Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Since there are no tabs to help you discover what notes you are missing, here is my best advice for learning someone elses solo note-for-note:

1 - Slow the video down. Chrome has a plug in called 'video speed controller'
2 - Break it into very small chunks, like 5 seconds.
3 - Try your best to match the sound of each note.
4 - Do not advance in the solo until you master the first 5 seconds.
5 - Rinse and repeat

Raul, here is Tomo's reply:

"Thanks so much for subscribing to my Guitar Wisdom. Don’t worry! Don’t expect too fast! Be kind to yourself! How about going back to study the Root 3rd 7th swing groove? Review more triads, and practice triads on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd strings over blues chord changes.

"To me, guitar is so much fun and so frustrating at the same time, because there is no END! Whenever I feel frustrated, I go back to basics, slow the tempo, etc."

Raul,

Interesting post and a common question not only for guitar learners, but for learners of any new material. From my read, you are asking 2 questions: 1:) How do you overcome frustration, and 2) How to motivate yourself?

Overcoming frustration is the process by which we learn a new concept, skill, or language for example. In the guitar world, it's learning theory, and understanding which notes to play and when to play them. Unfortunately, frustration is part of getting to that level of intellectual understanding. New things take time to learn. And there's no getting around frustration. It's part of the learning journey.

With that said, learning is cyclical containing steep learning curves and then a smoothing out. Most of us (I'm thinking learning how to golf) never really master an art, or skill, or foreign language, or fitness goals, because, well, we get frustrated. Frustration is the point at which our motivation for exploring the novel gets its ass kicked by our brain having to learn and apply a new concept. It's me trying to chip or putt ( I hate golf) or trying to play funky blues or jazz.

You can renew your motivation by embracing your frustration. Frustration is the brain telling you to learn or relearn that task or concept. A technique I use is simply to step away from the guitar. I write. And I write. And I write some more-- all the tasks, concepts, techniques that I'm currently struggling with. Then, I browse Tomo's site and find a video or 2 that explain or answer a question. His videos are taught in 3 levels and I spend one practice session (day 1) on level 1. I move on to level 2 and level 3 on Days 2 and 3, respectively. This strategy has proven useful for me to overcome the learning curve. It forces me to breakdown complex concepts into small, tiny sections that I can master. The mastery of several individual tasks/concepts have a profound cumulative effect on learning new skills or understanding new ideas. And it's at that point when you begin to crest at the top of the learning curve and things begin to smooth out. You start to play the guitar smoother, and with greater intent--you know where and why you play certain notes.

A final thought. If you enjoy a quick read, then I would recommend a book by Seth Godin titled The Dip. It's about how we learn and when to stick to something or when to quit. It's about 12 years old but truly insightful.

All of us get frustrated. But remember this: for a woodpecker to eat, the woodpecker pecks up to 12,000 times PER DAY. Therefore, sometimes to master a new skill or technique, it pays to be a pecker--keep on plucking your guitar!

Woodpecker analogy taken from the book The Dip.

Best - Rick

Great post, Rick! Thanks for sharing your insights with fellow subscribers.

Thank you for your reply!!!

I notice that sometimes i try to learn a lot very fast, almost like i have a deadline... but then i remember what tomo says: no worry, no hurry, dont compare. Hope you’re doing ok and having fun