Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Thank you Linda for Day 6.

Good job! Not looking! Interval jumps!

Higher positions are narrower... play more, feel more...

Tomo

I’m so bad at writing in my notebook.
I have only written twice since the challenge began.

I am thankful to be able to play guitar every day too!

I have been playing one string approach without looking and singing the pitch before playing the note (or at least trying to sing the pitch).

Then I play each inversion and sing each note before playing.

It was just yesterday my mind kept wandering and every time I realized I wasn’t concentrating I went back to playing the triads and I felt like ‘I don’t want to do this anymore’.

All good, Rich! Glad you are posting on the forum and leaning on the community!

Now I had to copy down that routine from Tomo. Thank you for spelling it all out!! Feeling good on keeping it all fresh. The goods :)

Thank you Rich for your reply!

We all bad about a few things and you can change it but first you need to write it down!
That's great! 2 times a week. A great start! Next, 3 times a week, then 4 times a week etc.

Great feeling! We are so fortunate to be able to do that everday!
I am so thankful and grateful!

Good job on One String / One Finger /Not Looking / Singing / Approach.
You can do this when you soloing over Autumn Leaves!

Good job! Singing each triad inversions before you play them!
You can apply triads over Autumn Leaves only top 3 strings.
Or can you play triads / Autumn Leaves / Only One String approach?

This thread is all about triad inversions & related techniques ...
but after 10 minutes, you are free to do other topics for your own.
Did you come up all ideas from July Challenge to your own playing?

Try to focus on something you are not 100% into.... Just 5 to 10 minutes.
Each day, strat with this. Chromatic exercise 1212...
https://tomovhxtv.vhx.tv/start-here/videos/ft02-chromatic-scale-exercise-1-2-1-2
Do this exercise everyday to focus. Just 10 minutes a day. Practice this from 1st fret to 9th fret. Just only 4th & 3rd strings. Same thing over and over for 10 minutes.

Let me know how these things go.

Thank you.

Tomo

Thank you Eiji for your imput!

Yes! So true! Fretted instrument were made for "easy to play" than original fretless instrument like Bass, Violin or Shamisen!

We are so used to see positions.... it will take some time but we can do it.

Tomo

Well done, Tyler!

Great job Tyler!

Thank you Tyler for sharing your experience!

Good job! You want to sing first then play! Not supposed to play it together!

And go slower! Especially when you sing "Major Scale"
Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do...... last note.... take your time! Much longer! No hurry!

So good on your singing only part... Do Re Mi, Re Mi Fa... Part!
Excellent! Do Re Mi Do, Re Mi Fa Re.... Do Mi Re Fa.... these are super important!
Do Re Do Mi... Do it much slower... maybe you can sustain each note much longer!

All good! Do not sing together! Imagine the sound, sing it, then play or think about note...
then play it.

Triad inversions on 123 sets! Good job reposition on your thumb! Thumb position is super important! I teach triad inversions for thumb position to some students.

You sing Do Mi So.... but no need to sing name of notes!
Just think about name.

Good singing! And I love your guitar!

Tomo

Sorry about that! I added these sequecing so... it takes more time!
But this part is "Ear Training"

Great job, Tyler! Thanks for posting it. That was fun to watch. I think you have a great voice, which helps make the practice more interesting.

Thanks Tyler for a great video!
I can feel your love for the guitar.
I'm looking forward to your next post.
Let's be encouraged together!

Thank you Kurt for Day 7.

Yes! Singing is very hard! I never felt any easy about it.

Good job! Relaxed... not looking... slower.

When I teach in private lessons..... most I ask is "Thumb position" many many times!

Please use triad inversions for working on your thumb position. It's not easy! But this influence a lot of performance on smoothness... timing and all!

Yes! Keep going!

Tomo

Nice Kurt! Interesting about the thumb position helping your accuracy...excited to hear from you on week 2!

Kurt and John, Re "more relaxed, not thinking"....have you found that your no-look accuracy improves when you go...faster? Weirdly, when I go slow I tend to 'think' about where the note is...and I miss. But when I go faster (without thinking about it) my fingers seem to find the right note more often.

Just an observation. I still practice slowly.

Thank you Johno for Day 7!

Great to hear that .... more relaxed and more focused!
Good job! Singing...recorded... sounds are guiding you!

Tomo

Thank you Linda for sharing your ideas.

This ... you are shifting from practicing to performance.

Definitely it's so important to go slower and thinikng, feeling notes deeper then...
You already know what to hear... what note to go... so you can go a little faster.

Keep practicing and do what you feel....

Tomo

That's awesome, Johno! Relaxation is key; find ease, and things fall into place. On to the next!

Hey Linda, good question, probably not so much faster speed, it seemed like my mind was full doing all that stuff and I had no time to worry about making a mistake and yes, Tomo is right the 'sound was leading the way' wise words there, a great feeling to of ease, that too Sammi, all that practice for a week putting things together, reading all these experiences in the comments, flippin' cool :) - johno

Thank you Clay for Day 7!
Very fast!

I love doing things so it's so important to write things to do and keep things in time.
I have my clock next me and looking at... all the times. I need to do so many things.
I need to focus and I only can do in limited time. You don't want to be too picky.....

I just write anything in mind as my ideas, my goals...and more!
Great way to put! Expectation is too easy. Until you do it... we don't know! I keep it open.

Keep going!

Tomo

Clay, I love the idea of mindful intention. Way to put it all in action.

Love this Clay! Bookend the practice, starting with setting an intention and following up with a reflection. Good stuff.
Interested to hear how using a timer in week 2 goes for you!

Intention followed by reflection, like!!

Yay... Yes it is so cool to witness the tiny details = so much growth.

Thank you Richard for Day 7.

Good job! One String / One Finger Approach & Triad Inversions (You can play them on One String or 123 set string...) Great way to learn the fretboard.

Often people ask "I want to have a road map for the fretboard"
If there is a map... think too much about the frets!

Thank you.

Tomo

Let's go, Richard! Nice work. Little by little, things will get smoother.

Take care Serena, and speedy recovery for your friend!

Yes take care Serena and great job with the practicing

Serena, our thoughts are with you and your friend. Music, it seems, is always running alongside whatever else is going on in our lives. Gives us context, I suppose, and makes it personal.

Great perseverance to find a few minutes to practice in light of everything. Best wishes for you today at hospital. Breathe deeply and often.

Thank you Serena for sharing details!

Good job! You are a very good care person. Life is always no dull moments.

Singing Do Re Mi... and some sequencings that you can do at anywhere!

Playing triad inversions also possible to do at anywhere. Imagine those sound first,
place your fingers on the fretboard slowly. You can feel it, imagine the sound.
So Do Mi....... susutain for 4-5 long. Then Do Mi So... please feel that D on 7th fret TONE!
Not as same as 3rd fret / 2nd string tone! So this type imagination I do deeply to hear that specific string thickness tone. That's why I realy need to stay that note for a long time!

Do Re Mi sequencings... maybe 4 patterns? I do those a lot!
Week 2 / C Major triad so it is easier to sing Do Re Mi....

Great commitmen, your dedication.
Your are inspring others & helping others.

Thank you so much.

Tomo

You are a such a great friend Serena! I know your friend is grateful for you!
Not easy, Those hospitals will drain the energy right out of you. Hope everything turns out great. So glad you are there for them. Drink extra water!

I want to share something with my friends here:
One of the only remaining really super-duper close friends of mine, Miro Jugum, passed away suddenly a couple weeks ago. I've been in shock. Sort of feeling better. I wish I could talk to him one more time. His birthday was June 3, (the day between my and Lisa's birthdays). This year I only texted him back when he left his annual birthday message to me. Not calling him is going to haunt me. I learned a lesson the hard way. Hopefully someday we will jam again.
A week after he died, a big cover story feature article on Miro was published in the Sunday Seattle Times "Pacific Magazine".
The article was written before he passed away. He would have loved being on the cover of the Sunday Paper.
I used to play mandolin with him, and we called ourselves "Restless Leg Syndrome."
The July Challenge and my GW friends really help brighten my days!
Kurt

Seattle Times article on Miro:
https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/at-more-than-700-open-mics-no-repeat-miro-never-sang-a-tune-twice/

Kurt and Miro (Restless Leg Syndrome)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/schubidoo/54642195925/in/album-72157625584166612

Thank you Al for Day 7.

”お疲れさん！” Otuskaresan! We don't have this expression in English!
Means.... You have worked hard! (Appreciation feeling...)

Good job! If you have notes in your note book.
Just read a few things and can do a few things without wondering or bounce off thinking too many things.

So happy to hear that.
You're very welcome!

Tomo

Way to go, Al! Glad to hear the notebook is helping you. I agree - this week has been great! On to the next!

Thank you Jeffrey for Day 7.

Good job! If you can write something everyday.
Great way to improve yourself. Everything is there in your little note book.

Great way to think. Not expecting anything. That's how I work everyday.
Singing softly, One String approach, Do Re Mi sequencings, light touch, picking volume,
And thumb position (Very important)

Thank you.

Tomo

Yes, Jeff! A fresh start, new focus, same mindset.

Does anyone here have trouble with organization???!!! I do. I feel I write things down but then I have so many notebooks I lose track of where I wrote it. Now this deep information I am sharing. IE (Not Good). I am also sloppy writing. Sometimes I can barely follow myself. Sshhh, don't tell nobody Guitar Wisdom.

Thank you Serena for sharing this topic.

Maybe you need to rewrite those written notes to simple format.

If your note book is big... That's trouble.
My note book is small... I only write 5 items on right handside and I keep space on leftside.

I condstantly rewrire same thing or slighly updated version.
I also cut a regular paper into 1/4... and I write anything that I have to do.

Just like items.... less is better.

Thank you.

Tomo

Thank you Tomo. I just saw this while I was rewriting my notes and reviewing. I will look for a small notebook and keep to 3-5 main points with some space on the left. I will aim to not hurry when writing. Sometimes I can't even read my own writing and it's somewhat scattered. What is it that makes one always go so fast??? Ugh.

Yes anyone at anytime can start anywhere... never too late to do. Welcome here.

Thank you Serena for reminder!

Don't worry for being late or anything..... It's all good!
Never ever too late or no need to worry about at any levels!

Tomo

Good job, Matthew! Yes, write in a notebook each session and check in on the July Challenge: Week 2 forum. There is a lot that goes on each day, so if you can, pop in every day and take a look at what others share. We're all here to learn from each other.

Don't worry about mistakes! It's all part of learning.

Love the poem! See you in Week 2!

Thank you Matthew for your review on Week 1.

So happy to hear that you enjoyed reading all comments & watching my aditional lesson videos, Thank you for your time!

Good job! Singing, Don't worry too much! More you do, you wil get better!
One String approach is super important!

Don't assume and don't go ahead too much!
Stay in same place and wait till you see next Week 2 video.

Slowing down and repeat samething ... review things deeply is better.
There are so many great comments in here at Week 1.

Tomo

Matthew, yes way to be.

Mathew has found the flow!
Thanks for sharing!
Kurt