While the song I Shot The Sheriff is a composition by Bob Marley, it became a runaway hit when Eric Clapton composed it. The song became the #1 in USA and stayed in the position for a long time. It innovated the reggae genre that it belonged to and is great to listen to.

I Shot The Sheriff has an instantly recognizable lick which is a popular notion among guitarists because of its uniqueness. It features an excellent chorus in the middle which is reputed among audience and warrants repeated listening.

How to play “I Shot the Sheriff”

The cover version of Bob Marley’s I Shot The Sheriff was released in 1974 under the name 461 Ocean Boulevard. It is the second album in Eric’s music and the album title is his own address. First, he wanted it to be a single but later agreed to add it to the album.

Guitar Chords I Shot The Sheriff

Here’s the major chords that are used to the play the song. The chords are Cm root5, Dm root5, D#/Eb Root5 (power) and Gm Root6. They have been conveniently split in the lessons to help you understand the song and play it with maximum convenience.

Why I Shot The Sheriff By Eric Clapton Is Excellent To Learn

The song is the only #1 hit for Eric Clapton and his career.
While the original composer is different, this is the version that is widely popular worldwide.
An entire range of audience got familiar with reggae and Bob Marley because of Clapton’s version of the song.

What Classifies I Shot The Sheriff As Medium On Guitar

I Shot The Sheriff By Eric Clapton is fun to learn and play for guitarists of all skill levels. The reggae sound is the unique aspect of the song which is combined with a great lick to link the lyrics and a chorus that is extremely popular among fans. The song is classified medium for its licks and will be a great choice for budding and intermediate guitarists.

Who is  Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton is a famous song writer, guitarist and a singer known for his popular blues. His unique skills lie in guitar blues but Clapton has worked on other genres as well including blue rock. He’s known for his amazing ballad in Tears in Heaven, Layla and Crossroads. His cover of Bob Marley‘s I Shot The Sheriff continues to be one of his best ever.

Clapton was associated with Yardbirds and because of his slowhand, he inspired audience to do the slowclap when performing.

From SongFacts.com