Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Another nice update johno!
Everything you did was pure hard work and takes focus and effort!
No mistakes, just opportunities to learn so we can slowly improve.
Thanks for the shot of inspiration once again.
Kurt

Thank you Johno for Week 4 / Day 4.

Good job! G Major scale. Single string. Singing softly. Great to hear that you set your amp louder with rear pickup so you can hear any noise much clearly! This part is super duper important! If you practice it without amp or making very warm tone with a lot of reverb then you can entertain yoursel but you cannot make you to improve on your guitar skills. So good to hear you are enjoying the triad sustain! Great job! That’s very impotant part too. Clean palm muting!

Good job! Triad inversions on through G, C, D in different inversions on 123 set strings. Not looking. Slower approach. Yes! Be kind to yourself! Doing this triad inversions on single string & 123 set strings. All good! After this, you can do more Major scale with one string / one finger approach with other keys on every strings so you will master the fretboard and more fun on inprovisation!

Tomo

Thank you Kurt for excitement!

Johno is pushing it with steday consistency!

Slower is more chance to improve yourself!

So much inspiration from all comments!

Tomo

Always a poet, Johno! Thanks for the update. Sounds like you are having a great time with your guitar :)

Thank you Kurt, Sammi, and Tomo :) Yes, really enjoying my guitar and this learning process. It has been a good goal for July to practice every day with this triad foundational focus. Of course still keeping a beat on R37 and chromatics. The not watching the fret board has been a freeing exercise I hope to continue on every level. - johno

That’s it. We just became best friends.

Besties!

Lisa for President!

Lisa is unbelievable. A saint!
She has incredible stress being full-contact caretaker of her severely physically and mentally handicapped older brother, Dan,
Today we had to take him in to see the Doctor and we are both sore. We use the wheelchair, but he isn't standing at all anymore. Didn't realize how helpful it was when he could just stand.
We are so thankful Lisa's Mom left him amazing Federal Employee Health Insurance. We do get nurses to come in and change the catheter every few weeks. We've been doing our best for the last 20 years to keep him here with us
Hopeful they don't take his insurance away from him.
On the bright side, I get to stay home, workout, watch sports and do jigsaw puzzles with Dan, and practice with Tomo!
The stress may be the reason I'm averaging 16,000 steps each day this month according to my phone. Long walks in the morning after Chromatics :-)
Kurt

.

You ‘re get your Music Bass Amp ! Oh Lisa , She will cook grateful dinner ! have family support is so steadily and happiness , My mom say the same words like Lisa , I know the feel .
Kurt & Lisa You ‘re are so amazing . And I want to say Dan is amazing too, most brave and kind people on the earth , but life is much stress , I know that feeling too , Like I need to solve some family issue , the truth is before my wrist injury ( TFCC), is my dad caused to me , Because I tell him I want to be a guitar player , he told me it can't be work , so many people want to be musician , they are so talented , why you can do it ? then I really want left , but he catch my hand ...

I know is really terrify , but today I decide to tell him , this is my life and I can do the things I love .
I do this like you walk 16000 steps Kurt , Face with stress and life , Maybe this is have reason with GW .

Let's keep going !

This is great Kent!
You have been working hard! I can hear it.
Left-handed or right-handed, you are very cool!

I love:

1. Your guitar face
2. Your guitar model
3. Your guitar tone
4. Your guitar house!

Thanks for sharing!
Kurt

Hi Kent, I believe guitar faces are great! It is clear that you feel the music when it makes your face contort! Did you ever watch BB King's face as he plays? Great sounds! very inspiring. Thanks.

Very musical, Kent!

Wow, Kurt that is just lovely! Thank you!

Working on it! Thank you!!

Glad to hear you are back safely Clay.
Welcome home!
That one string work is intense. Rewatching the lessons helps me so much.
Playing along with Tomo is huge. I slow him down sometimes.
Have a great weekend!
Kurt

Thank you Clay for Week 4 / Day 4.
Welcome home Clay!

Good job! Not looking. One String Approch. G, C and G. Major Scale. 3 patterns. Triad Inversions. Singing softly. Glad you are saflely back and practice these.

Good job! Chromatic 1212 / 4th & 3rd strings. R 3 7 Bb Swing Groove. Not shuffle bass line? Great job rewatching video. Reviewing is more important that actual practicing time. Metronome you can do 1 2 3 4 & 2 & 4. No need to do 1 & 3! Good job playing along the video. Blues triads! Great!

Tomo

Thank you Kurt!

Clay is home!

Yes! One string approach is good! Thanks for rewatching the lessos. Great work! So effective!
Thank you for playing with my video. I should make more of those!

Have a great weekend!

Tomo

Yes, more videos. We wouldn't want you getting bored :-)
Thanks for everything!
Kurt

Welcome home, Clay! Good catch. Rewatching/reviewing is the best!

Lots of progress Richard, all your details show such dedication and organization to guitar. Thank you for sharing. :)

Thank you Richard for Week 4 / Day 4.

Good job for learning Chromatic 1212 pattern! For 10 minutres on 4th and 3rd strings! So happy to hear that!
Bb Swing Blues Groove is still HARD for me! I never ever feel 100% good! That’s why this makes me so humble!

Good job! Focusing on Single String with C Major Scale on 3 different strings. I just posted musical example of this. C Major Scale One String Approach over FMaj7 … Am7 G. You can enjoy it after July Challenge.

Always so important about this part. No pressure at all! Slowly to do. Little by little. Relaxed, drop your shoulders. One string 3 patterns are so good! Keep it simple and slow. Each note has a good sustain.

Good job! Triad Inversions. 123 set strings = Top 3 strings. G, C and D. No look. Very hard. Experiece this a lot now. Then you can look here and there. You will notice that you don’t staring at the fretboard as before.

Tomo

Thank you Johno for your reply to Richard!

items are very organizes and really clear what to do.

Excellent job and what a great inspiration.

Tomo

Well said, Johno! Richard, you truly are an inspiration to us all.

Richard is great your update , I feel your stead work , and different part your are build , you
can do this , and remember have break , little Garfield is stay with you !

Thank you Jeffrey for your hard work!

Great to hear that you worked Chromatic 1234 & 1212.
I need to work on that now! Triad inversions on top 3 strings.

Touching super lighly! Good job!

Tomo

This is what I need , Pressing down lightly , Thank you Jeffrey .

Jiayang, sometimes using different words will improve your playing!

Instead of Pressing Lightly.... Touching lightly!

Tomo

I had a dance teacher one semester who would say to us, "Change the approach." After finishing the combination/exercise, we'd have one 8-count to decide how to change our approach to the same combo. It is a fun exercise to do the same thing but think about it differently, and maybe you notice a difference in quality or expression.

Thank you Tomo and Sammi , This is so inspiration , change the word & change the approach !

I hope the new amp tone is all the good for you Kurt with a big smile on your face. Some more great videos will be fun to see :) The chromatics and triad pure tones in July have been sounding so good. Yes, keep it rolling!! - johno

Thanks, johno!
I'm looking forward to more videos from you and everyone too!

We're doing this and slowly moving nicely along our journey together!

Rolling thunder!
Kurt

"Just do it!"
You're doing great, Kurt :) Thank you for being a great teacher to us!

Wall or plateauing ! Oh you is moving on the way Kurt ! I remember Tomo say something like this : Really hard to do = Right way ”

Kurt is moving on , break is a hug step !
So happy learn this important thing on you update , Thank you Kurt!

Thank you Kurt for Week 4 / Day 4.

So happy to hear day was great & having a great feeling.

Great routine on Chromatic 1234 & 1212 and more. I need to practice that and R 3 7 Swing Groove. Today is very busy so I only can do my foundation exercise and no time for playing any songs. I am listening Joe Pass’s Vertuoso.

Good job! Major Scales. G C & D. One String approach. This is so impotrant foudation so you can enjoy soloing and other things later. Not looking. 3 patterns. Great! Triad Inversions on 123 set strings. We all hit a wall. Don’t pay attention too much. You can stop and take a break and listen same record for many times throught out week. So this music will be living inside of you!

I am so happy for you about a MMB amp & a Brown Box!
Keep enjoying!

Tomo

Very cool Al, that sounds like quite an enlightening experience. July challenge is bearing fruit everywhere :)

I love how you phrased this, Al! Perfect for me to hear. Very motivational. Let's keep going even after the July challenge is over!

So amazing, Al! You are exactly where you need to be. The glimpses are so exciting!!! Keep going!

AI , Great done , I 'm really enjoy the progress and new update from you , Don't worry , Don't expect too fast , Be kind to your self "
Inspiration a lot !

Thank you Al for Week 4 / Day 1.

Don’t worry anything! Do as much as you can. I wish I can reply everyone faster! But I have my own pace so I just wait till necx chance so I had to wait this late afternoon. I am so enjoying 300% on reading everyone’s comments & replying slowly!

Please remember these. Don’t worry! Don’t compare! (Follow your pace!) Don’t expect too fast! (Slow is good! You are still keep going forward!) Be kind to yourself! (Super important!)

Great job on rewatching Week 4 video twice! That’s better than someone only watch once and keep practicing a lot of time everyday! Reviewing is more important than just keep practicing. That’s why i need to practice slower and slower!

So happy to hear that Al! To me this July Challeng is so special about triad inversions (very deeply!) Thank you for saying that! “Gold!” Good job! Basically you are learning music correct ways! You’re very welcome! Now you will enjoy more and more!

Tomo

That is an impressive day!
Good luck with " 'splaining uninteruption" if it is like my house :-)
I like the idea of writing down 3 goals!
Thanks for the inspiring update.
Kurt

Really great work, Serena! Start fresh, keep it simple, and go easy. Everyone needs something from mom :)

Craft work Serena , you family is like stay with you & love you , And you will get the great practice that you can , fresh note !
Thank you for sharing the note and routine Serena , work together !

Thank you Serena for Week 4 / Day 4.

Good job writing for your 3 goals! Chromatc Scale 1234 & 1212, One string approach with Major Scales G,C & D. 3 patterns. Those are a sort of extra around G C and D triad inversions on 123 set strings. You are working very hard!

Family wants to talk with you. So lovely but you can explain them how much you need to have your own space and focus time. Once you explain to them, they will know. When my kids are little.. they afraid to talk with me..because I work all the times! Now I am much better! It took me for a while.

Thank you for rewatching Ear Training video. I played following notes: G, B, E, Bb/A#, A, Eb/D#, D, F#/Gb, F, Ab/G#, Db/C# and C. Good job! Chromatic Scale 10 minutes. Softer and softer. Singing softly. Triad Inversions. Intervals. Keep it simple. Stay calm! Very important to think only within giving time.

Have a great weekend!

Tomo

Thank you Kurt, Sammi & Jiayang for sweet enciourgament to Serena!

She has been working so hard on many hours! Late nights too!

What a great inspiration to us!

Tomo

Thank you Johno!

Everyone loves Serena!

Hope she can have a little more quiet time herself with her guitar.

Tomo

Johno, yes progress indeed. Through my many mistakes I learn so much. Thank you all for aiding in that.

My family is great. I love them too. I love you guys as well. Keep working we are so close.

Tomo is thorough! I think everyone will appreciate knowing that you type using your pointer fingers.

PS, I also used to typed it very hard so my old Berklee laptop.... those black top parts came off from my computer!

Tomo

Thank you Sammi! Ha ha!

I type my computer key boards like a Blues player!

When I type I use One Finger Approach (only my right hand) but very fast!
Once in a while I improvised with my left finger (2nd finger!)

Once I almost had a bad pain my hands... because I had to type so much!
I could not hold my guitar by my one hand!

I am doing slow and I only do certain length of time.

Tomo

How did you change my reply?! hahah what in the world

I am learning so much from the way you work Tomo. Thank you.

Wow pretty impressive to type one finger so fast. I feel blessed I took keyboarding in college or was it high school? Muscle memory of the board. I know I can do it with the guitar.

Thanks Jiayang, the little creature startled me good! Then made me laugh! Great to be able to laugh and relax. Thanks for sharing. Keep up the hard work!

Thank you for your update, Jiayang! You are like a sponge, soaking up all of the details. I like how you repeat, "no rush, no rush, no rush". It's so hard to develop good habits, but you are well on your way. Your positive spirit is helping us all!
ps I love colored notes!

Richard ! Let me introduce the table Kitty :Little Garfield
As you can see , Garfield has a big eyes !
So happy he made you laugh !
Keep working !

" Hi Sammi , This is your good friend , Sponge Jiayang , a cousin from Sponge Bob "
HAHAHAHAHA , If this joke is made you laugh , not so cold .

I just get ten color pens , make Note be fun ~

We are going that way ! Thank you Sammi , Your encourage is so important for people.

Thank you Jiayang for Week 4 / Day 1.

Good job working for Ear Training. Major Scale. One String approach. G C and D. Morning & Afternoon or night! Great!

Good job! One String approch with Triad Inversions. Very difficult but its so good! 3 inversions with Triad inversions. Triad inversions. G C D G over 123 set strings. Good! No rush! No panic! Don’t worry! Repeat slowly!

Good job! On your note / your own writing! So good! Great work ethic!

Thank you for sharing your feeling with Serena!
I am catching up with my replying too! Same to any subjects. No rush. No panic. Don’t worry! Slowly and you can catch up!

Tomo

Oh, I will definitely practice this Tomo. Beautifully played. (and yet another beautiful guitar from Tomo!)

This is sweet! So fun to use what we have learned over this!
Thanks, Tomo!
Kurt

Thank you Linda!

This guitar is not too expensive either.
Ibanez Pat Metheny model.
https://www.ibanez.com/usa/artists/detail/130.html

You're very welcome! I really wanted to make this video when I read Richard's comment!
Thanks for his inspiration!

Tomo

Thank you Kurt!

Just C Major scale!
One string / One finger approach.

Chords are: FMaj7 (C/F)..... Am7 G

Tomo

I didn't know there was a way to practice like this! Now I want to make a backing track and give it a try. Thank you!

Great work Mija!
Love R37 practice. Hard for me to keep from speeding up too much. My Metro-Gnome, Franz, helps keep me in time.
Thanks for the update.

Kurt

"Rolling Thunder" is trending.

Happy to have you back with us, Mija!

Hi Mija ! Nice to meet you , Thank you for sharing you work , R 37 !
Cheers for the fine work !

Thank you Mija for Week 4.

Life can be so hectic with work and more! Good job for reviewin 3 topics. I am happy to hear from you!

Good job! Chromatc scale 1212 & R 3 7 Swing groove, funk rhythm! Great to focus on the groove / metronome work! So great to hear that! Fast percussion sound with the pick & using amp!

Reviewing 1 4 5 1 triad inversions in key of G. I hate thunderstorm!

Tomo

Thank you Kurt, Sammi and Jiayang for encouragement!

R 3 7 Swing Groove, I have been playing Stella By Starkight with no metoronome and keep it very slow make sure that I use all upstrokes to catch my left hand muting technique.

Yes! So happy to Mija back with us!

R 3 7 is very happy place!

Tomo

Linda, I loved your statement, "re-recording with the 12 notes in a different order, otherwise my brain starts to remember the note order instead of trying to hear the note. I just shuffle the notes in a different order and all is well."

That's a great idea that I will definitely incorporate into my routines! One question: What do you mean by “Is it a stable tone or an active tone?” What is an "active tone," and what is a "stable tone"? Let's keep on working it! We are making big progress!

Hi Richard! To me, the stable tones are the root, 3rd, and 5th. You can definitely detect the "feeling" of those notes in a scale or a tune. Active tones are the other remaining notes in a scale, and you can feel them too. They want to move the music along, they want to be resolved. GW forum members please walk me back on target if I have that wrong.

Thank you Linda , is help to understand the “ Relative Pitch training method ”.
Maybe I need review the lesson of this then I will understand the note from you .

Thank you for help to take this step Linda !
Inspiration ✨

Thank you Linda for Week 4 / Day 4.

So happy to hear that you are liking the Relative Perfect Pitch traing method! Possiblly 2-3 patterns and maybe different ranges. Make is slow is better. Please enjoy this! Slighly be creative on making a few different orders.

But preparation part is super important. Study One String approach C Major Scale on every strings. With only first finger! Do more Triad, chord tone then more outside sounds. Focus on b3, b6, b5, b7 b2 etc. Those colors. You’re very welcome! Thank you so much for your attention!

Yes! After practicing Major scale / 3 petterns with a lot of thinking….. now you can hear 1 4 5 1 so clearly!
Good job Linda! Because your commitment, your passion… your pure hard work and your cosistency at GW! (Many people prefer to buy one course and learn fast with diagrams & want to practice with backing track…. but these guys are gettig a super fast satisfaction but their level is same at 3 years later! If that fast ways…. )

You are taking a little slower way…. but you are improving something strongly like this week!
Great work! I am so happy!

Tomo

Thank you Richard for encouragement!

Yes! I love that Linda’s statement too! Avoiding any memorization!
Good catch!

Yes! This Ear Training Test Recording is very helpful! Just because you are making this, preparing this… thinking about effecrtive way to ask questions.

We are moving forward!

Tomo