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Eric Clapton - Hey Hey - Guitar Tab

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Key E major
Eric Clapton - Hey Hey guitar tab video
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Unplugged (Deluxe Edition) (Live) album cover
Unplugged (Deluxe Edition) (Live)
1992 3:46
Listen on Spotify
Eric Clapton Blues Rock 1992 E major
Capo Advisor 0 E major · Original key

About Hey Hey

Recorded live and acoustic in 1992, "Hey Hey" is one of the highlights of Eric Clapton's famous Unplugged session, sitting comfortably in Blues Rock territory while leaning hard into traditional fingerstyle Delta blues. The song is built around a rolling, fingerpicked groove in E major, and getting that groove to feel natural is the real work here. Clapton keeps the thumb locked on a steady bass pattern across the low strings while the fingers pick out melody and fills above it, which demands genuine independence between the two hands. At 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the tempo is comfortable enough that you can hear every note clearly, but the coordination required means beginners should not rush it. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop just the opening verse slowed down until the thumb and fingers stop fighting each other. Once that independence clicks, the rest of the song opens up naturally.

  • The song is played in E Standard tuning and sits in E major, a friendly key for open-position blues fingerpicking.
  • The main challenge is right-hand independence: the thumb holds a steady alternating bass while the fingers handle melody and fills simultaneously.
  • Looping the intro slowed down on the Practice Toolbar is the fastest way to lock in the thumb-fingers coordination before playing up to tempo.

How to Play Hey Hey

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E major · Tempo: 120 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 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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