient and much, much faster, simply because string-skipping shredding techniques were not around in the 60s and 70s.
But a guitarist can also be measured (more importantly) in terms of taste and emotion. The whole of the Clapton solo is "Crossroads' by Cream is a master class on how to achieve it without trying too hard.
No-one ever looked at Picasso's line drawings and said: "Dude, I know painters who can draw TWICE that many lines in that space."
Having said that, Eric has lost of a lot of his fire and ingenuity over the past two decades or so. To hear him at his best, you need to go way back.
2007-10-24 23:42:50 · answer #4 · answered by Bowzer 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
4th best that ever lived.
1Jimi Hendrix
2 Duane Allman
3 B.B. King
4 Eric Clapton
2007-10-24 23:19:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Eric Clapton--BIG DEAL.
2007-10-24 23:24:45 · answer #6 · answered by Fetus 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
he is a living legend --- last of the great ones really. and he's got derek trucks (one of my generations finest - if not the finest slide player around) backing him live! i have seen clapton 3 times -- check out his crossroads concerts (austin and chicago) its all the best blues players you can hear them all and judge for yrself. pick up a either crossroads 1 or 2 its a box set of four discs -- smokin solos. and then buy unplugged ============ hear the contrast and you will be able to tell that he is the man,
2007-10-24 23:32:57 · answer #7 · answered by tabletennissense 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very talented. I like Ray Davies, Knoppfler and Hendrix better though.
2007-10-24 23:37:06 · answer #8 · answered by SpikE 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Extremely, but I think Ginger Baker{drummer for Cream] outshadowed him in talent. All that sound from just a simple kit, wow!
2007-10-24 23:23:36 · answer #9 · answered by inkgddss 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Virtually every musician in the industry (especially guitarists) say he's one of the best in music history...I guess you'd have to be pretty talented to get those kinds of compliments from your peers
2007-10-24 23:23:12 · answer #10 · answered by squishy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He is one of the best guitar player on earth. He doesnt have the incredible technics, but he plays beautiful. Melody he played is so sweeeeeetttt ....
Dont compare him with the shredders like Vai, Petrucci ...
He is the one who play right note, right place and and right time.
2007-10-25 02:25:55 · answer #11 · answered by Aspailin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋