What Is The Blues?

It is not easy to get a definition of Blues. If you hear Robert Johnson singing "Ramblin' On My Mind" or B.B. King playing "Everyday I Have The Blues", it's easy. That's Blues, no doubt. But what about Cream's version of "Crossroads"? Can Pavarotti sing the Blues? Can van Halen or Al Di Meola really play it?

We can talk about the 12 bar form, the call and response structure, dominant 7th chords, the I-IV-V progression, the shuffle rhythm and all these things, but the best definition I heard is from EC himself:

"My definition of Blues is that it's a musical form which is very disciplined and structured coupled with a state of mind, and you can have either of those things but it's the two together that make it what it is. And you need to be a student for one, and a human being for the other, but those things alone don't do it."
Eric Clapton (interview 1998)

Article continues: Slowhand Blues Guitar Tutorial Intro (FAQ)

see also:

Eric Clapton
http://www.guitarsite.com/clapton.htm

Official Site
http://www.claptononline.com/

The Eric Clapton Lyric Archive
http://www.eric-clapton.co.uk/ecla/

12-bar Blues, theory
http://www.GuitarSite.com/HowToPlay/guitar-lessons/guitar01.txt

Also, in the "How To Play" section:
http://www.guitarsite.com/HowToPlay/blues_licks1.tab
http://www.guitarsite.com/HowToPlay/blues_licks2.tab
http://www.guitarsite.com/HowToPlay/blues_turnarounds.tab