Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Hello Mr. Fujita,

First of all, thank you so much for being there for us to ease the learning process and showing the path of patience.

I am playing guitar for several years, but last two months with you is a complete different journey in relearning and learning and practice in a correct way. Thank you so much for making me a better musician every passing day.

I have a request for you to share your thought on using suitable string gauge for practice. I have seen in your video description that you use .10's, so I was following you . But not getting the confidence during whole tone bend with index finger on first string specially. So, I am tuned down to half step, which made the bends easy. Also, having thoughts to go back to .9's which I used previously.

I hope there are people like me who may have the same difficulty.

Please help us with your suggestions.

Thanks in Advance.

hey argha, i think you're overthinking this one :) whether it's 9s or 10s, it's a minor detail that doesn't matter all that much!

other factors to consider: where are you bending? it's obviously harder to bend when you're close to the nut vs. higher up on the fretboard. how much practice do you have bending? do you have to bend a whole tone? what about bending a semitone? what about bending with your ring finger instead of your index? is your thumb placed in a spot that makes it easier to bend?

as you can see, it's not just your string gauge that affects your bend. the biggest levers are where you place your thumb, which finger you bend with, and how much you practice bending.

if you're looking for tomo's advice on strings, it's to experiment for what works best for YOU. https://tomovhxtv.vhx.tv/videos/tf-lesson-008

watch his string bending video too (there's two): https://tomovhxtv.vhx.tv/start-here

we all have different hand sizes, finger strength, etc. you may quickly realize that your string gauge is relative to you, your comfort, and your desired tone.

if i were you, i'd focus more on practicing within the limitations of any string gauge. and unless you really can't do something, then switch to a lighter gauge for a few months and see how it affects your playing.

Here is Tomo's comment:

"Thanks so much for subscribing to my Guitar Wisdom. Great to see your post. I hope you continue to enjoy the lessons! It is very difficult to master good bending technique. Please take your time and work carefully. Start with simple bends on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd string. One phrase at a time. Super slow tempo. I highly recommend 10-46 strings, but you can try 09-42 gauge . . . nothing wrong with that!"

Hey Tomo,

In a few posts about the string gauge, you recommended 10-46. Can you please explain why you recommend this gauge over others? Is it because it works better for you or it is a more musical thing, such as tone? Thanks!

I just watched a video from a couple years ago where Tomo seems to recommend 8-38. Are 10-46 the strings he recommends for blues?