Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Thanks for showing this, Tomo.

Wisdom:
• have to let go
• almost like a meditation
• I don't hear from guitar, I hear from amplifier.

Thanks for showing palm muting bottom string

Thank you very, very much Tomo and Linda.

"Hit quick. Hear from amp! What is really slow. Play slower than 40! "
This is so helpful. What a great bonus!
Kurt

Thank you Linda!

Guitar is meditation!
Open G / All down stroke / No counting / Super Slow!

You're very welcome!

Tomo

Thank you Kurt!

Amp is doing that job!

This is really slow! Slower than metronome at 40.

So happy to hear that.

Tomo

Thank you Tomo for the bonus video!
It shows the importance of steady basic practice.
I'll give it a try!

Thank you Tadashi for Week 2 / Day 3

Good job! Chromatic. One String approach. G C D Triads run. Recorded it. Tape Recorder. Noise check. Palm muting.

You're very welcome!

Tomo

Good job Tadashi!
Recording it is getting real!
So cool you use your tape recorder.
So funny that now I want to do everything with my phone.
Still getting used to living in the future.
Kurt

Thank you Kurt!

Recording is so important!

I use my iphone but I also use my cassette recorder for more details.

Tomo

Tadashi, Tomo says "record yourself every day". I try but sometimes I forget.

I try but I don't do this consistently. I think I'll incorporate a short recording into my daily practice.

Any advice on what to record or other tips/recommendations?

Thank you!

Best,

- R

The volume changes but your thumb is still muting the same way-I think
Fantastic bonus video.!
Thanks!
Kurt

Thank you Kurt!

No matter what my right hand is doing.... my left hand pressure is soft!

You're very welcome!

Tomo

Soft left hand touch. Got it. I love this guitar. It’s think this is the really a vibrant LG acoustic.

Tomo, I noticed that even though your thumb is muting you have a soft grip rather than a stranglehold. Love the quieter dynamics in the middle...thank you Tomo. Now I need you to share anything I may have missed.. I want to know everything you are doing, thinking, feeling while you play. 🙏

Thank you Jeffrey!

This is my foundation practice guitar!
Chromatic 1212
R 3 7 Swing Groove

Tomo

Alright Richard. Hearing songs within the triads we are doing this week.. Bravo

Nice melody with that triad 2nd inversion.

I use 132 fingering and lower my thumb.

You can play songs with that idea.

Good job Richard with your Ibanez AZES31!

Tomo

Nice Richard! Sounds cool.
Nice idea to find the melodies in the shape.

Love that guitar!
Kurt

First, I read that Linda had an AZES31 and loved it. Then I heard the Professor say that he was involved in its design and it is his baby. I began looking for a used one (I am such a cheap SOB). Then I saw your video, and you bought TWO new ones! You inspired me as you often do with your comments and encouragement! Finally, along came Sergio! That was it! I said Wait, all my good buddies on GW Challenge are having or getting one! I went out to the living room and asked my wife if she would buy me a present. A couple of days later, Guitar Center delivered it. All six strings were tuned exactly one half-tone down from standard tuning. I got out my feeler gauges, and all six strings appeared to be about 2.5 mm above the 12th fret and 1.25 mm above its fret wire. Although intonation was and still is not perfect, it's very close. There is no way I am going to touch those spring adjustments at the back. I will let my luthier do that until I learn how to do it. Tuning and intonation do change a little on some days (Cape Cod humidity fluctuation, I suspect). In other words, it was plug and play!. The cutaways on both sides of the rear bout help me a lot with playability! I think I'm going to love it

This is so amazing Richard ! Okey , get order , just can't wait . I like red one !

Very Nice Clay. That's a great list of got em dones.

Clay = "slow is smooth, smooth is fast."

Bruce Lee said "The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be".

Thank you Clay for Week 2 / Day 2.

Don't worry about it! If you noticed it then good!

Good job! G Major scale. 1st string. Intervals. Singing. No looking. G Triad on 123 set strings. 145 triads.

Thanks for watching my video! Slow down Chromatic 1212 is great! Go softer and softer!

Tomo

Thank you Clay for Week 3 / Day 2.

Good job! Practiced! G Major scale. One String.1st string. Intervals. Singing. Triad Inversions 123 set. C D G.
Thanks for watching my videos. So much fun making additional videos.

Good job! Slowing down. My challenge is to slow down so that I can play faster later. In order to play faster and smoother… I need to go slower! That’s what most pro guitar players do. Adding speed is YouTuber guys!

You got it!

Tomo

Good job, Clay! It sounds like you are getting a lot of your practice. Sometimes it's nice to lose track of time :) but I hear you, I like keeping a timer for myself as well.

Thank you Serena for Week 3 / Day 2.

That's like my day. I feel so bright and feel very blue someday. I do not think too much "Why?"

Thanks for watching my videos. I try to use less pressure from my left hand.

I practice with my Orangewood Ava Mahogany LIVE and I always use amp so that I really have to use relaxed hand otherwise I can hear string / finger noise.

Chromatic exercise. Strat with normal/soft then go softer and softer. So toward end almost you cannot hear any notes! It is very difficult! I have to focus a lot.

Good job! Single string w/ C D G. No looking. Triad inversions.
Fret buzz. Once you hear..stop. Play slower.

Tomo

Thanks for sharing your practice, Selena!
Let's progress little by little through trial and error.
Let's keep going!

Another honest, inspiring update from Serena.
Battling the noises on acoustic is going to pay off huge!
Pure hard work and dedication. Powering thru!
Thanks for sharing and motivating us to keep getting after it.
Kurt

Very encouraging advice Tomo. Thank you. I can tend to overthink. I am working on it. I think that is why I like to be a busy body, I think less when I am doing. I will start my workout on my amp everyday from here on out. I need to practice dialing it in anyway. Relaxed hand. Chromatic scale normal to soft and then softer and softer. Meditative style. Yes sir. Play slower.

Awe thank you Kurt. I appreciate you guys more than you know. Keep stumming along right?!!!!

Thanks Linda!
Such important reminders!
Uber slow! Letting the full note decay! Listening! No Noise!
We appreciate you!
Kurt

Nice job Linda. I had to look up the definition for intonation. It says how accurately the guitar plays in tune up the fretboard. I am guessing that playing with great intonation means you have to have great technique and placement with your fingers up and down the guitar, with soft approach so the note rings out perfectly. Keep up the great work.

Thank you Linda for Week 3 / Day 2.

Good job! Chromatic scale. I am working on Chromatic 1212 slower and softer. Almost you cannot hear anything from my guitar. No pick sound at all. Slow. Listening depth.

Great intonation with you and guitar. No noise! I remembered your 28th day fighting with string / finger noise.
November Challenge was so special to everyone include ME.

You built your consistancy, commitment and pure efforts.
Most people stop focusing a few days before 30 days or before 3 months or before 3 yeras.

Tomo

Serena, great intonation is the goal (but not yet the habit. Need more Chromatic exercise!).

Thanks, Tomo. To this day, I still discover things when I do the Chromatic exercise.

I love these etudes and solo phrasing examples!
This is soulful!
Kurt

Thank you so much Kurt!

Tomo

It is indeed soulful. Tomo plays with such feeling.

Thank you Linda.

Blues is very important for me.

Tomo

"Blues is very important for me."

I am super-duper happy to have the blues in my life :-)

No one said life was going to be easy. Listening to the blues is like therapy. Makes you feel!
Kurt

Mija, great to hear about your progress. Thank you.

Thank you Mija for Week 3 / Day 1 & 2.

Don’t worry! Do as much as you can.
If you can, try even 1 to 3 minutes. This way you don’t feel “ I need 10-30 minutes block”

Even I can appreciate I have one minute / 60 seconds free!
I practice chromatic 1212 on ONLY 4th string. And I feel so good!

Good job! Which scale or triad? Wrire a little more specific on your little note book so that
when you are reviewing previous day, it is more productive way to review and practice.

G Major Scale. Singing. Intervals. No Looking.
G Major Triad. One String approach on 1st string. On 123 set.

Great plan! You can learn triad inversions on single string. 2 strings. 3 strings.

Tomo

Thanks for sharing, Mija! Great pointers. We want to know exactly what you're working on :)

I hear you, Richard! Real life keeps getting in the way, but it's good to still have family events! Good job.
Any day that we pick up a guitar is a reason to celebrate!
Keep it going!
Kurt

Thank you Richard for Week 3 / Day 2.

Family gathering is so nice and very important!
That’s okay not set a time. As much as you can.

Good job. G Major triad on 123 set. If you are looking at the fretboad,
as soon as you play, don’t keep looking at. Balance!

This is just a part of challenge “Not Looking” but you can look at here and there
when you are performing. When you are really into…. try not look at. Feel those notes more.

I think best way is to practice any good melody. Or any blues phrase etc.
Amazing Grase is a great melody too.

You’re very welcome!
If I play a madolin, all of suddon, I have a big fingers!

Tomo

Good job Richard! That is a lot of hard work.
I am trying to sort out triads on 2 strings too.
Maybe they will help us start learning how a scale on one string relates to that scale on other strings (without thinking big box scale pattern).
Kurt

Thanks Kurt, I hope and believe something will come out of it all; down the learning process somewhere, so I can solo along with Tomo someday! Without looking at the fretboard or thinking about anything other than how much fun it is.

Hi Richard. mixing in playing triad intervals on two strings. I like practicing this a little. Just to make sure I’m not doing shapes and put more attention on name of notes. For example instead of G triad first inversion on top three. I know that the third is a b on string 3. So on string two that can be an open B. So I can play that b there and then go to the fifth d and then root g on strings 2 and 1. So just kind of checking my knowledge more as I go with note names using just two strings. See if I really know where I am or not. The answer is I still don’t always know. More review

I love the last part of your comment Richard about ‘without thinking about anything other than how much fun it is to play’

Well done Richard, day 3. You accomplished much. It is great to learn both 2 and 3 note triads. As a singer it helps to have a harmony at times = less is more. This way in an arrangement everyone is not playing all over the melody or one another. I would say 2 notes is happy and harmonious at times. I think I remember Tomo saying in text to play the top 2 notes and then play the lower note. I will let him share on this though. Awesome sprint this week.

Thank you Johno for Week 3 / Day 3.

Good job! G Traid Inversion. Singing. 1st string. Sequencings Singing. 123 set.
Yes! Singing like nobody can’t hear! Very very soft singing with no vibrato.
Green plant is great object for your eyes. Slightly louder setting for working on soft touch.

Tomo

Green plant charms?? I'm curious...

We recently repotted with new soil all our house plants - lots of them and work too. We have these charms or ornaments peeking out of some plants for fun, and one chili pepper gleefully caught my eye and I zoned in. Some spicy inspired practice yesterday, felt like good progress and can't wait to do it again!! "Go back, Jack, and Do it again" Steely Dan~

Alright Tomo, soft singing is not easy, so I give it a go for a quick minute. Will get in some focus on loud amp to extreme lite soft picking. Sounds like a plan!! G triads, sequences, G - scale and Amp up.

Many things are not easy! Do don't worry! Slowly you will get it.

Enough volume from amp so you have enough dynamic range from your guitar.

Good job!

Tomo

Slow has always been a struggle for me too Kurt. I guess we need to start visualizing the tortoise wins the race. Maybe if we picture this it will help us be more mindful that slow is fast and fast is slow.

Thank you Kurt for Week 3 / Day 3.

Yes! Morning practice is good! Somethig is done in morning. I like that.

Good job! Chromatic 1234 softer & softer. Not looking. G Major scale. All varietions. More details thinking. Slowing down! It is very hard! I practice chromatic 1212 and slower and softer. Not easy! I am working on slower and softer right now. Beacuse I want to play smooth. Fun playing trhe C D G triads.

Triads on two strings. Not easy and you cannot limit time. Do them slowly without any pressure.
Maybe I can make additonal lesson video.

Thank you so much!
Actually I got a few great comment from a few famous guys on that slow blues!
I am learning something new!

Tomo

Thank you Serena for sharing your struggle.

Slowing down is very hard!

It’s worth keep trying this.
Don’t be a Rabbit!

If you keep practicing faster pace, you will stuck in Rabbit hole!

Tomo

Yes sir! Maybe imagine you are a cat...I know you have two to inspire you to chill out :)

That's a great idea. Only problem is that... they are very calm and gentle... but once they something moving fast... they want to jump!

I love when they are sleeping at day time.... they don't have any plans or no note book needed!

Tomo

Wow Yen, Great insights. I love this. Greeted each other in the hall is the first step to besties. Good luck the rest of the week with your beautiful practice. Cheers.

Thank you Yen for Week 3.

Don’t worry! Anytime is good time!

Good job. Name of notes. Locations on the fretboard without any diagram. Best way is to learn One String One finger approach on each string. No hurry! Slowly play each note. Major scale. Then try those sequencings (4 petterns) Do as much as you need.

We have learned D, C then G so it’s key in G.
G C D = 1 4 5.

Good job! Singing. Thinking name of notes. Intervals. Gradually you will understand the fretboard.
Triad inversions are so good to understand the fretboard.

Yes! Keep working!

Tomo

Thank you Serena!

C D & G triads are good friends!

Tomo

Thank you for sharing, Yen! This is so amazing! And your mindset is so positive :) We don't worry!

Hey Yen, I like the greetings in the hall of old friends G, C, D. It is new stance to these notes through triads and not cowboy chords. Both are fun. There was a time I had to stop playing big G and D chords cause I over played them and needed a change of key, so yeah it is like being re-introduced to them in an new triad way. So much more fun this way!!