Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Great job staying on it Serena!
I'm glad you mentioned your Mom.
Reading that you had plans with her really hit me.
Still happens now and then out of the blue after all these years. So happy that you still have her.
I feel my Mom is with me still. Beating in my heart like 李jiayang taught me.

One of her golfing friends called her "Smilin' Madeline"
When I cut my hair off last week, I knew she was really smiling and happy!
Kurt

Smilin' Madeline is still will you.

And still smiling.

Thanks Linda!
I'm pretty sure she is smiling! Most likely golfing at an amazing Country Club in the sky :-)
Kurt

Great work Serena , Chromatic scale make me think November Challenge !
This is so great , Inspiration :)

Kurt it's so hard not to have you ma. I can't imagine it. Man life is short. It's scary to think about sometimes. Your mamas all around you, even though not by sight. Take care friend.

Thank you, Linda. Love your reports.
I get lots of great ideas from your updates.

Oh yes. Christmas in July. Like all the garage and yard sales around here :-)

Let's keep on Goin' and Growin'!
Kurt

Jingle Bells ! The triads like deer !
One Fanger ! OH OH This is Texas !

Thanks, Kurt. I get so much inspiration from yourself as well. Thanks for all the Wisdom that you contribute to us!

Oh, yeah! This is Texas!

Christmas In July .I love it Linda. Making some extra moves today. Right on

Good job Clay! Fun to start using these triads in a musical way.
And revisit the cool Blues shuffle!
Thanks for sharing the update!

Kurt

Bb Blues ! This is Cool work Clay !
Built Melody !

Wow great work Clay. Taking challenge to new heights.

Thank you Clay for Week 3 / Day 4.

Good job! Applying these triads for musical chord progressions. Still you can use Ear Training to hear each specific triad inversion and intervals. Triads are so beautful. No looking and hear them slowly and enjoy them. Good triad song could be… Amazing Grace. Blues. I love practicing shuffle bassline super slow and sing solo!

Several tempos. Blues & tempos. Another deep topic! I love working on my R 3 7 Blues swing groove a lot. This is my source of funk guitar skills. So I practice simple I IV V blues chord changes with metronome. I love playing with a metronome at 50, 58, 65 a lot this week! And working on my soloing with a metronome.

Tomo

Thank you Kurt, Jiayang & Serena!

Triad inversions are so magical in music!

Melodic triad approach! More fun!

Tomo

Thank you Eiji for Week 3 / Day 4.

How’s the weather? Hope you guys will not get too much fast rain!

Good job! G string. Slow and enjoy each note/tone with picking dynamics while left hand is so relaxed!
Chromatic scale on 4th and 3rd strings. I need to do this for 10 minutes today. G Major String on 1st E string. Melody maker workout! G Major scale on 1st string is very special for me. Hope you find a good melody. 4 sequencings is great. Once you get settle with this with enough review then good.

Tomo

Sounds like a very disciplined practice, Eiji. Good job going slow and slower!

Early bird gets the worm. Well done Kurt.

Thank you Kurt for Week 3 / Day 5.

Good job! Early day practice. Very ideal with a fresh start. Thanks for reviewing Week 3 video. Reviewing lesson video is super important. I am reviewing my Flying V Slow Blues today. It’s about one minute long so I think I listened it about 50 times! I need to make it better with less notes. That’s my style of blues playing… but too many chord tones! Too jazzy! Great! Chromatioc 1212. My favorite practice routine on 4th & 3rd strings.

Good job! One String / One finger approach. Slow and soft. Longer duration. Besides G Maj… D & C too. Reviewing is so good! Singing. Intervals. 3 sequencings. All 123 strings. No looking. Not only slowly but super duper slowly! Listen carefully noise issue. I do all the times. My Fender Musicmaster Bass amp is helping me! Fender is sending me a spdcial Blues Jr. amp soon! I will review it soon!

Good job! Pressing..not pressing. Just touching a paper (as if). Thumb is always dancing and moving. Never really settle two seconds.

Tomo

Fender should make a Tomo Fujita signature Musicmaster Guitar Amp!

Thank you for everything- Especially the extra videos on the GW playlist.
I'm reviewing Thumb videos, The Open G down-stroke picking, Not Looking, and the 3 MAJ Triad July Challenge Videos.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLENaipLZZvuSe09K52-fo1VPMLrWfJa46

I love the Flying V video. I'm glad you keep refining and searching for the sound!
Kurt

Keep digging, Kurt! You're looking for finer details and helping everyone in the process!

You're very welcome Kurt!

I went to food shopping and cook food!

10 more pages to traslate my book tonight!
Then I need to plan recording videos for this book.

Great to hear that! Thumb position videso, Open G video....
Love making these additional videos just like in private lessons.

Tomo

Thank you Serena for Week 3 / Day 5.

Good job! Using your electric guitar and amp. Guitar volume at 8 and feel uncomfortable to start/play with is a great way to start. (this part is super important and normmaly people don’t just get it.) That’s why so important. Depends on guitar amp so it does not matter that much about knob numbers.

Good job! Chromatic scale super slowly super light touch. I need to pracrtice this today after this. Slower and softer is so good! That’s what I need to do everyday for just 10 mintues.

Good job! One String approach. Singing soft. Intervals. Ear Training. Singing soft is softer than normal talking voice when you are talking on your cell phone.

Whats Uber progress? Ordering food?

Tomo

Nice job, Serena! You are tuned into your practice and sound.
I think "uber" as in a lot. If Uber figures out how to deliver progress, we will be in trouble.

Thank you Tomo. Yes means hope of large progress to others. I appreciate the kind words.

Sammi, yes you nailed it. Much love.

Excellent Serena, work the Amp with an unfamiliar guitar. Did you get to borrow or is it not played much. Hope you got a chance to turn it up!! Glad the PRS is helping the pieces fall together. Sounds like great progress. - johno

Thank you Christian for catching up. We are all busy people so no need to follow exact on July Challenge. Same as November Challenge! I am doing my November Challenge Chromatic Scale super slow, super light touch everyday even one to three minutes! Keep going & keep working. Never regrets! Never disapponted!

Good job! G triad inversions. 4 steps! One Finger approach. Singing. Intervals. Triad inversions on 123 set strings. Super light touch. Super slow. Long duration on each triad. Keep movig dancing your thumb. Never press at all. As if you are touching a paper lightly. 4 sequencings. Movable Do. Singing super softly.

Listening caredfully, thinking, feeling, visualize deeply and often not to play anything right away. Give yourself more times. Good job!

Keep going!
Keep working!
Keep reviewing!

Tomo

Thank you for updating us, Christian! This sounds like a thoughtful and deep practice. Keep up the good, slow work!

Wow Chris. Huge progress.. so good.

Great work Christian , a new view .
Cheer for the great progress , we are keep going ! Yeah :)
wish you have a good day !

Hi Tadashi ! You're day 5 , amazing !
WOW ! You're hearing the notes , okey I will try this part when tomorrow practice . Listen each triads note slow .
No look is great , hard to do , each day reminds myself : Just do it , Don't afraid mistaken . Don't look how far we going or how far still we have !

Thank you Tadashi for Week 3 / Day 5.

Good reviewing work! One finger / One String. No looking. Listening, imagining notes deeply. Triad inversions. Singing. Intervals. Visualaization.

Good job! Turning Triad Inversions to arpeggios slowly! Great way to work on triad inversions.
Focusing the sound.

I am still listening my Flying V Slow Blue Etude. More 100 times so when I have my lunch, I can hear this solo so clearly and now I can slow it down in my head! No need guitar to work on this solo to next level.

Listening is super important!

By the way how’s the weather in your town?

Tomo

Thank you Jiayang for encouragement!

Tadashi is working on a lot on listening and enjoying the tone!

No need to worry about anything.
Don’t be afraid on mistakes on guitar playing.
Even hit many bad notes, wrong notes.. never hurts any part of your body!

So don’t exprect anything is good!
No regrets.
No disappointment.

Guitar taught me how live with my life a lot smoother!

Tomo

Thank you for your encouraging comment, Jiayang!

"Just do it , Don't afraid mistaken . Don't look how far we going or how far still we have !"

That's a great word!
Focus on what's in front of me and just do it!.
This is the most correct way forward.
Thanks!

Good job Tadashi!
Love what you said, Jiayang, "Don't look how far we going or how far we still have" Yes, let's focus on where we are right now!

Hi Richard
As another engineer I like patterns which I know is not the right way. But..... a thought on the right amounts to jump. The Do note jump up will be a M3, the Me note will be a jump of m3 and the So note will be a jump of a 4th.
Much too much thinking I know so I'm trying just to repeat and feel the jump. Slow progress but great when it goes well.
Enjoy

Richard, good thought "you learn to feel it better".

Hi Richard ! great guidance and experience , flow you details . “ The next pitch you want to get to on string three ”

“Focusing all the while on Thumb placement, light-as-possible fretting and thumb pressure, palm just barely touching string 6 to mute, right forearm pressing bout in and thereby, neck out against left fingers.”
Technique part , Thank you Richard !

Sometimes I feel the left hand power is small then right hand power , so guitar more inclined to the “ right ” , finger touching note is not enough or balance .

Thank you for teaching us how you learn, Richard!

Thank you Richard for Week 3 / Day 5.

Only one goal is good too! I like less items and keep it simple.

Good job. Good at G Major Triad Inversions on top 123 set strings. Then you can use others. C & D too.
You can go over slowly any orders of C or D or G. Fun! First you need to hear what sounds? And imagine, visualization with Ear Training… listening and playing.

No need to close your eyes. I always just find any object in room and looking at while I play. Feel those spunds and play them slowly. Don’t worry not find right notes first. This is a part of training that we all need to do. Fpr me, practice time is proudly I can hit wrong notes which can be so inspiring idea to go.

I don’t think how many frets for myself. I never thought how many frets because that’s too much thinking for me. You can think about it when you are started practicing but you don’t need to know how many frets. You need to know by sounds and you try to get there. This is just a part of Challenge.

Focusing thumb position. My thumb is constantly moving and never press. Just lighly touching.
Yes! Go super slow. No need to know when. It’s all about journey! We will have small stops here and there.

Good job! Your presence is so much inspiration!

Tomo

“ Playing attention to floating right hand ” , slow , but why not !
My pinky or other finger when picking , will touching string , Then my note is gone ...
But each day care this , will be fine !
Let's do this AI , it will !

Love this team of Al and Jiayang working on the floating right hand!

Thank you Al for Week 3 / Day 5.

Good job for rewatching week 3 video. More review videos are more important than how many hours to practice. That’s why I listen same album over and over to internalize the sound into myself so I can play it anytime and I can slow down in my head!

Floating picking technique. Right hand palm muting technique. Very lightly not touching all the times. Never rest on the strings.

I used to use my picky on the pickguard then I got rid of that. It took me about 3 months to slow down and learn my floarting picking technique.

Slowing down and pay a lot of attention is so good & so importamt.
These comments are so good!

Yes. Keep going!

Tomo

Thank you Jiayang!

Great comment from Al.

Floating Picking Technique wll give you freedom later.

Tomo

Yes Sammi!

Floarting Technique Working Team!

Al & Jiayang!

Tomo

Hi Jeffrey !
Oh this is a great point , I spend more time with going down .
Yeah !!

Nice going Jiayang!

Great point Jeffrey! I have been going up the neck singing the Do Mi So's a lot more than going down.
I'm going to work more on descending.
Thank you sir!
Kurt

I really like the challenge of descending intervals like Do-Ti, Do-La, Do-So... and Do-La, Ti-So, La-Fa... It feels like if I start with those early in my "no look 1-string" routine, my feel of the fretboard is better for the rest of the practice.

Love it, Clay. I will try that.

Hi 李jiayang,
Your positive attitude is a blessing! Thanks for these updates.
I have been trying to stick to one key each week. Going slow and listening is so important!
Using palm muting lightly is not easy. Floating right hand like a butterfly :-)

So great when we are feeling good about today's practice! Let's keep going!
Kurt

I agree with you , Kurt !
Butterfly , Palm ! You words make the palm have beautiful wing !
Stick ! Keep going ! Slow !
🦋

Hi Jiayang, you practice so carefully, it's amazing!
I also find picking very difficult.
Tomo said that "sometimes drops pick," and he certainly did in a recent video. That's how lightly he holds it.
Oh, I dropped it too the other day, I fell asleep while playing!:-)

Hi Tadashi ! Yes , Tomo ‘s video is really light , seems have magic , But we know : No magic , Just Pure Work !“
You know , I‘m fell asleep , too ... Sometimes is really easy lose my attention , We are not alone , HA ! :)

Floating right hand like a butterfly :-) is trending :) Love it!

This is helpful Clay!
I find a lot of good things happen when I stand up too.
"Not slow enough" is something I tell myself more and more.:-)
Thanks for the update!
Kurt

Nice work, Clay! Yes...move your body first...Tomo says "don't play right away" so you can get the feel first

Thank you Clay for Week 3 / Day 5.

Same thing is so good! I repeat same thing without thinking when to end. That’s why I became so patient person! Should be same as sitting down or standing up. That case your strap is not short enough.

Good job! Major Scale. C D G . Ear Training. Intervals. No Looking. Singing and playing slowly. Slower.
Pick softer. No finger noise. No fret noise. No picking sound. Palm muting.

Chromatic 1212. Once you hear any noise one. I stop playing. Go back to begining and go slower.
I do this everyday within 10 minutes. So I never go over 10 mintues. This way I can repeat this everyday.

Yes! 40 is so fast! My old franz only have 40 as slowest. I have a few old boss metronomes.
Playing slower. Better not use a metronome. Just listen a metronme at 40 then stop a metronome and go slower without a metronome.

For other choices. I go sometimes… 48, 50,52,54,56,58…. or 49,51,53,55,57,59 etc

Yes! Move your body!

When you review your performnce by recorded video, I first watch without any sound then make sure visually grooving or not?

Tomo

Thank you Kurt!

I just finished listening Joe Pass “ Virtuoso “ (52:52)

Yes! For dancing performance I stand up.

But for basic exercises I sit down and play.

My strap is pretty short.

Tomo

That's true guitar wisdom...."don't play right away" so you can get the feel first".

So amazing, Serena! Keep on shining :)

Good job Serena!
I like the way the electric sustains notes, and you can really see, hear and feel the music.
Thanks for the positive update!
Keep going!
Kurt

Thank you Sammi. Let's soar.

Thank you Kurt. I appreciate you.

Thank you Serena for Week 3 / Day 6.

Good job! Chromatic 1234.. 1212… super slow & soft picking. I do this everyday. Only 10 minutes. Go softer and softer. Single string. 4 Sequencings. Intervasl. Ear Training.

So happy to hear that! Electric guitar is better for working on dynamics & picking volume. So that limitation (you could not use your acoustic guitar) will make this happen! I love limitaion!

You can hear string noise, finger noise, sliding noise, pick noise and all! You will feel more confidence throught these pure efforts! Great job Serena!

PS, Cleaning & organaization will help your guitar playing too! So I cleanded & organized my Instagram posts!
Oh my! There were too many! Now down to 6238 posts from over 9900! So I feel more confident!

Tomo