David Gilmour, a guitarist and singer born in Cambridge, England in 1946, rose to prominence as a member of the band Pink Floyd. He helped the band become one of the best-selling groups in music history, thanks in large part to the albums “Dark Side Of The Moon” (1973) and “The Wall” (1979).
Over the years, Gilmour shared his thoughts on many famous guitarists, including Eric Clapton. Rock and Roll Garage chose what the musician said about Clapton’s guitar playing, technique, and bands he has played with.
David Gilmour’s opinion on Eric Clapton
David Gilmour is well-known for the feeling he puts into every note he plays on the guitar, and he was inspired by many Blues players, including Eric Clapton. In an interview with Guitar Tricks Insider magazine in 2017, the Pink Floyd guitarist named five albums that are among his all-time favourites. One of them was the album John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers recorded with Eric Clapton in 1966, after he left The Yardbirds and joined them.
In a 2015 interview with Relix, David Gilmour praised the Blues band, saying, “All of those guys were incredible.” I spent time learning how to play their licks perfectly.
I believe any young player should try to sit down and do that. You’ll end up knowing how to play their material quite well. But, eventually, you’ll develop your own style from that. “It forces its way out of the copying,” David Gilmour explained.
Surprisingly, some of the tracks on that album were performed by Jack Bruce, the bassist and singer who would later join Clapton’s band Cream. It also featured bassist John McVie, who would co-found Fleetwood Mac a few years later.
Aside from the leader, John Mayall, the group had more guitarists over the years who went on to play in other important bands. Aside from Eric Clapton, the band featured Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac) and Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones).
According to David Gilmour, every guitarist should start copying a style when they are young. Clapton was one of the players he copied:
In 1988, the Pink Floyd musician told Guitar World magazine that when he was younger, he would sit down and learn many classic Blues solos by Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. He also stated that he studied old Howlin’ Wolf recordings.
David Gilmour has stated numerous times that when someone begins playing the guitar at a young age, they should not be concerned with developing a style. Because they should start by copying something that already exists. Clapton, he told UNCUT in 2017, was one of the guitarists he modelled after.
“You start by copying. Trying to be too original when you’re too young may not be a good idea. But I learned to copy. Pete Seeger, Lead Belly, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix. All sorts of people.”
He said the same thing to Guitar Classics magazine in 1985. In that conversation, he also mentioned being influenced by younger musicians such as Mark Knopfler and Eddie Van Halen. “Obviously, there were many. I tried to learn 12-string acoustic guitar like Leadbelly. At the same time, I attempted to learn lead guitar like Hank Marvin and later Clapton.”
“All of those various experiences had their moments and filtered through my learning process. These days, I don’t listen to other people with the intention of stealing their hits. I’m not opposed to stealing them if it seems like a good idea. Mark Knopfler and Eddie Van Halen undoubtedly continue to have an impact on me.
1 comment
I agree with David Gilmore I’ve been influenced by the Beatles Led Zeppelin Deep purple Black Sabbath & Pink Floyd and later by Van Halen I owe it all them legends thanks 🙏 y’all