Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

He is pretty much explaining exactly what he's doing along the way, so maybe some review is in order.

The lesson immediately before it also explains a lot about the notes he is using and the scale degrees he is bending to in order to make sense over the chords.

My feeling is that more triad work is necessary for you to be able to hear the chord changes better, which will help you hear how he's mapping out the notes for his solos. You can also learn by imitation.

Take a segment of the solo that you like and learn it note for note. His fingerings are easy to see, so, take it bit by bit until you get it under your fingers. And listen carefully to how the phrases sound with the chords underneath. You can slow the video down so you can write down what he's doing or play along with him, either way.

Then, identify the I IV or V chord that is underneath and observe how the notes of the solo connect to the chords underneath. He often tells you exactly what the connection is, so go slow and listen. Even the slow sections are beautiful and make good sense to the chords underneath it.

It's the simplicity of the BB King style and the connection to the chords that make it so bluesy and emotional.

Most important, have fun and play with it! I loved the turnaround he uses and I've completely stolen it and added it to my bag of blues tricks!

Thank you for the help!

Great advice! Im going to follow your advice. From 10:45- 10:50 he shows two licks that seem to be one in A, one in D, where says "I did that", I'll go slowly on those two phrases.

Once I translate those to the intervals and hear the chord underneath. I'll go to a larger section of the solo maybe 10:00 - 10:45 and try to translate what he's doing there.

I have a question if you don't mind or If anyone else here can add, feel free.

Did you learn all the triads for A7, D7, E7 before attempting a solo? Or do you kind've learn it while soloing possibly, I have the major scales and intervals down. Now I just need to flat the 7 to have the dominant scales and triads down

Hi George! Thank you for getting back to me. I just watched Tomo's detailed explanation at around 10:45, but I am having a hard time following along. Are we supposed to be familiar with the A7, D7, and E7 triads across the neck already? I'm confused which Chord shapes he is using to solo or If he is just playing scales or how exactly he is creating the solo

Wow, I applaud your zeal and enthusiasm. I guess I never intended that you should transcribe the entire jam, but, it is a very good way to learn the building blocks, so Bravo!

At this point, I don't know what I can add. But I'll try....

If you're aware of what Tomo is doing and why he chose the notes he chooses over the chords, then, I guess the next step is to try some variations, to play around with the building blocks.

To use the "music is a language" idea...then knowing your chord tones, guide tones, and the the chord progression, as well as its inversions... these are the building-blocks, or "the letters". Once you know your letters, you can then make some words.

Beware, the language metaphor isn't perfect because, of course, you learn how to speak a language LONG before you learn to spell...

But, still sticking with the metaphor: now it is time to say something with those letters. After letters come words, then phrases, then sentences.

I'd suggest doing a search of the video content for "phrasing" or "phrase" and work through all those videos. If none of them make sense, return to the foundations, the beginning theory, the triad exercises, and the beginner blues videos.

Per your question: yes; the answer is always: yes, learn everything, ESPECIALLY the triads.

In fact I don't know how you learned the progression or the solo.... and the relationships of the solo to the chords and the key center without learning the triads- so I would suggest a new exercise, to reinforce your understanding.

Take that blues jam and instead of using the basic bar chords for the I IV V, try inversions in a different portion of the neck using the 4-note seventh chords (and their triads) for that same chord progression. (there is a specific lesson on 4-note seventh chords, so search it for reference). Plug one or several iterations of the new chord progressions in the looper. Then play the solo that you copied from Tomo over it.

You'll hear or feel that the solo parts Tomo used probably still fit good enough over the new chords, but they may have a different character, tone, or timbre or they may sound slightly odd or have some clashing intervals.

Your task then, is use the same principles you learned from the original solo and apply them to the new guide tones, chord tones, and phrases elsewhere on the neck.

In other words, try to make the solo sound better in the area of the neck the chords are now in. And sound is the key here. Use your ears and find sounds and notes that you like that are consistent with the chords, as you learned when transcribing the original solo.

You'll know what notes to play around with because you understand why the original notes worked and you know the degrees and in all the inversions and all the positions for the chords. Of course, in the beginning, you cannot do this in "real-time" or "on-the-fly". Which is why you work on it and PREPARE, per Tomo's latest youtube video. Preparation before performance.... eventually it will become more seamless, and natural.... like talking and having a conversation.

Other things you can do:
Change the order of the phrases you already know . Perhaps move them a different verse or chorus. Extend them or shorten them. Repeat them or skip them.

The nature of playing is to "play". Especially when you are discovering and learning new things - so PLAY!

Phrases are often made of small repeating segments. See if you can come up with some of your own that sound good. These "motifs" are another type of building block, because they incorporate rhythms as well as notes. (you may have heard the idea that "repetition legitimizes" from other channels).

Stop playing. Punctuating phrases with silence is like using periods and ellipsis-es...

As in writing, make short sentences or statements. If you play a question or a "call", try to the think of an answer or a "response".

Apply other stylistic elements. For instance, add vibrato, or bend up to a note instead of just fretting it. Use pulls, hammers, and grace notes... hold or sustain notes... use staccato.... switch pickups... apply a whammy dip. The list is endless after you've gotten comfortable with note selection.

I know these may be advanced things to a beginner, but work slowly and build upon each new thing as you learn. There is no shortcut so enjoy the journey. It is a lot of fun!

That's as much as I can think of. I'm sure there are other more advanced (and a lot younger) players out there than me who have great ideas.

WOW this was beautifully written. Thank you Brad ekr for the amazing insight. I definitely had a lot of fun transcribing this solo because for once what I was playing actually sounded good haha.

"In fact I don't know how you learned the progression or the solo.... and the relationships of the solo to the chords and the key center without learning the triads- so I would suggest a new exercise, to reinforce your understanding."

I actually thought that I had more triads lessons left but I realized today that I learned all the triads already. Thank you for the exercise too! I am going to do just that. Try playing the solo with the inversions in a new part of the neck. Interesting, I never realized music was a language in a sense.

wow blew my mind. I thought guitar solo's were made by people who sort of just play every note on the guitar for years and years and eventually come up with a way to make cool sounds on the guitar.

However It seems like When I keep learning chord tones, guide tones, and the the chord progression, as well as its inversions then I need to sort of mess around with the different "letters" I have to make phrases and eventually sentences. Of course, I could speed it up by learning how other people play solo's and the licks and rhythm they use and copying it, and then maybe sort of tweaking it a little.

"Use your ears and find sounds and notes that you like that are consistent with the chords, as you learned when transcribing the original solo."

by consistent with the chords do you mean one of the chord tones or maybe finding common tones?

my to do list:
1. the exercise you mentioned
2. look up videos for phrasing from Tomo Fujita
3. try and mess around with the stylistic elements you mentioned while soloing