1 Topic by Jimi75 (edited by Jimi75 2015-07-12 17:42:17)

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2006-05-31
  • Posts: 489

Topic: Matt Schofield Lesson

I've recorded a lesson on one of my favorite MS licks.
Here's the link:
http://youtu.be/3eEFJwW0FeM

Jimi75's Website

  • From: New Hampshire, USA
  • Registered: 2010-12-21
  • Posts: 3,650

Re: Matt Schofield Lesson

Jimi75 wrote:

I've recorded a lesson on one of my favorite MS licks.
Here's the link:
http://youtu.be/3eEFJwW0FeM

nicely done
cheers Ron

"Joe B saved my soul, forever grateful Ron"
"Some people dream of worthy accomplishments while others stay awake and do them"
Skinner #1,JBLP 145(aged),252, (unaged),#285HM, Bburst #026, Joes 052 BCC black LP, Strat> RT,EC Gilmour,Beck,Lenny LP> PK 83,CC#2,3,4,9,Amps>Carol Ann RAH JB-100 SN 001,JB100 Red SN02,OD2, OD3,Tucana 2&3 Triptix,Twinkle land, Plexi ,JB Jub, Jubs,Plexi,Satch,Two Rock>others

3 Reply by Jimi75 (edited by Jimi75 2015-07-17 07:07:44)

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2006-05-31
  • Posts: 489

Re: Matt Schofield Lesson

@NickelWound:
I don't feel offended. The intention of my lessons is never to sound like the artist, but to break their stuff down for people who might have problems analyzing the technical side. I think it's almost impossible to teach the feel and touch of an artist! At least I would never pretend to do so. My approach is to take what I like and make it my own thing ;-)

Jimi75's Website

  • From: New Hampshire, USA
  • Registered: 2010-12-21
  • Posts: 3,650

Re: Matt Schofield Lesson

Jimi75 wrote:

@NickelWound:
I don't feel offended. The intention of my lessons is never to sound like the artist, but to break their stuff down for people who might have problems analyzing the technical side. I think it's almost impossible to teach the feel and touch of an artist! At least I would never pretend to do so. My approach is to take what I like and make it my own thing ;-)

i agree with your viewpoint 100%

"Joe B saved my soul, forever grateful Ron"
"Some people dream of worthy accomplishments while others stay awake and do them"
Skinner #1,JBLP 145(aged),252, (unaged),#285HM, Bburst #026, Joes 052 BCC black LP, Strat> RT,EC Gilmour,Beck,Lenny LP> PK 83,CC#2,3,4,9,Amps>Carol Ann RAH JB-100 SN 001,JB100 Red SN02,OD2, OD3,Tucana 2&3 Triptix,Twinkle land, Plexi ,JB Jub, Jubs,Plexi,Satch,Two Rock>others
  • From: New Hampshire, USA
  • Registered: 2010-12-21
  • Posts: 3,650

Re: Matt Schofield Lesson

NickelWound wrote:
Jimi75 wrote:

@NickelWound:
I don't feel offended. The intention of my lessons is never to sound like the artist, but to break their stuff down for people who might have problems analyzing the technical side. I think it's almost impossible to teach the feel and touch of an artist! At least I would never pretend to do so. My approach is to take what I like and make it my own thing ;-)


Yes and I totally get where you're coming from. I've been a fan of your lessons for years. Forgive my exuberance and babbling on. For me it's not so much about the notes or even my own thing it's about my trying to get inside the artist's head to feel and see the patterns, their safe spots, their 'go to' spots and what the heck it is about them that sounds so simple and yet is so hard. I've been working on Joe for years. Again thanks for the videos and I hope you never stop making them. As I said I am a big fan of your stuff.

I think it is awesome that you dig soon deeply into an artist music. At the end of the day one hopes to capture that "it" that makes up an artist style then one must find their own voice. No matter what you will always sound like you when you pick up a guitar.
cheers Ron

"Joe B saved my soul, forever grateful Ron"
"Some people dream of worthy accomplishments while others stay awake and do them"
Skinner #1,JBLP 145(aged),252, (unaged),#285HM, Bburst #026, Joes 052 BCC black LP, Strat> RT,EC Gilmour,Beck,Lenny LP> PK 83,CC#2,3,4,9,Amps>Carol Ann RAH JB-100 SN 001,JB100 Red SN02,OD2, OD3,Tucana 2&3 Triptix,Twinkle land, Plexi ,JB Jub, Jubs,Plexi,Satch,Two Rock>others
  • From: Bristol, UK
  • Registered: 2011-10-20
  • Posts: 237

Re: Matt Schofield Lesson

I am a huge fan of Matt Schofield and have seen him several times in recent years. Earlier this year I was very fortunate to attend one of his Masterclasses during which he spoke about his tone and technique. He has also done a DVD in which he talks about the same. When he talks about his tone he does not wax lyrical about guitars, amps or pedals but he does talk at length about how his pick generates his sound. He now uses Curt Mangan picks but in the DVD he appears to be using a Dunlop Tortex 1.0 in the traditional shape but the most important thing to note is that he uses the "back" edge rather than the point. He also strikes across the strings at an angle rather than square-on. In the DVD he says that if you want to know how your favourite guitarist gets his sound, don't ask about his guitars, amps and effects. Ask him what pick he uses and how he holds it!

In an age when many guitarists are besotted with pickups, amps, effects etc. it is refreshing to hear Matt say that he rarely practices with his guitar amplified he almost always plays it unplugged. This way he develops a technique that sounds good acoustically so he knows it will sound good when it is plugged in.

Matt considers one of his "trademarks" to be the way that he combines bends and slides. Often sliding up and back very quickly  when others might bend and release. At the Masterclass I asked him if he picks all of his notes or does he hammer-on and pull-off and his answer surprised me because he didn't know what he does. He just does it!

  • Registered: 2010-09-30
  • Posts: 163

Re: Matt Schofield Lesson

Well done, Mickey! As always, thank you for sharing this and for the work that went into it. Also, as always, props for your excellent playing! =-)

Joining in the general conversation here...

I'm also a big fan of Matt's... He's become one of my favorite modern blues players, along with the likes of Robben Ford and this guy some of you might have heard of named Joe Bonamassa. ;-)

I've also had the good pleasure of seeing Matt live on different occasions and talking with him about his playing. Something that I've found that might be helpful to those chasing a bit of what he does... Besides the nuance and inflections that, as discussed, are something easy to hear, but hard to describe in words (I find it easiest to listen and mimic to glean this sort of thing from players--the way someone might pickup a new language)...

Something that Matt does is outline the underlying chord movement in his phrasing. Where a lot of blues players might stay within the minor and/or major pentatonic scales exclusively, regardless of the underlying harmonic movement, Matt tends to outline these chords a bit more by utilizing the 3rd and 7th tones of each chord as target notes. A simple, but highly effective device--takes a moment to understand, but some considerable time to really make effortless and musical in your phrasing.

He also will sometimes start a phrase or resolve a phrase behind the beat for dramatic emphasis at times (he does this vocally as well)... It gives a sense of tension and anticipation, then release. Again, a subtle thing, but very effective.

Relating to Matt's tone, I recently picked up a Free The Tone MS-SOV2 pedal that I have been running out front of one of my amps, and I've been digging it. Similar amount of gain to a TS type pedal, but where a TS bumps the mids and round the tone, the MS-SOV2 does a bit of the opposite--scoops the mids a bit and adds some sparkle and clear presence. Makes a clean amp a bit more Blackface-y and a Strat a little more Strat-y, to my humble ears at least.

Cheers,


Jimi75 wrote:

I've recorded a lesson on one of my favorite MS licks.
Here's the link:
http://youtu.be/3eEFJwW0FeM