Let's get started by taking a look at the lick itself. It is based in the key of A blues and uses the A minor pentatonic shape 4, which is pictured below. The lick uses a lot of subtle bends, combined with some aggressive playing, so be sure to spend time working with every note! The tab is also below to help you work through it.
It's all about space and phrasing. Even with Jack Bruce & Ginger playing racing through the backing track at one hundred miles an hour, playing very busy parts on drums and bass, Eric Clapton has the unique skill of being able to find the space in the track and play a beautiful lick. The lick is a perfect little melody that you could go away and sing. It's perfectly executed and bang on time. This, for me, is Eric Clapton's real talent as a guitar player. He is one of the best at phrasing in the business.
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