Welcome back to Guitardoor.com, where we celebrate the modern masters who are pushing their genres into the future. Today, we focus on one of the most critically acclaimed, harmonically brilliant, and deeply soulful blues artists of his generation: the incredible Matt Schofield. A multi-award-winning British guitarist, Schofield is a true modern virtuoso, renowned for his incredible improvisational skill and his ability to seamlessly blend the raw emotion of traditional blues with the sophisticated language of jazz, creating a sound that is both timeless and thrillingly new.
The Three-Dimensional Blues
The musical style of Matt Schofield is a sophisticated and powerful take on the blues. His playing is built on a deep and reverent foundation of the classic masters—you can hear the soulful phrasing of B.B. King and the fierce string-bending of Albert King in his DNA. But what sets Schofield apart is his incredible harmonic vocabulary. He elevates the traditional blues form with a heavy infusion of jazz harmony and theory, creating what he calls a “three-dimensional” approach to his playing.
He is a master improviser who thinks on multiple levels simultaneously: the soulful melody, the deep rhythmic groove, and the complex harmonic possibilities. His live performances are legendary for his long, inventive, and harmonically adventurous solos that fearlessly explore “outside” notes and jazz-based concepts, yet always remain firmly and emotionally rooted in the blues.
Anatomy of a Modern Master
To listen to Matt Schofield is to hear a guitarist with a total and complete command of his instrument, a player whose technique is a perfect marriage of fire and intellect.
The Jazz-Blues Hybrid: His phrasing is his most unique attribute. He masterfully blends classic, soul-drenched blues licks with more complex, “outside” lines derived from jazz scales. This allows his solos to take unexpected and exciting melodic turns that are the hallmark of his intelligent style.
Dynamic Touch: He has incredible right-hand control, able to shape his tone and volume with just his touch. He often uses his fingers in combination with a pick (hybrid picking) to create funky, percussive rhythmic patterns and to add a different texture to his lead lines.
The SVL Stratocaster: His sound is deeply connected to the Strat-style guitar. His number one instrument for many years has been his signature SVL (Simon Law) ’61 “Fiesta Red” Stratocaster, a high-end, vintage-inspired instrument built to his exact specifications.
The Boutique Tone: Schofield’s tone is legendary among gear aficionados. He is a famous user of high-end, Dumble-style boutique amplifiers, most notably from Two-Rock. These amps are prized for their massive clean headroom and incredible touch sensitivity, which perfectly translates the incredible dynamics of his playing. To achieve his signature fat, warm, and singing lead tone, he uses a carefully selected array of high-quality overdrive pedals, including the legendary Klon Centaur and his own signature Mad Professor “Royal Blue Overdrive.”
Essential Schofield: A Journey into the Blues
Matt Schofield’s music, especially in a live setting, is a masterclass in modern blues improvisation. To get a sense of his incredible talent and his phenomenal tone, these three tracks are a perfect introduction.
“Siftin’ Thru the Ashes”
This slow, burning blues is the ultimate showcase for Schofield’s expressive playing and his incredible, dynamic guitar tone. The track allows him the space to build his solo from a clean, soulful whisper to a roaring, emotionally charged cry. It’s a perfect example of his mastery of tension and release and his ability to tell a story with his guitar.
“Anything But Time”
A more up-tempo and funky track, “Anything But Time” highlights his incredible rhythmic pocket and his ability to create a deep groove. The song is a brilliant display of his funky chordal work and features a fiery, jazz-inflected single-note solo that demonstrates his ability to be both groovy and virtuosic.
“Live Wire” (Live)
As a master improviser, Schofield is truly in his element on a live stage. A performance of a track like “Live Wire” is where his genius shines brightest. It shows his incredible ability to take a simple blues form and launch into long, inventive, and harmonically daring improvisations that are created completely in the moment, feeding off the energy of the band and the audience.
Matt Schofield is a true modern master and one of the most important and innovative voices in contemporary blues. He is a “guitarist’s guitarist,” a player revered by his peers and serious fans for his incredible talent, his impeccable taste, and his uniquely intelligent approach to the blues. He is a vital artist who is actively pushing the genre forward, proving that the blues can be both deeply traditional and brilliantly sophisticated.
Cover Photo Credit “Matt Schofield and Kevin Hayes” by lakewentworth is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
