Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Thank you Linda for Week 2 / Day 5.

Good job! No look. One Finger / One String approach. D Major Scale. Sequecings.

C Major Scale / Modes. Great! Special thanks for Tadashi. Summarized the ET series.

July Challenge is going so great more than my expectation! More than learning note names / Intervals / Singing / Ear Training / Sequencings / One String Approach / Triad Inversions...
Not looking and making good mistakes ...

I often said to my private lesson students... "Don't look at the fretboard!' But most of them are slighly hurry and want to play right notes first! So this July Challenge is so great about that part! Don't look!

Tomo

As always, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Linda! It's inspiring to see how these challenges help open your mind, eyes, ears, and more. I love hearing how your relationship with the guitar is an ongoing journey...what a beautiful process!

Great wisdom Linda , I love you say : “ getting the notes out of our heads and into the real world. ”

Oh Linda, thanks for using the chart. I'm so glad you did.It's fun to grow every day!

Thank you so much for this video! Really helpful!

In addition to the July Challenge, I also happen to be working on the Bb Blues Etude and basic string bending lately, so this is especially timely for me.

Hope you have a great day as well

Best wishes,

- R

Thank you for a very helpful video! I realized I was putting too much pressure on my thumbs.The explanations using paper and walls are very easy to understand. I will try to keep that in mind.

Thumb position for technique! Helpful to see from this angle. You also demonstrate, physically, what you mean by "the thumb is always moving,"

Just what I needed! My thumb pressure is exactly your paper on the wall analogy - the one you couldn't move easily. Thanks - will focus on this.

Thumb position. This means a lot for me and changed my life really. My wrist does not hurt anymore. I don’t have pain anymore in my wrist from playing. That aside can move much easier than before too. Elbow. Good reminder there

We love moose!

We love our Moose here in Seattle too Sammi.
I have a favorite!
Kurt

Thank you Richard for Week 2 / Day 5.

Thank you for watching FT02.
Very important to review lesson video without guitar.

Good job on warm up! I do my chromatic scale super slow & super quiet.Sustain a longer duration. Then I practice R 3 7 Swing Groove everyday. This technique is everything for my funk.

Good job! C Major Scale. 3 Sequencings. Very important. One String Approach. Singing & Playing. Not looking. Triad inversions on single string & 123 set string.

No need to blindholding. Just stare at something. That's what I do. Simple is good!

Tomo

Kurt, you crack me up! Good to have a real belly laugh once in a while! especially the Scotch tape part! That's me trying to palm mute, alright!

Right on Richard!
Yes- the scotch tape is a challenge for sure! Poor Moose :-)
I was so thankful for clips like this, and Tomo's lessons, and being a member of GW, to help me thru the Pandemic.
Kurt

Awesome love the mountains. Nature is so authentic.

Glad you are a happy camper Sammi. A good dose of fresh air and back to nature is much needed.

Yes! I'm happily making my way through the 4000-footers in NH, and it reminds me of all you Guitar Wisdom friends. I take my time and enjoy each step, reminding myself that it's about the journey, not just the destination (though I definitely look forward to the PB&J at the peaks!). Little by little, one foot in front of the other, I go. All of this is to say that the approach we learn and practice here has a wonderful way of shaping how we carry ourselves through life, making it brighter and better!

Let's keep going, Sammi!

Thank you Sammi!

This thread is so good to read!

Tomo

You're very welcome Richard!

My job is to make people happy! I am so happy to be helpful!

Everyone has different size of hand, fingers... but as long as contact is less, less pressure..then good! Many years I wondered how can I develope my thumb technique & less pressure from my left hand so that a few things that I can accomplish.

1) Never I get injure from guitar playing. (Press down very hard)
2) Save those original frets on my vintage Fender Musicmaster & Duo Sonic.
3) Play smoothly without any noises.

This technique is very hard to learn it but it's possible.
Best not to understand this techniques by words... This technique is keep moving!

Keep working!

Tomo

Thank you, professor, words of wisdom (guitar wisdom), I will keep those three points in mind forever and I know I will get better at this!

My pleasure!

Thank you Richard!

I just made another aditional lesson video for thumb position / Bb Blues Solo Etude.

Tomo

My pleasure!

Thank you Richard!

I just made another aditional lesson video for thumb position / Bb Blues Solo Etude.

Tomo

Really breaking it down Richard. Some serious attention to details, thank you for sharing your perspective.

Thank you Johno for Week 2 / Day 5.

Good job! D & C triads. V to IV or IV to V .... Triad inversions are so good!

Good job! Extra Bb Blues R 3 7. I prcatice R 3 7 swing groove everyday.

Tomo

Nice mantras Kurt. Taking notes. :)

Thank you Kurt for Week 2 / Day 5.

Thank you for re-watching the ET1 & ET2. Great idea! Reviewing is very important.
It is very easy to change a few things without noticing. That's why re-watch will save your time!

Good job! 1212 Chromatic! I do this everyday! Yes! If you can hear it, you can play it! If you can't hear it. Slow down! Don't do anything beyond your capacity. That's my rule.

Good job! Not looking. Slow WAY down. Thumb Position. Softer & Softer. Less pressure left hand. One String Approach. C & D. Note names. Intervals. Singing & Playing. No noises!

I guess we are learning more than just Triad inversions on 123 set strings. July Challege is time to notice something that you didn't notce. So happy to hear!

Tomo

Thanks for kurt sharing the notes , so detail & pure work .
“ Slow , Don't play ! ” I need remember this , too .
Practice is so deep , Let's keep going !

Good stuff Kurt, always some deep thought in your practice notes. Seems like slow is a focus to take in every note. - johno

Awesome update, Kurt! Thank you for sharing your notes with us :)

Thank you Clay for Week 2 / Day 5.

Good job! Warmup. Super focused on thumb pressure. No squeze at all. Warm up is to relax and use less pressure. Chromatic scale, you can start with normal picking volume and use less and less picking volume so if you play it without guitar amp. Almost you cannot hear any sounds from guitar itself. Simple! Once you hear any string / finger noise then stop. Strat slower than that tempo. Never push with any problem (noise issue). Slow way down!

Tomo

Hi Clay ! I have some familiar feeling , when I do chromatic or 1212 practice , if my thumb or finger is squeze , the note sustain is stop , and have noise .

Thanks Tomo - will do. I noticed when I started adding dynamics to 1212 on the 3rd string, soft notes are more challenging to achieve than the wound 4th string. Great exercise.

My pleasure Clay!

Good job! I use a lot of dynamics... I mean softness on Chromatic 1212... Very difficult on 4th string. Sometimes I only pracrtice 4th string for a while. Go softer and softer. Great one!

Tomo

Yes similar issue for me. I really hear more with 3 and 4 fingers

Nice job Jeffrey!
Each day is building on the day before!
We are going to really be glad we put in the time and work!
Kurt

Thank you Jeffrey for focusing on Single String Approach.

Good job. Note name. Singing. Triad inversions on single string & 123 set strings.

If you have extra time, you can learn triad inversons on 2 strings. So you can do 2 notes on one string and one note on other string.

Tomo

Thank you Kurt for encouragement!

We are building something so beautiful!
We are working together!
We are sharing each others.

Guitar can bring people together.
Very peaceful.
Hope people are kind to each others.

Tomo

Very intriguing..I want to try 2 note triad

Hey Serena, I think a 2 note triad is a diad. Not sure which note to drop from the triad unless it makes sense to a progression. - johno

Hey Serena,
Thanks for the update,
Tomo said to stick with 1 3 and 4 fingers for the root inversion. You have to adjust your thumb and left arm..
At 5:36 of this video you can see Tomo kind of lower and "flatten" his thumb and left arm/shoulder to play root inversion way up there

When I'm practicing chromatic exercises and I get "buzzed" I have to slow down :-)
Kurt

Thank you Serena for Week 2 / Day 5.

Good job! Using your small note book. Chromatic scale for 10 minutes is so good! Singing softly. Use more dynamics. Strat with normal picking volume then go softer and softer. Almost you cannot hear any sound from your guitar yourself.

Chromatic 1212. In order to have no noise. Try to start at 5th fret. If you hear any noise, please stop and start with slower tempo. I don't keep same tempo if I hear one noise! You cannot think by words like that. Very easy to misunderstand it. Please watch any fingering exercises from my lessons.

One more time! If I hear ONE noise, I do not repeat that tempo. If I do,... I go on same circle!

Good job. One String Approach. C & D. Triad inversons. Soft picking. Higher frets... not easy. It wll take some time. Yes! Fingerings are all same. Fingerings are very specific.

Tomo

Thank you Kurt for encouragement!

In order to use these fingerings... other parts needed to work together.

Tomo

Yes! The ear bone is connected to the thumb bone :-)
Kurt

Lots of great notes Serena. Seems like there are several things to remember and yes, writing them down keeps a practice session on track, good stuff, it's working out in so many ways :)

Thank you Al for Week 2 / Day 5.

Good job! C & D Triad inversions. Single String. One String approach. Singing & Playing. Mistakes are good! I do a lot! Slow down. Play soft. No noise. Less pressure.

Tomo

Thanks for the update, Al! Sounds like you are doing great with this :)

Thank you Tadashi for Week 2 / Day 6.

Someday we are so busy. Don't worry! Even short time is so good! I even practice my chromatic scale for 1-2 minutes when I am very busy. I go so slow so even one string / chromatic scale exercise ... very productive. Good feeling!

I am so glad to be helpful! Thumb position / Less pressure ... not easy! But if you noticed it, good! So good! This technique is normally slow down on performance pasr. That's why when people are learing songs from YouTube, Tabs..... fall into deep "Stuck"

Relaxed thumb is win!

Tomo

Pure work & steady , Tadashi ! I 'm follow you !

Good job Tadashi!
Like 李jiayang says, "Pure work & steady".
We're following you!
Kurt

Cheers to relaxing while practicing, no pressure, go smooth.

Cheers to you johno!

Relaxed and no pressure, Go smooth!

I'll "eat potato chips" to that!
Kurt

Thank you Eiji for Week 2 / Day 5.

So happy to see more members from Japan!

Good job. One String approach. Yes! That's correct! When you walk backwards... diffcult! Feeling the TONE. Free from shapes. Great direction!

So happy to hear that. I am so happy to be helpful!
You're very welcome! Plesae share this feeling to others.

Tomo

That's so great, Eiji! Yes, you get into the small details that make a big difference here. Everything is connected, so your work here will translate to other areas of your playing!

This is so Cool ! The show will be fantastic ? Don't know !
Don't worry , You can do it Sergio !

Thank you Sergio for the updates!

Please enjoy your show! That's so aweome!

Week 2 / Day 5!
Do as much as you can!

Keep going!
Thanks for your inspiration!

I am working on yard work. Trimming and weeding!
Weeding really reminds me chromatic scale!

Tomo

Best wishes for a successful festival, Sergio. Looking forward to a full report when you get back!

Sergio, be safe and have fun. We will look for you.

Wherever we are!

God message Tomo - thank you. I haven't tried blues etude yet, but still getting a lot from the thumb pressure / position views.

Keep the videos coming. I can't wait to play so effortlessly. Great info here.what is the volume on your amp turned up to? Guitar 7.5 helpful. Play softly, shoulders relaxed, thumb lightly not pressing. Looks great Tomo. Thanks for sharing stories with us.

So relaxed! So soft! So smooth! So light touch! Sets the bar for the rest of us! Thanks.

Finesse is what I gathered from this video. Play with Finesse to build longevity, dynamics, and relaxed dynamic tones. I don't play some old guitars for the same reason it is about worn out, special delicate occasions is the best time and I don't get to choose when that is. Some really nice sounds in this video, like a big auditorium in the dynamic section. So playing a piece two times was not even about hitting the right notes (which were all spot on in this video) , it was also all the mechanics that made the notes sound brilliant and informative. Interesting method to practice a piece. A different view, - johno

Thank you Serena!

Slowly & do not rush. Yes. You can do it!

Number of guitar amp doesnot do anything... each amp is different.
Basically amp is very very loud so that you just cannot play your guitar with guitar volume at 10!
Even 8 is not easy to play! My Fender Musicmaster Bass Amp Volume is a little above 2. (Each Musicmaster Bass Amp is different!) Guitar volume is around 7-8.

Play softly as you can. Your body is all relaxed!
You're very welcome!

Tomo