Eric Clapton inspired generations of guitarists with this emotive guitar solo—now learn how to play it in this exclusive lesson from a modern blues-guitar hero
“Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream stands out for its iconic opening riff and Eric Clapton’s much-lauded guitar solo. As a defining feature of the song, the solo showcases the young Clapton’s remarkable talent and ability to convey emotion with timeless Gibson SG™ tone.
In this Gibson App video, Gibson Brand Ambassador Jared James Nichols will guide you through an interpretation of the famous solo using his famous 1952 Les Paul™, “Dorothy.” In addition to incorporating improvisation, phrasing, vibrato, and tone shaping through picking dynamics, Nichols also explains how you can use microtones in the solo and how Clapton used bluesy call-and-response phrasing.
The “Sunshine of Your Love” solo begins with a plaintive, sustained note, building into a short motif that quotes the 1930s pop standard “Blue Moon” and creates a moaning expression that rides a little bit behind the beat. Clapton then navigates through a series of lines that are full of bends and slides, all embellished with his signature vibrato. The phrasing is a mix of repetition and variation, creating a balance between familiarity and surprise. In doing this, he keeps the listener engaged and intrigued. The Gibson App will reveal some optimal finger positions for these lines and clue you in on where the most expressive vibrato is needed.
Clapton’s use of dynamics—alternating between soft, subtle notes and powerful, throaty tones—adds depth and intensity to the solo. He executes a cool little rhythmic pick chirp before flowing into the intense latter half of his statement. This guitar solo has been studied and covered by countless guitarists, inspiring those looking to master the art of rock guitar—even Eddie Van Halen cited Clapton as an important influence.
From Cream’s second album, Disraeli Gears, the “Sunshine of Your Love” guitar solo perfectly exemplifies Clapton’s innovative guitar-playing approach. Crafted with a blend of structured planning and spontaneous improvisation, it also stands as a great example of using longer sustained notes and phrases when the accompaniment is more active and busy, though he does unleash a few quick flurries toward the solo’s climax. It’s a guitar solo that builds on statement and restatement, gathering momentum as it progresses.
How do I recreate the “Sunshine of Your Love” guitar tone?
Clapton used his 1964 Gibson SG during the Disraeli Gears sessions, manipulating the guitar’s tone controls to create an array of extraordinary lead sounds. Nicknamed “The Fool” after the Dutch design collective responsible for its psychedelic paint job, the above video from 1968 sees Clapton use the “jangling noise machine” in a fascinating encounter from an era when blues-rock and psychedelia were fast-evolving new genres.
It must be one of the earliest electric guitar demo videos ever captured on tape, and it still offers aspiring players valuable insights into how trailblazing guitarists used rigs that are relatively simple by modern standards to create an electrifying palette of sounds. We live in a golden age of guitar gear, but next time you are searching for new textures and sounds, avoid option paralysis by stripping things back and using your guitar’s controls as the primary tone-shapers. It certainly works for Joe Bonamassa.
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