Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Day 28 | Week 4
Back to applying dynamics today some good segments but made note to go slower tomorrow. Tendency was to speed up today. "Speed up = quality of practice down". My lesson for today : )
Happy Thanksgiving to all in the north! So grateful for this forum
Thank you!

Week 4 | Day 28

I am a day late in posting this because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Consistent loud-soft-softer dynamics ascending and descending are still a challenge. I need to ensure my complete attention is focused on every stroke of the pick. As soon as my mind wanders, so do my dynamics.

Michael Kimber

Week 4, day 29
Notes:
• The biggest trouble zone is between middle finger and index finger (descending). So I took a few minutes from my 10-min exercise to isolate those 2 fingers and concentrate on that single move. Some success, perhaps? The key (no surprise) is letting go of all tension in that left hand. Rinse and repeat.

Week 4 | Day 29

Today was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it was better than yesterday. I went very slowly and focused intensely on the dynamic of every note, my finger placement to avoid string noise, the amount of pressure I put on the fret to play the note, and keeping a light touch with my thumb on the back of the neck. I even made a bit (and I do mean "a bit") of progress with my palm muting.
All and in all, it was a good day today.

Michael Kimber

Day 29!

Continued to focus on my dynamics. I noticed that when I am trying to pick very quiet and soft my temp will be slower/ inconsistent. That’s something I will fix in these last few days of the challenge

Thanks,
Max

Day 29!
Still do notes! Check it.
Then, Find something need to replenishment:
Posture is important about the relax, so use the strap is important.
When notes ringing ,do not let the pick tough the strings.
Guess what? I find a problem that had been there all along: When my right hand is picking notes, then the notes is ringing sustain ,but during the time of sustain the note, my picking hand do not prepare for the next note picking! Like come back or something. Then this pick with my hand will "Moving aimlessly",therefore, I can't find exactly where the strings is, and my right hand elbow will moving ,too.
About the two minutes video: I still find right hand muting and posture, picking is big problem.
But don't worry ,because nothing happens immediately!
Wish you have a good day!

Day 29 | Week 4
Focus on steady slow tempo today with dynamics. Pick grip noticeably naturally lighter these days, helping all my playing : )
Thank you so much!

Day 30

I now, thanks to this challenge, have a checklist - like a pilot getting ready for take off - of all the things I need to have up and running as I do this chromatic exercise, which will forever be a part of my routine. I’m so grateful that this exercise is self-contained in ten minute chunks that I can implement at any time throughout the day. Also, thanks to student comments and instructor feedback, I’ve introduced recording myself into the routine daily which I was dread to do before this challenge with so much community interaction. This feels like it’s less “me” now and more “us”. Thank you, Tomo, for your dedication to this. Your work-ethic is unbelievable!

Respectfully,
Bryon Mondok
Laconia, New Hampshire

Day 29 Complete!

Today I broke up my 10 minutes into two sessions. I couldn’t get out of my own way with the negative self talk during the earlier session but in the evening I was in a much better headspace. I was content to go slow and accept what came. The descending ring and middle continues to be a challenge with noise. I suspect I have a bit of coordination with my picking hand coming into play as well. I’ll continue to work at it and record my last session on Day 30. This is now a part of my day and I look forward to continuing through December and beyond.

Best,
Erik

Week 4 | Day 30!

We made it! As we wrap up the 30-Day Challenge, I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who participated in this transformative experience.

Firstly, a massive thank you to Tomo for your unparalleled guidance throughout this Challenge. Your expertise, encouragement, and tireless dedication have been nothing short of inspiring. The foundation you have helped me build is invaluable, and I feel equipped to continue growing and tackling the work that lies ahead.

To the entire group, your support has made this journey fulfilling and truly enjoyable. Sharing this experience with such a dynamic and motivated bunch has been a highlight, and I am grateful for the connections and insights we have all shared.

While I recognize there's still much work to be done, I am confident that the solid groundwork laid during this Challenge will propel me forward.

Thank you once again for this incredible experience.

Warm regards,

Michael Kimber

Day 30! 😊
I still want to supplement and refine my chromatic scales notes! It become a habit, I feel very positive from this!
Posture problem: I think I straighten my back a little too much, today I find the guitar and my body fell back together...The shoulders are not relaxed, It's like a nervous shrug. So happy to find this important thing!
Directly uplift finger : On the process of ascending and descending, use finger 1,2,3,4 or 4,3,2,1 with direct is imperceptible movement, needs very slow to do it.
Elbow ‘s problem: I still forget to use my elbow.

Todays change: I moved the whole position of my right hand to the bridge direction.
Try pull the fingers of the right hand together lightly.

Review the two —minute video four times:
I can often hear notes mixed with a buzzing sound.
The whole right hand will move forward gradually, then forget use elbow.
And posture sometimes are too far back.
Sorry I missed the Live broadcast last night,I didn't see the notice in time, but don't worry, I'll watch replay!

I’ve learned so much in these 30 days! really!
·I learned to organize my life ,
It's like how to understanding chromatic scale exercise.
·I got into the habit of using a notebook, check notes, record point,
It doesn't matter if what I do is perfect or it's all done,
Like being kind to myself.
·I learned how to interact with people,
Now I have so many lovely companions!
Linda's format works so nice!
I think I got a better life! Thank you Mr.Fujita for you teaching ,I think I will enjoy it for a lifetime.Your are a great educator!
Your help I would be greatly appreciated.
Love Guitar Wisdom team .
Love my companions!

Day 30 Complete!

Again today I was mainly focused on balancing my dynamics and eliminating string noise from my middle and ring fingers while descending. I worked to play as slowly as possible and reduce any tension in my body, particularly the left hand. I chose to practice standing up today which helps me move my body with ease. I have to say I’m terrified of sharing a video of myself playing but all the more reason to do it! I may look for some technical support as I’ve never posted to YouTube before.

Best,
Erik

Just a quick note of thanks to everyone for the company during this challenge, always good to know I was not alone in having struggles ;)

I now have the confidence to know I can actually play without noise from my ring to middle finger even though when playing a piece it doesn't happen. So I go back to the chromatic and see my hand is all wrong BUT I now know how to fix it.

And last but not least thanks to Tomo and team. I love the relaxed and happy tutoring, many thanks
p.s when and what is the next challenge?! :)

Day 30: Final Day of the Challenge 😢

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to take a moment to share how grateful I am for this program and to say a huge thank you.

Mr. Fujita, your constant support, encouragement, and guidance over the past 30 days have been incredible. You’ve shown up every single day, responding to all of us and making sure we felt supported. It’s so clear how much you care, and we’re all so thankful for that.

I also wanted to say a thanks to the whole guitar wisdom community. I joined this program at the the end of October and the whole community had been super supportive and helpful. To have a whole community of people who are also participating actively in this challenge made it a lot more fun. So thank you all

These 30 days have been transformative for me. I’ve improved so much in areas I’d never worked on before, and I wanted to share a few highlights:

- Thumb Position: Before this challenge, my thumb was always wrapped around the fretboard, no matter what I played. Now I’m much more mindful of keeping it in the right place—centered on the fretboard—especially when playing scales.

- Using a Pick: Even though I’ve been playing guitar since I was 8 (I’m 14 now), I’d always used my fingers and avoided the pick. Practicing with a pick for just 10 minutes a day has made a huge difference. I feel so much more comfortable and confident using it now. Plus, I never used to think about dynamics—modulating between loud and quiet sounds—but that’s something I’m starting to explore and will definitely keep working on.

- Pinky Dexterity: I used to hate using my pinky, always relying on my third finger instead. This challenge really forced me to work on my pinky strength and dexterity, and it’s paying off. There’s still more progress to be made, but I can see and feel the improvement already.

- Finger Noise: Before this, I’d never worked on technique in detail, so I wasn’t even aware that finger noise was an issue in my playing. Now that I’ve learned to control it, my overall sound is so much cleaner.

This challenge has been such a game-changer, and I know these 30 days are just the start. I’m excited to keep practicing and building on everything I’ve learned. There are so many things I’ve noticed in this challenge that I’ve never even thought about before.

Thank you again, Mr. Fujita, for everything. And thank you to everyone in this program—it’s been so much fun to grow alongside such a supportive community.

-Max

Great to be part of this thanks all for the tips. The daily focus has been great look forward to continuing this into December and beyond