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Eric Clapton - Old Love Unplugged - All Rhythm Guitar Parts - Guitar Lesson

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Eric Clapton - Old Love Unplugged - All Rhythm Guitar Parts guitar lesson video
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Eric Clapton Blues Rock Am minor
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About Old Love Unplugged - All Rhythm Guitar Parts

Few slow blues performances reward close rhythmic study the way the unplugged version of "Old Love" does. At 76 BPM in Eb Standard tuning, every chord voicing breathes, and the rhythm parts carry far more emotional weight than they might at first seem. The key of A minor asks you to sit inside some very specific chord colours, so getting your voicings clean and letting them ring without rushing is the real challenge here. Eric Clapton plays with a behind-the-beat looseness that is easy to overlook but very hard to copy, and that relaxed pocket is what separates a mechanical run-through from something that actually feels like the record. This page covers all the rhythm guitar parts, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop any transition you find slippery, particularly the slower turnarounds, with the speed reduced until your fretting hand stays completely relaxed. Blues rock rhythm playing at this tempo is all about feel over flash.

  • Tuning down to Eb Standard lowers string tension, which helps you dig in for the slow, wide bends that colour the rhythm parts.
  • The slow 76 BPM tempo exposes every hesitation in your chord changes, so practise transitions in isolation before running full sections.
  • Achieving the warm, woody unplugged tone means keeping your picking hand loose and letting the natural acoustic dynamics do the work.

How to Play Old Love Unplugged - All Rhythm Guitar Parts

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: Am minor · Tempo: 76 BPM

It is played in Eb standard, a half step down, so tune down before you start or every position and bend will sit a half step sharp against the recording. At 76 bpm the slow tempo leaves every note exposed, so timing, vibrato, and dynamics matter more than raw speed.

Loop each section and focus on clean, even timing rather than speed, with the metronome at 76 BPM.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Clapton's primary instrument from the 1970s onward, his signature Strat features Vintage Noiseless pickups and an active mid-boost circuit that pushes clean Fender amps into controlled breakup, delivering his trademark smooth yet slightly gritty tone.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

The 'Beano' Les Paul with original PAF humbuckers paired with a cranked Marshall JTM45 created Clapton's legendary creamy, sustaining overdrive that defined the Bluesbreakers era and established his blues-rock foundation.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

While less documented than the Standard, Clapton's occasional use of this model maintained the thick PAF humbucker character essential to his early power-blues tone during his transitional years.

Gibson SG Standard
Guitar

Gibson SG Standard

Clapton's SG with PAF humbuckers and a cranked Marshall during Cream produced his searing, sustain-rich lead tone that became iconic for psychedelic blues-rock soloing and feedback exploration.

Gibson ES-335
Guitar

Gibson ES-335

The semi-hollow ES-335 with Derek and the Dominos gave Clapton a warmer, more articulate midrange response ideal for the soulful, slightly compressed tone heard on 'Layla' and bluesy slide work.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

From the mid-1970s onward, Clapton's shift to the Twin Reverb running relatively clean allowed his Strat's mid-boost circuit to drive natural amp breakup, creating his refined blues tone without heavy overdrive pedals.

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