How to play Layla by Eric Clapton on guitar 

Hi everyone my name is Red Simpson and today I’ll be showing you how to play Eric Clapton’s acoustic version of Layla on guitar. Layla is originally a rock song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon and released by their blues rock band Derek and the Dominos in November 1970. 

The story behind Layla was inspired by a book Clapton had been reading, The Story Of Layla And Majnun, the 12th-century tale of an Arabian princess whose father marries her off, leaving her true love in despair. 

Layla was originally unsuccessful on its initial release but has since been hailed among the greatest rock songs of all time. 

There are two versions that have achieved amazing success. The version that I just played for you was Eric Clapton’s acoustic version which he played live at the MTV awards in 1996. 

Einstein once said: “Life without playing music is inconceivable to me. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music… I get most joy in life out of music”. And as it turns out, Einstein was onto something

many studies show a correlation between musical training and academic success. Learning to play an instrument stimulates the brain, improving functions like memory and abstract reasoning skills, which are essential for maths and science.

Layla is graded at an Excellence level in level 1 music, and I chose to perform it as one of my solos this year. 

We are going to start the song on a Dm chord