Sweet Home Chicago electric guitar lesson - Clapton Style (Sessions for Robert Johnson)

Breaking down Eric Clapton's version of "Sweet Home Chicago" from the 2004 Sessions for Robert Johnson, focusing on the intro and key techniques. This is a 12-bar blues in E that demonstrates intermediate lead guitar concepts.

The intro starts with a hammer-on from fret seven to fret nine with vibrato, then hits the low E string and thinnest two strings to establish the E chord. The lead part actually tells you what chord is being played - you don't need to keep strumming the rhythm because the lead line says "E chord."

The main lick uses E minor pentatonic shapes four and three - what I think of as the Hendrix position because it's where "Purple Haze" and "Voodoo Child" live. The pattern walks down 9-7-7-5-7, then finishes with a three-string slide from seven to nine. These same notes can also be played as blues or gospel slides using that characteristic sixth interval sound.

The second part uses similar technique but adds notes at frets 8 to 9, creating an E minor chord feel. Throughout, we're playing minor pentatonic over this blues in E. The key picking technique for speed is up-pick then down-pick - this is covered in depth in my Eric Clapton player study.

The turnaround uses 0-1-2 as a hammer-on, then just open strings to add rhythm and vibe. Over the A7 chord section, you play licks that allude to the A7 sound. The ending features seventh chord shapes that repeat everywhere on the neck, moving through E7, E♭7, D7 for the turnaround, then C7 to D7.

Practice this intro over and over, even while vocals are happening in the original recording. Don't just play the first 12 bars - play over every chorus and start adding your own variations, maybe going up to the 12th fret for blues improvisation. This is the foundation for developing your own blues vocabulary.