Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Thank you Tomo! Love that album and his picture on the cover.

The groove is so cool- like "Mary Had a Little Lamb".

Sucks that the frigging TB bug actually did him in.
We are lucky we have his music.
Kurt

This album is so famous / popular among great blues guitar players.

My pleasure!

Tomo

Two bugs and a roach reminds a bit of srv scuttle button. Wonder if srv ever listened to earl hooker

Yes! All great blues players... like SRV...definitely listened this album!

Tomo

This is one of "MUST" for blues guitar players.

You're very welcome!

Tomo

Kurt, great catch! Headed over to Foundation Core to find this lesson now.

Tomo, in addition to being a great teacher (the best, in my opinion), clearly is a masterful, soulful blues player. I love that little thing he does at the 3:12 mark.

If this is a nylon string guitar, I wonder how Tomo keeps is so clean sounding. I know that a (electric) nylon string guitar thru an amp is notorious for string noise (squeaks, etc.). Yet this is so clean. Love this sound.

Jeffrey, thanks for starting this thread.

Thank you Kurt! I played twice. This one was my first take. I will post my second take.

Like this blues performance... I really need to focus and I think this was the last time I can play...so even I hit a wrong note... I have to live with it.

You can play this on any guitar! E blues! How much can you say?

Tomo

Thank you Linda for your kind words.

Some people can argue about this... " A great player cannot teach well or a great teacher cannot perform well "

I am aiming a little above mddle on Teaching & Performing!
No need to be a number one!

Blues is so good!
So deep! Never end!

YES! Exactly! Nylon guitar can make a lot of string noise!

Tomo

Well, Tomo, I don’t know who said that about “performer vs. teacher”, but you are clearly the exception to the rule. Your performances speak for themselves (brilliant!) and this entire forum will tell you (as will most industry-insiders) that you are an exceptional teacher. Certainly more than “a little above middle”. Keep up the good work on both ends.

And I do dig that cool Donner guitar!

Yes Linda- the lick at 3:12. He does something like that on the top 2 strings in Chicken Shack over the V and IV chords.
Sounds like an organ.
Kurt

My older son Nathaniel ... used to make this own drink!
Otange Juice & Water. So this case... in the beginning of melody... Blues = Orange Juice...
Water down = later part of melody ...Jazz!

Thank you Kurt!
Please listen another blues original " Don't wake me " from this album.

Tomo

Yes, Yes Tomo. Great idea! Let's all listen :-) What a great blues 45 these songs would make!
So deeply soulful. Love how it is not the usual blues progression. Great writing!
I just wish it went on longer and didn't' fade out :-)
Kurt

Don't Wake Me

Thank you Kurt! You found it!

That was my 1967 Gibosn ES-335 straight into Fender Pro Reverb!

Thank you! A little twist on that song chord changes. I wish I could go longer... that tape just run out after that! Analog 24 CH tape!

Tomo

Super cool twists on the chord changes!

Thank you Clay!

Other song, Crossing is also twisted blues song!

Tomo

Thanks so much Jeffrey!

Fender Stevie Ray Vaughn Stratocaster
Klon Centaur
Fender Pro Reverb & Fender Vibrolux Reverb

Tomo

The Klon Centaur overdrive pedal was worth $20,000 in 2024.
Your guitar sounds amazing.
Kurt

Thank you Kurt!

I paid $215 or $235... in 1994-95.

Tomo

HaHa! Nice Tomo! So smart.
$200 was a lot of money back then. Great investment.
My pet rock didn't pay off :-)
Kurt

Fun to compare these. They are different.
This Take 2 is bluesy all the way!
Take 1 is slower and has a jazzy part in the middle.
The steady bass note and the reverb create a nice mood that makes you want to listen!
Kurt

Ha! I rest my case. Both versions make me want to grab my guitar. So much feeling. Like you said "how much can you say?"

Sounds great, Tomo.

Thank you Kurt! I messed up a little toward end on first take so I had to play one more time!

I used that reverb for dynamics. Great reverb pedal for dynamics.

Thank you!

Tomo

This is simple E blues! I can show you simple way! Please enjoy it!

I think I have this lesson on Guitar Wisdom too. Finger Picking Blues.

Thanks so much.

Tomo

Thank you Jeffrey! That guitar makes a lot of string noise due to very sensitive piezo pickup!
I was so careful not make any noise!

One Man Band! I like that! You show up... you play! I enjoy that limitaion.

You can do this with a Flying V!

Thank you.

Tomo

Thank you Matt! So cool!
Actually I was just thinking about Blues Brothers and that concept, looks...

I bet that movie and that music really influence people with Blues and R&B / Soul music.

Tomo

Nice playlist Matt!
Listening to good music early- The Blues!
Thanks for sharing.
Kurt

It certainly did me. After seeing the movie, I did a little digging on that Steve Cropper guy...

Kurt - I have a sister that is 6 years older than me, and thank goodness she had good taste! When I was a kid I’d constantly steal her records. She introduced me to Frampton, Boston, The Who, the stones… She’d also take me to concerts if none of her friends wanted to go, and she’d drive me and my friends to concerts if we bought her ticket. It really is all about exposure isn’t it?

She exposed you!
I wish I had a sister. That is so cool. She is a rocker!
Kurt

This is my favorite. I'm working hard to get the hybrid picking right for this riff. It's faster than it sounds!

Ladies and Gentlemen, the GREAT Scotty Moore and his singer, Elvis.

This was called Hillbilly Blues sometimes! I really love this Matt. What an amazing track. Everything he did on Sun is essential.
That slap back echo makes it seem even faster.! Scotty Moore was so important!
Kurt

I can hear the "BB King" in there! Thanks, Tomo. I will listen a bunch more times.

Thank you Linda!

Peter Green got amazing detail nuance from BB King!
More than coping note for note!

Tomo

Thanks Tomo! This is so cool.
Kurt

Kurt!
Glad you enjoyed it!

Tomo

Really digging this Peter green

Don’t know Otis spann. Journey on

Clay, that is a fantastic post. I love what he said about friction.

Such great information Clay.

"Ultimately, the blues is optimistic!
You are always learning. it is fun! The spirit of play.

Kurt

This is so outstanding, I could never see what the fuss was about (Dylan and electric guitar). As Eddie Van Halen would say, "If it sounds good, it IS good". And this was very good! Michael Bloomfield was the bomb.

Kurt/Linda - Have you seen A Complete Unknown? I don't know how true it was - I'm not a huge Dylan fan - but it was a really good movie in my opinion.

Matt I have not yet seen A Complete Unknown (I say 'yet'). I need to make it happen, at least for the music!

One producer from NY... once he introduced me the Campbell Brothers (when I was making my album)

Awesome!

Tomo

Whoa, Jeffrey. That is hot.

Oh yes! Sacred Steel! Love them Jeffrey.
They have a cool Christmas album. Their church didn't like the music being played in the bars,
They led me to Robet Randolph. He was in "The Word" with Medeski, and the Dickinson Brothers from North Mississippi Allstars. (and big Chris, their drummer we ate pizza with once in Vancouver BC!)
Chuck Campbell bought the teenage Robert Randolph his first pedal-steel!
Kurt

Damn - I got teary-eyed listening to that!