10 Ways To Play Like Mike Bloomfield
10 Ways To Play Like Mike Bloomfield
CONSIDER THIS: BY THE TIME the Clapton is God craze hit our shores in 1967, aspiring U.S. blues -rock guitarists had for over a year already named their own deity in the form of a curly-haired Jewish kid from Chicago named Michael Bernard Bloomfield. Looking back at Mike Bloomfields accomplishments and contributions to the guitar Pantheon, its easy to see why his music continues to impact and influence what we play, how we play it, and what we play it on. Bloomfield played on the historic Highway 61 Revisited and was on stage when Bob Dylan went electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. He was a founding member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band (which also featured co-guitarist Elvin Bishop), with whom he recorded 1965s The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1965) and East -West (1966). He also helped create the Electric Flag, an adventurous, horn-sectionenhanced ensemble (featuring flamboyant future Hendrix drummer Buddy Miles) who billed themselves as an American music band, cut the soundtrack for The Trip in 1967, and released their official debut A Long Time Comin in 1968. Both bands were also instrumental in breaking down the considerable racial and musical barriers that existed at the time. That same year, Bloomfield collaborated with Al Kooper on the acclaimed Super Session and The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper albums, considered by many to be Bloomfields finest recordings. He also guested with Muddy Waters and an all -star lineup on 1969s Fathers and Sons, with Moby Grape on Grape Jam (1968), and Janis Joplins I Got Dem Ol Kozmic Blues Again Mama! (1969). Bloomfields solo albums include Its Not Killing Me (1969), If You Love These Blues, Play em As You Please (which I believe was sold exclusively through GP ca. 1976), Analine (1977), Michael Bloomfield (1978), Count Talent and the Originals (1978), Between a Hard Place and the Ground (1979), and Cruisin for a Bruisin (1981). Also ranking high among M.B.s collaborative recordings are 1969s My Labors, Live at Bill Grahams Fillmore West (both with Nick Gravenites) and Two Jews Blues (with Barry Goldberg), 1973s Triumvitate (with John Hammond and Dr. John), and 1976s KGB (with Ray Kennedy, Barry Goldberg, Rick Grech, and Carmine Appice). Add to these the archive of live concert recordings circulating throughout cyberspace and youve got enough Bloomfield to last a lifetime or two. Bloomfields early recordings inspired countless 6-stringers, leaving an indelible mark on players from Steve Kimock, Jim Weider, and Jimmy Vivino to Robben Ford, John Scofield, Jimmy Herring, Slash, Neal Schon, and my boss Todd Rundgren, who along with plenty of other aspiring blues kids, modeled his first band, Philadelphias Woodys Truck Stop, after the Butterfield Bands instrumental lineup of harmonica, two guitars, organ, bass, and drums. In addition to his acoustic fingerpicking chops (thats a whole nother lesson, folks), Bloomfield possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of electric guitar stylists from Scotty Moore and Chuc k Berry
to Otis Rush and the three Kings, as well as an acute awareness of jazz history and an interest in world music, all of which informed his playing beyond the limitations of most of his contemporaries. A self-made guitar herosome call him the firstwhose speedy licks and signature Telecaster and Les Paul tones continue to attract new listeners as well as nourish the faithful, Mike Bloomfield, who passed away on February 15, 1981, played electric blues that goes down like good chicken souptasty, satisfying, and soul-soothing with all the right ingredients. Join me as we sniff out the recipe for this savory stock bar-by-bar. But first, youve gotta...
Nothing sets up a great solo better than a great entrance, and Bloomfield was always armed with dozens of phrasing variations for even the simplest licks. Examine the fairly standard pickup in F illustrated in Ex. 1a, and then check out the four phrasing, melodic, and rhythmic variations that follow. Ex. 1b shows the same lick phrased with a signature Bloomfield pre-bend on beat one, while Ex. 1c replaces the previously bent downbeats with a B.B. King-style unison slide. Ex. 1d reveals another Bloomfield trademark as we replace the previous opening Bb-to-C bend with a fretted B natural. Finally, Ex. 1e introduces one of the many rhythmic variations of this lick heard throughout Bloomfields recorded legacy. (Tip: Try it with three consecutive eighth -notes.) Mix and match these bends and slurs any way you like. Try playing a pre-bend, half-step bend, or unison slide on the first note, and then apply the rhythmic motif from Ex. 1e to the other four. Play em in half-time for slow blues and double-time for shuffles. (Bonus: All of these licks can be used over the I, IV, or V chord.) Now that youve entered, its time to...
Ex. 2b illustrates Bloomfields penchant for enhancing pentatonic minor runs by slipping a sly b5 (enharmonically notated here as B) in place of the 4. Bloomfield often had a tendency to play slow blues solos based on a very slow, 4/4 pulse rather than the standard 12/8 meter, and its this trait that essentially defines the difference between regional blues styles and grooves. To illustr ate, the short lick in Ex. 2c, along with several upcoming examples, has been notated in double-time for easier rhythmic comprehension, but should be played with a half-time groove, tapping your foot twice per measure. Yep, were talking 37 bpm! (Tip: Check out Dont Throw Your Love On Me So Strong from The Live Adventures....)
Ex. 2d takes us from slow blues to medium shuffle in the key of G for one of my favorite Bloomfield moves a cool, twice-bent root followed by a sweet-andsour 6-5-3-root (E-D-Bb-G) motif that works equally well over the I, IV, or V chord. And talk about signature licksyoull find some variation of the Mixolydian -based b7-6-5-to-4-3-root run depicted in
Ex. 2e in nearly every solo Bloomfield ever recorded. Finally, we move to the key of E, where Ex. 2f reveals two varieties of M.B.s famous hammered double stops within a single measure. Try riding either one through an entire 12-bar chorus, or play em a whole step higher over the IV and V chords. Lets blend these tasty ingredients and...