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Eric Clapton - Layla - Guitar Tab

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Key D minor
Eric Clapton - Layla guitar tab video
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Eric Clapton Blues Rock D minor
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About Layla

Few riffs in Blues Rock are as immediately recognizable as the opening figure of "Layla," and nailing it is a real test of right-hand attack and left-hand position. The riff sits in D minor and drives forward at 112 BPM, so getting it to feel urgent without rushing takes some deliberate practice. The descending line that opens the song combines hammer-ons and a tight, percussive pick attack, and it is easy to let the notes blur together if your fretting hand is not clean. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop that opening figure slowed down until every note speaks clearly before you bring the tempo up. Beyond the intro, the song moves into chord passages that reward knowing your minor pentatonic shapes across the neck. Eric Clapton plays throughout in E Standard tuning, so no retuning is needed, but matching the tone and phrasing in the solo sections will keep you busy long after the riff feels comfortable.

  • The famous opening riff is built around a D minor pentatonic phrase with hammer-ons, demanding a clean, percussive pick attack at 112 BPM.
  • The song is in E Standard tuning, so no retuning is required before you start working through the tab.
  • The outro piano section, often overlooked by guitarists, contains melodic phrases worth learning to improve your sense of phrasing and note choice in D minor.

How to Play Layla

The song moves through: Intro, Verse, Chorus, Solo, Interlude, Outro Solo, Verse Rhythm.

Tuning: E Standard · Key: D minor · Tempo: 112 BPM · Difficulty: Medium

The song opens with one of the most recognizable riffs in rock, built around a descending D minor figure played with heavy distortion; nail the rhythm and the subtle palm muting before moving to the verse sections. The chorus riff involves a fast, repeating power-chord figure that demands tight right-hand picking consistency, so isolate it with the speed control until it locks in cleanly. Clapton's lead work throughout relies heavily on expressive string bends in D minor pentatonic, and the most common pitfall is bending out of tune, so practice each bend in the solo sections individually before running full phrases. The piano-led outro does not require guitar, so focus your time on the intro riff, chorus, and solo.

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 112 BPM to build it up to tempo.

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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