How to Play Bell Bottom Blues Chord by Eric Clapton on Guitar
Bell Bottom Blues is a classic rock song by Eric Clapton, released in 1971 as part of his album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs with the band Derek and the Dominos. The song is a heartfelt expression of Clapton’s unrequited love for Pattie Boyd, the wife of his friend and fellow musician George Harrison. The song features a bluesy melody, a catchy chorus, and a soulful guitar solo.
If you want to learn how to play Bell Bottom Blues on guitar, here are some tips and resources to help you.
Chords and Tuning
[Intro] B C D C E7 Am C F G F G [Verse] C E7 Am Am/G Bell Bottom Blues you made me cry F G F G I don't wanna lose this feeling C E7 Am Am/G And if I could choose a place to die F G It would be in your arms [Chorus] A E/G# F#m D E Do you wanna see me crawl across the floor to you A E/G# F#m D E Do you wanna see me beg you to take me back, I'd gladly do it 'cause A Amaj7 A7 D E I don't want to fade away, give me one more day please A Amaj7 A7 D E F G I don't want to fade away, in your heart I long to stay [Verse] C E7 Am Am/G It's all wrong, but it's all right F G F G The way that you treat me baby C E7 Am Am/G Once I was strong, but I lost the fight F G You won't find a better loser [Chorus] A E/G# F#m D E Do you wanna see me crawl across the floor to you A E/G# F#m D E Do you wanna see me beg you to take me back, I'd gladly do it 'cause A Amaj7 A7 D E I don't want to fade away, give me one more day please A Amaj7 A7 D E F G I don't want to fade away, in your heart I long to stay [Lead] [Chorus] A E/G# F#m D E Do you wanna see me crawl across the floor to you A E/G# F#m D E Do you wanna see me beg you to take me back, I'd gladly do it 'cause A Amaj7 A7 D E I don't want to fade away, give me one more day please A Amaj7 A7 D E F G I don't want to fade away, in your heart I long to stay [Verse] C E7 Am Am/G Bell Bottom Blues don't say good-bye F G F G We're surely gonna meet again C E7 Am Am/G And if we do, don't be surprised F G If you find me with another lover [Chorus] A E/G# F#m D E Do you wanna see me crawl across the floor to you A E/G# F#m D E Do you wanna see me beg you to take me back, I'd gladly do it 'cause A Amaj7 A7 D E I don't want to fade away, give me one more day please A Amaj7 A7 D E F G I don't want to fade away, in your heart I long to stay A Amaj7 A7 D E I don't want to fade away, give me one more day please A Amaj7 A7 D E F G I don't want to fade away, in your heart I long to stay [Tabs] Guitar 1, rhythm: F F G e|------------------------------------------------| B|----1--------------1---------3------------------| G|----2--------------2---------4------------------| D|----3--------------3---------5------------------| A|----3--------------3---------5------------------| E|----1--------------1---------3------------------| Guitar 2, Lead 1: e|--13----------------------10--------------------| B|-----13-------11---------------11~~~------------| G|------------------12b-full----------------------| D|------------------------------------------------| A|------------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------| Guitar 3, Lead 2: e|--13-13-------11--------------------------------| B|--13-13-------11----------13--------------------| G|------------------12b-full-release(12)---(12)\--| D|------------------------------------------------| A|------------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------| ************************************ | ~ Vibrato | b Bend ************************************
Strumming Pattern
The song has a moderate tempo of about 74 beats per minute (bpm), and uses a simple strumming pattern that consists of four downstrokes per measure. You can accent the first and third beats to create a stronger groove. You can also add some variations and embellishments to the strumming pattern by using hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, bends, or vibrato. For example, you can hammer-on from C to C/G in the verse chords, or slide from F to Fsus2 in the intro chords.
Guitar Solo
The guitar solo in the song is one of Clapton’s most memorable and expressive solos. It uses mostly the C major pentatonic scale (C D E G A), but also incorporates some notes from the C major scale (C D E F G A B) and the C blues scale (C Eb F F# G Bb). The solo is divided into four phrases that correspond to the chorus chords. The first phrase starts with a bend from G to A on the high E string, followed by a descending run that ends with a vibrato on C on the B string. The second phrase starts with a bend from D to E on the B string, followed by an ascending run that ends with a bend from G to A on the high E string. The third phrase starts with a bend from A to B on the high E string, followed by a descending run that ends with a slide from F# to G on the B string. The fourth phrase starts with a bend from G to A on the high E string, followed by an ascending run that ends with a bend from D to E on the B string.
You can find tabs for the guitar solo online, or watch videos of Clapton playing it live. You can also try to improvise your own solo using the same scales and chords.
Conclusion
Bell Bottom Blues is a beautiful and emotional song that showcases Clapton’s guitar skills and songwriting talent. It is not too difficult to play on guitar if you know the basic chords and scales. However, it also offers plenty of room for creativity and expression if you want to add your own touch to it. If you love this song and want to learn how to play it on guitar, follow these tips and resources and have fun!
