Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Nice Scott. Clear direction here very inspiring. Well done! We share the same gear I have a Fender Stratocaster too.

Really sorry to hear about the heart break Scott .
I think you’re right guitar can help and set you free.

Thank you Sunil, Clay, Linda and Jeff for welcoming Scott & encouragement!

Tomo

This is powerful. I've been thinking about it since I read it.

" I want to be my true self". -Scott Fowler

What a goal! Now I know what I would have told my Dad when he used to ask me about my goals.
Thank you, Scott,

Kurt
GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAALLLL!!!!!!!!

Hi Tomo,

Thanks for this video and sharing your questions!

1)List your influences (5 artists)
Jimi Hendrix
Mark Knopfler
Tomo Fujita
John Frusciante
Cory Wong

It’s really hard to only pick five and I think the answer now is just for “this moment” because it will definitely be changed from time to time.

2)5 favourite CDs and list your favourite song from each artist
Voodoo Child
Sultans of Swing
Just Funky
Californication
Assassin

3)What is your strength as a player?
I think I have good patience on keeping focus on short-term goals but sometimes I get too obsessed, especially when I can’t reach my expectation. So it’s not just only strength but also weakness.
I also played violin for about 10 years when I was a teen. Even I stopped playing music for about 20 years, my experience on violin helps me some way.

4)What is your weakness as a player?
Except what I mentioned before, I find myself several weakness on different dimensions.
-I am short on setting goals myself for long term studying. I am not very good at setting myself systematical studying plans for myself.
-I am practising arpeggios and scales these days, I find sometimes I play with instincts. My hand reacts before my brain, my finger will move to the fret where it ought to be before I noticed(especially when I practising aprpeggios) But sometimes my hand is not that accurate.When I try to change this habit by keep myself focusing on thinking before my acts, it will make several hiccups.

5)List your gears, guitars, amps, effects, strings, picks, cable... etc.
I have a Fender cs56 sss strat, a Fender mij traditional mustang 60s. I usually play with boss katana50 gen3. I have a jan ray(so hard to get jan ray for TF in China so I just got myself a normal jan ray), a TS808, Jacksons the optimist (Cory Wong signature), Wampler Cory Wong compressor, and rossie filter. I love to play with 1046 strings, when the weather is dry I use d’addario nyxl and xse for wet days. I use 1.38mm Jazz picks with non-slip surface.

6)What is your goal?(any additional comments)
I want to play funk, want to play blues, I also want to try jazz, rocks, fusion;
I also enjoy Japanese pops such as radwimps, zutomayo, yorushika and etc.;
I want to have the ability to play different sorts of musics;
I want to learn new techniques and skills and enjoy playing and be able to jam somedays. I think music can make me feel unlimited.
I just started learning to play guitar from the end of last year. Since the injury of my right hand's third finger (my flexor tendon got cut by accident and was reconnected through operation), I stopped playing guitar from September until last week. My right hand still feels weird when I playing but I still want to play guitar because I find playing guitar makes me feel happy.

Yang

Hello fellow guitar lovers,

Before I answer the questions I would like to share a few words to the community:
I used to only be able to play covers and my attempts of creativity were pretty much leading to frustration and being bored on the instrument.
I discovered the Guitar Wisdom two years ago and today I am able to go to jam sessions and improvise with people I don't know. I've even been offered to join a band recently.

This would have never been possible if it wasn't for Tomo Fujita and his team and I am so grateful for all the work that they are putting in so that high quality teachings can be available to everyone.
This platform and the people behind it are a real blessing. Thank you for giving me the ability to fully enjoy my passion for music.
I am certain there are many others feeling this way.

If I may share my 2 cents with others: trust Mr. Fujita, practice every day, even if you only have 10 minutes. When you hit a plateau, or when the practice is boring, don't give up, there's so much fulfilment waiting down the road.

Now to the questionnaire:

1) List your influences (5 artists)

Maceo Parker
Ben Harper
Mark Speer (highly influenced by Asian music)
Arctic Monkeys
FKJ

2) 5 favourite CDs and list your favourite song from each artist

-Maceo Parker: Life on Planet Groove. Song: Pass the Peas
-Ben Harper: Live at the Hollywood Bowl 2003 (not CD but DVD). Song: Excuse Me Mr.
-Khruangbin: Con Todo El Mundo. Song: Como Me Quieres
-Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say That's What I'm Not. Song: I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
-FKJ: Frenck Kiwi Juice. Song: Better Give U Up

Bonus because this song blows my mind:
-John Butler Trio: Ocean

3) What is your strength as a player?

-Rhythms, groove and ability to change patterns quickly. I've been playing drums and percussions since I was 2 years old.
-Adapting to what others are playing, trying to fill the gaps.

4) What is your weakness as a player?

-I find it very difficult to transcribe sounds from my head to the guitar, especially in a live/jam setting where I hear a note in my head and a different sound comes out of the guitar (I press the wrong fret).
-When I'm offered the space to solo, I often freeze, not being able to apply all the scales and triads that I've been practicing.

5) List your gears, guitars, amps, effects, strings, picks, cable... etc.

GUITARS:
- Electric : Sire Larry Carlton S3
- Acoustic: Yamaha APX700

AMPS:
- Regular: my amp just died on me so I'm getting a Harley Benton (Monoprice) Tube 5 (tube amp with 2 knobs: tone and volume) to get closer to a vintage silverface Fender Champ on a budget
- Mini amp: Spark Mini - > to be replaced by an analog mini amp: original BOSS Katana Mini or new BOSS Katana Mini X

EFFECTS:
- NUX Loop Core looper for practice
- others for fun and rehearsal: Ibanez TS mini and chorus mini, BOSS PH-3, MXR dyna comp mini, Nobels Delay mini, AMT wah pedal, Vox Silk Drive preamp,...

STRINGS: Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 10-46
PICKS: Jim Dunlop Celluloid Heavy, Dunlop Ultex 1.0mm, Fender Celluloid Heavy
CABLES: Kirlin Premium Coil cable, Fender Del. Cable

6) What is your goal?(any additional comments)

- Being able to respond better to other musicians when jamming: be able to switch scales and easily improvise with triads on the spot.
- To express sounds more accurately from my head to the instrument.
- To understand what Mark Knopfler does when he feels the spaces and plays solos in Sultans of Swing.
- Composing my own songs.

Thank you all.

Kindly.

Jimmy

Thank you Jimmy for sharing your answers. Welcome to Guitar Wisdom!

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Learn songs is important but if you have more foundation then not only you can learn songs smooth but also you can apply song ideas into other songs and more! Thank you so much for your kind words! I am so lucky to have George and Sammi here. They are working very hard! We have weekly meetings and we are always open to learn more! You’re very welcome! Thank you so much for your encouragement for others! So true! Practice everyday even 5-10 minutes… so much difference that you can make later… The practicing is not fun all the times.Sometimes…its a little boring and dull… Don’t pay attention about that part! You can imagine someting much better!

I used to listen that album “Life on Planet Groove” Very JB school sound & groove! Must know for funk jam!

You can work on One String One Finger Approach, Triad Inversions, R 3 7 Swing Groove and more!
You can learn 4 note 7th chords (1234 set) especially Dom7… 7th arpeggios on higher strings set. You need to have these guideline foundation so that you can transcribe solos or chords a lot of easier. When you learn songs… only “Sound” no charts, no tabs!” You can do that! You just need to prepare! No magic! Just learning & preparation! Pure hard work!

For soloing…. you don’t need to improvise from nothing. You need something (to prepare ideas ahead of time) Triads are great tool! One string approach is so good! Even practice a minor pentatonic on one string so that you need to know each intervals.

When you think about your own solo…. Think about rhythm, space and notes!
Most people would run correct notes without specific rhythm and enough space (Rest)

Tomo

Oh yes you and your team are so helpful! Playing guitar has helped me in difficult times and it is helping create a social circle in a new country, I'm so grateful for it.

Are you planning on releasing a physical version of the Guitar Wisdom book available in Europe?
When I study with a book I like to have a physical version of it so I can write on it and go back and forth easily.

Kindly

Jimmy

Thank you Jimmy for your kind words! So great to hear that!

No plan on releasing a printed version at this point. I wish.... Totally I understand it.

Tomo

Just Funky Friday everybody

Hi Tomo,

Thank you for sharing these questions, made me think about why I am learning this beautiful instrument

1) Influences
- Issei Noro (Casiopea)
- Masayoshi Takanaka
- Radiohead
- MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS
- Nujabes

2) Favourite CDs and songs
- CASIOPEA - Midnight Rendez-vous
- THE RAINBOW GOBLINS (by Masayoshi Takanaka) - SEVEN GOBLINS
- OK Computer (by Radiohead) - Paranoid Android
- MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS - delusionalism
- departure (by Nujabes) - aruarian dance

3) Strenghts
I think I learn relatively quickly, but I am really not sure about my strenghts.

4) Weaknesses
- I rarelly learn songs / concepts until the end
- I don't have a really good technique in general

5) Gear
- Gibson SG
- Squier Telecaster
- A cheap accoustic Cort (my first guitar)
- Amp : Roland Cube 30
- Strings: D'Addario 10-46
- Pick: Mat Dunlop 1.14mm (but I generally take the first one I find on my desk haha)

6) Goals
- Have fun !
- Try improve my weaknesses, learn songs fully and have better technique
- Maybe be able to play / compose songs like the ones from Masayoshi Takanaka and Issei Noro

Thank you to everyone else who has posted here, it motivated me a lot and I discovered great artists (listening to Kenji Omura ‎while writing this :) )

Fabian

Hi Tomo,

Thanks for having me at Guitar Wisdom. Here's my answers to the questionnaire...

1.) Influences:
Brian Setzer
John Mayer
Cousin Harley
Peter Green
Stevie Ray Vaughan

2.) 5 Favorite CD’s: This changes regularly but right now...
Khruangbin - A La Sala
Stray Cats - Blast Off!
Cousin Harley - B'hiki Bop
Peter Green - In the Skies
Thin Lizzy - Johnny the Fox

3.) My strength as a player is a pretty good time feel and okay rhythm. Hopefully playing tastefully! Decent understanding of theory.

4.) My weakness as a player is speed of soloing. Understanding and knowing my way around the fretboard. Trying to think fast, sometimes can play a bit messy or sloppy.

5.) My gear:
- Standard Strat, Gretsch 5622T (335 style), Revelation RTL59 (Les Paul style), Anotria 'Dove' 1970's (Acoustic)
- 10-46 strings on my electrics.
- A selection of pedals but mostly using Wampler Tumnus, EHX Hot Wax, EHX Glove, Big Muff Op Amp, TC Flashback, TC Hall of Fame 2, Mooer Trellicopter, TC Quintessence, Foxgear Squeeze.
I have a Blackstar HT40 valve combo, and a HT1 valve combo but nearly all my practicing is done into my PC. Using my pedalboard plugged in and using Tonex and Amplitube 5 for an amp simulator. That way I can use headphones and hear backing tracks and videos as well as my guitar at the same time (and not annoy my family!).

6.) My goal as a player is to become really confident in my own abilities, and perhaps play in a rockabilly, blues or funk band.

Thank you Sam for introducing yourself! Good job! Thank you for being a member at Guitar Wisdom. We are very happy to have you here.

Did you transcrbe “Stop messin’ around” intro solo by Peter Green? Very B B King soul and style. For Stevie Ray Vaughan style, did you study a little on Albert King and Lightnin’ Hopkins styles? Just ideas.

You can work on the fretboard knowleage. One String One Finger Approach. Triad Inversions. and chromatic scale. I think these areas are important for you.

You can study more simple blues playing and a little country guitar playing for your rockabilly style.

Tomo

Thank you Tomo for your reply. I haven't transcribed that song yet, but I will try to. I am working through the Essential Theory section at the moment and will do the Foundation Technique next. I want to be thorough and take my time. I trust in your approach!

Thank you once again,

Sam

Hi Tomo,
So happy I found GW. Having tried several solutions over time nothing is like GW I find myself more engaged in progress and classes on GW, instead of just random jamming.

1.) Influences: (More Recent )
James Taylor
Willie Nelson
Stevie Ray
Merle Haggard
Rhema Singers and Band

2.) 5 Favorite CD’s: (Lately)
Ricky Skaggs - LIve at Charleston Music Hall w/ Kentucky Thunder
Johnny Hiland - Loud and Proud
James Taylor. - Sweet Baby James
Keith Moore - Always
Boston - Boston

3.) My strength as a player Playing live Gospel music. I have over 500 songs I pull from.

4.) Weaknesses - Rhythm while singing is marginal, Not having hardly any songs memorized and playing over chords changes fast enough I get lost and default to my ear to make it sound correct instead of knowing Im going to hit the 3rd or b7. etc.

5.) Electric- Fenders -
Thinline, Telecaster- Stratocaster.
Kiesel - Custom
Gibson - ES335
Gibson 1974 S-1

Acoustics -
Martin D45 & Drednaught / Custom/
Gibson Hummingbird/ Dove
Taylor 615CE
Travel guitar made by Traveler
Amps: TC Helicon Harmony , Fender custom 57 Deluxe, Fender Twin Reverb , Fender mustang
Various pedals : Main ones are Headrush Prime and TC Helicon VG

6.) Goals: Learn enough fundamentals I can pull off whatever Im hearing in my head :) , Play better gospel , country , and learn more bluegrass. Get 100 songs memorized. Be able to play lead freely over chord changes