Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Hi,

I am struggling when it comes to soloing when following the video.

Step 1 for this lesson is to play the chord progression, VI(Em) IV(C) I(G) V(D)
Step 2 is to play the individual notes of the triads from the above chords over the progression
Step 3 seems to be soloing over the above using the G major scale?

Is Step 3 correct or should there also be accents be on the triads as well while soloing? There also seems to be sections where the triad notes are played and then further notes in the scale are played?

I would class myself as a beginner and so have been spending time on learning the fretboard and the triads, I already know the pentatonic minor scale well, but haven't spent time on the major scale. I can put more effort into that, as it seems to be what is required for this video?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Thanks for the reply!

While learning the notes on the fretboard has been slow and tedious at times, I feel as if it is now starting to pay off. When practicing triads I can now name the notes as I play.

I will carry on following slowly and patiently the advice above and in your other lessons, and thanks again for replying, it really helps to have this interaction :)

Should we be learning just the CGE triads from lesson 6 to be able to complete this lesson or are we supposed to be learning other triads too? If so could you suggest a strategy for learning the other triads we need to know. I am trying to read up on triad theory, everyone seems to have a different approach and I really enjoyed Tomo's lesson on the CEG Triad and figuring the notes out.

I spend an hour a day at least practicing everything described in lesson 12 and in the previous lessons including the CGE triad vertically, horizontally and the inversions. I have a diary, I am taking notes and trying to support my music theory with reading from the internet.

I am a beginner, playing for 5 years. What else do I need to practice in order to complete this lesson?
I can play the cowboy chords, barre chords, G and C major scales. Have learned the Eb and Bb shapes from Tomo's practicing rhythm lesson.

I know I am missing out on deeper understanding and so I will keep on practicing and I really enjoy learning Tomo's way, but I feel I have left something out or there is something I am not aware of to practice on in order to complete this lesson. I don't know how to move D chords around the neck. I am assuming we must use the first inversion to get the E for e-minor and the second inversion to get the G for the chord progression although I don't recognize some of the chord shapes Tomo uses from my practice and the lessons thus far.

So to summarise:
1. If I am to learn another triad after CEG, which one?
2. AM I missing out on some part of my practicing?

Anyones help and clarity would be greatly appreciated.
L

@Lawrence.
I'm going through a similar exercise / pace.

I basically got up to Video 7 and Music Theory 1 and 2.
Paused and have been stuck for lack of a better word as I'm trying to master the following before going further.

1. C, G Triads up and down the neck, horizontal and vertical (root, 1rst and 2nd inversions)

2. C and G Major scale. Opposite of Tomo's teaching in the lesson I'm learning both the 5 positions / shapes of the C and G major scale as well as focusing on the octave positions.

3. Once I play all of 1 and 2 fluidly I plan on expanding to F Major.

My hope is by this time i'll really have a better understanding of the notes on the fretboad and be able to move freely to any triad, without memorizing (if that makes sense)

Then I might move on to Dom7, minor triads sus4; things like that, while moving onto the next Tomo lesson.

Just some feedback from another person doing the same...

Music theory 3 helped with lesson 7. I am or rather was nervous of the theory lessons as to quote Master Tomo "I don't want too much on the table, then I have to go back".

I guess I will watch a few more of the music theory lessons and then go back to a clean table of where I am at. It will really will help me if i kinda know what's coming next. But focus on what I need to know now. At least when I get to the later theory it will be familiar.

Hi Lawrence,

I have been noodling/thinking I could play for around 5 years as well, memorised the pentatonic scales, know the open and barre chords, but never felt I was progressing so started with Tomo's videos to try and find a better way to play the guitar.

I am up to lesson 12 and lesson 3 of music theory. I have deliberately been taking it slow. I do feel I am progressing, but it's been very harrd work. What has helped me and where I have been focusing has been:

Learn the notes on the fretboard. This allows me to pick a root note and play the major scale around it. It also allows me to figure out the root note in the triads, when playing a progression.

Learning the major scale, not memorising the patterns but learning the intervals. Then starting on a root note, I play the scale to the next root note. From the root note going forward, backwards and upwards/down. Then with Lesson 7, I can now solo within the key of G Major, playing and visualising notes as I move around the fretboard. May not be all musical, but it is more fluid and sounds a lot better than before.

With lesson 9 and the Bb traids, I use the major scale in the following way: Root note Bb is on the 6th fret, the triad is R, 5, 3. So because I know the major scale, I pick out the 5th, B string 6th fret, this is the second inversion of F, the 4th note is on G string 8th fret, Eb Root position. I do the same for the other positions for the Bb triads.

Make sure I can play 12 bar blues continually using the above chords, and can identify the chords when I use my looper pedal.

Next is soloing, based on triads, because I have spent time on learning the fretboard notes and the major scale, I know what the notes are, which means I try and experiment, hitting the root and 5th, then try and improvise with the other notes, major scale and penatonic scale. Again not the most musically, bu certainly sounds better.

Because I understand the major intervals, it has opened up the pentatonic scale, and understanding the intervals in that and which ones sound good(R, 3b, 5th) and which sound good when bending(4, 7b).

So in summary, while I still can't wail like clapton/gilmour, I am getting better, when I play it won't blow anyone away, but I now understand what I am playing, why it sounds good and which notes sound good.

Which brings me to another point, I really need a looper to hear what the chords sound like and which notes sound good over them.

I have also been using other teachers lessons for basics as well, to fill in gaps where I seem them in my playing. But slowly I think I am making progress.

Hope that helps.

Good luck