In this first Style of Eric Clapton lesson, Brendan starts with the beginning of Eric's playing with a look at a tune from The Yardbirds. Here, you'll lay the framework of the blues structure and learn how Clapton tends to create solos and melodic ideas.
Taught by Brendan Burns in Style of Eric Clapton seriesLength: 47:25Difficulty: 3.0 of 5

Brendan Burns delves in to the stylistic playing of Eric Clapton.
Lesson 1
Introducing the style of Eric Clapton lesson series. In this series of lessons, Brendan Burns takes an arrangement based look at the life and growth of this prolific guitarist. Starting with the Yardbirds...
Length: 5:41 Difficulty: 0.5 Members OnlyLesson 2
In this first Style of Eric Clapton lesson, Brendan starts with the beginning of Eric's playing with a look at a tune from The Yardbirds. Here, you'll lay the framework of the blues structure and learn...
Length: 47:25 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 3
Brendan introduces a fast blues and the Bo Diddley beat - important components of Clapton's playing in the Yardbirds. He ends the lesson by breaking down Clapton's early solo work.
Length: 17:23 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 4
In the third Yardbirds lesson, Brendan goes over another tune in the style of this group. He explores how Clapton approaches and structures guitar solos.
Length: 34:48 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 5
Brendan Burns is back with another "in the style of" tune from The Yardbirds. In this lesson, Brendan discusses how Clapton is now starting to incorporate rock elements into a traditional blues sound.
Length: 28:36 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 6
In the 5th lesson in The Yardbirds chunk of material, Brendan discusses the Rock elements that Clapton begins to add to his blues playing.
Length: 19:07 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 7
In this final lesson detailing Eric Clapton's history with the Yardbirds, Brendan discusses additional lead techniques. Specifically, he covers triplet and bending ideas that Clapton has started to employ...
Length: 21:08 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 8
Eric Clapton has now left the Yardbirds and is going back to his core as a solid traditional blues player. He hooks up with John Mayall and continues to add influence from artists like Son House. In this...
Length: 64:04 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 9
In this lesson of epic proportions, Brendan goes over a new "in the style of" tune that really shows off Clapton's true blues playing.
Length: 120:46 Difficulty: 3.5 Members OnlyLesson 10
In lesson 10, Brendan continues to delve into Clapton's playing during his years with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. In this "style of" tune, he takes a look at how Freddie King influenced Clapton....
Length: 35:28 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 11
In the eleventh lesson of the Style of Eric Clapton series, Brendan discusses Otis Rush's influence on Clapton's playing. Again, he provides an "in the style of tune" that covers rhythmic, melodic, and...
Length: 28:49 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 12
In the fifth lesson covering Eric's playing with John Mayall, Brendan takes another look at a Robert Johnson inspired tune.
Length: 38:04 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
About Brendan Burns
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Brendan has been passionate about music since childhood. He began his studies on trumpet, in elementary school, and then moved to guitar as a teenager. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from Berklee College of Music, and has studied with Norm Zocher, Joe Stump, Bret Willmott, Bob Pilkington, Jay Weik, Tim Miller, & Charlie Banacos.
While at Berklee, Brendan was a member of the Music Mentoring Program, teaching private lessons to gifted high school students. He is currently teaches, and is chair of the guitar department at Brookline Music School. Brendan also teaches guitar for Tune Foolery & privately at his home in Cambridge, MA.
Along with educating, Brendan plays out often as a Solo Guitarist, performing standards, pop, and classical repertoire. He has recorded and played with the chamber-fusion band Ra Quintent, and as well as Vessela Stoyanova's Eastern Stories Under Western Skies Project. Brendan also performs as a leader, director and sideman for various Boston art-rock projects, and is former member of MIT's Gamelan Galak Tika.
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Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.This is good a bit to much talking as I almost fell asleep watching with my guitar in my lap. Great for the beginner guitarist.
Brendan - do you have a particular set of guitar strings that you prefer for blues work? I assume they're nines...
Thanks! I look forward to your continuation of the Style of Eric Clapton series. I have gone back and replayed your Yardbirds lessons repeatedly and I learn new things every time. It's like being in a gold mine. There are nuggets everywhere. My uncle started teaching me guitar when I was 8. I'm 69 now and still learning. My wife says I should keep practicing. I'm bound to get better!
To be honest, I don't remember what I was using when I filmed this. I bet you it was 9s because I was working on Clapton stuff (he uses really light gauge strings). Stevie Ray Vaughan was famous for playing with 13s. I'm currently using 10s. It's really a personal sound decision.
Brendan - The Clapton series is great. I love Clapton's "turnarounds" - can you demonstrate some more of them? Thanks, cgduffy3cpljd
They will be coming more later in this series. The best thing to do is to learn them from his influences. As Clapton progresses past the Yardbrids, he starts to become a more sophisticated player and these types of turnarounds start to disappear. But take a look at Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters & Son House. All the answers are there!
Great series, but it appears that something happened to the backing tracks, they're suddenly in super low quality (both stream and download), they were fine a few days ago :(
nevermind, my headphones weren't properly plugged in... derp
Brendan great lessons especially the turn around riff. Couple of questions in the last scene you refer to the 4th form ,it appears the you are playing a b pentonic scale, is that correct? Also the term "third" note is referred to for chords. What is the 3ed note, and how do I identify it. You sessions thus far have really ramped and amped up my guitar work.
George, I'm not 100% sure what you mean about the "4th form." Do you the time-marker for that? The 3rd of the chord is the the "mi" in "Do, Mi, Sol," or the root, third & 5th of a major chord. This is foundational chord theory stuff. If this is new to you, I would recommend checking out some theory lessons here on JamPlay or doing a little research about how chords are constructed.
In the end, it something you just hear. Knowing how the major 3rd & minor 3rd sound is great starting point as you are exploring chords, and improvising over them. I'm glad these lessons are helping. Putting this info together helped my playing a lot too.
Thanks, I am now into your cycle of 5ths. Series to get a better foundation . Regards g
Now THIS is what Jamplay is all about! Great series, great instructors, great website! Whatcha doing next, Brandon?
More Clapton!!!
Great fun! Thanks for sharing.
This stuff is so much fun to play around with. Great job Brendan!
Brendon, I like the series so far been playing since before the yardbirds arrived, mostly country and 50s now at 68 i'm getting into the blues. mow long before the next lesson? like what your doin.
This is great! I can't wait for the next lesson! Really awesome.
"that was not so satisfactory..." -- what an awesome description of sucky! Love it. Also love your lesson. Very satisfactory. Looking forward to more. Awesome work jamplay and brendan
Yes, sometimes those "less than satisfactory" notes sneak in there. :)
"that was not so satisfactory..." -- what an awesome description of sucky! Love it. Also love your lesson. Very satisfactory. Looking forward to more. Awesome work jamplay and brendan
Great lesson Brendan. Thanks for breaking it down.
did the video have a blip in the solo section?
Burns lesson tied together good blues ideas. It helped me alot.
Me too!
You had me at Clapton! Thanks Brendan and Jamplay for these lessons, looks to be fun and informative. ....sidenote: the first tab for Bang Bang when you go to the 5 chord B ....tab is correct but overhead notatation states B A/C# B, shouldn't this be B E6/B B for the 5 chord measure???? I apologize if I error, just testing myself. lol
You are totally right. That's my mistake.
no problem! ...your lesson was even better the second time thru!!
Great Lesson!
Not getting it because your not really showing me what you are doing
Let me know if you have any specific questions Dancer. I'll see if I can point you in the right direction.
dancer, if you haven't yet, also check out the supplemental content that goes along with it. Everything that is being talked about and played is tabbed and in standard notation for you there. Please keep in mind, that as Brendan talks about in the series overview, this lesson series will assume that you have knowledge of basic blues forms including the minor pentatonic. If you're having trouble with these applications, definitely check out the blues genre lessons which will provide more information!
Nice. Great tone by the way.
After a few months working on guitar fundamental, at Jam Play, I think I can complete this series. Thanks!
And look everyone! I have fret markers!!!
Brendan you make me laugh! Awesome.
Good stuff, Bb! Love it.