Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Clay

5 months ago

Sounds really good after a month, Kazufumi! I struggle with dynamics too. Especially my upstrokes - they are less controlled than downstrokes for me, so I'll get a random loud note when I am trying to play softy.

10 Likes

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

5 months ago

Thank you so much, Clay!
It’s encouraging to hear that you also struggle with dynamics, especially with upstrokes. I often feel the same way — when I try to play softly, suddenly a note will jump out louder than I expect.
It helps a lot to know that I’m not alone in this challenge. Let’s keep working on dynamics together!

Richard John Albano

5 months ago

Hey Kazufumi - I wanted to say I feel the same way about the inconsistency of my picking volume. I try to get quieter and quieter as a play but some notes I will still pick too loudly. The way I try to look at it is at least I am being mindful of my picking volume. I used to play with the guitar on 10 and picked as hard as I could. Now at least I TRY to play with dynamics.

11 Likes

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

5 months ago

Thank you Richard, it really helps to hear that you also experience the same challenge with picking volume. I agree with you — just being mindful of it is already progress. Let’s keep working on dynamics together!

Tadashi Morita

5 months ago

Nice to meet you, Kazufumi!
It's amazing that you've been playing drums for 40 years!
Congratulations on your first GW post!
Basic practice like chromatic might be like playing catch as a baseball player.
It is said that the more elite baseball players are, the more important they are to playing catch.
Let's enjoy the guitar journey together!

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

5 months ago

Nice to meet you and Thank you so much, Tadashi!
Yes, I’ve been a drummer for many years, and starting guitar now feels like a brand-new journey. I like your analogy of chromatic practice being like playing catch — simple but so important. I’ll keep reminding myself of that and enjoy the basics.
I’m happy to share this guitar journey together with you!

李

李jiayang

5 months ago

Hello Kazufumi ! Great post ! And the vide is so inspiration !
I have same problem , do chromatic exercise , each time I have different volume or tone .
Someway to make each note to be balance is not easy to do . But thank you to made this thread , now I pay more attention to this point .
Here some view from my practice :

When hit the string , the pick will change the position in you finger ( If really relax the holding pick ‘s finger )

If you use pick deep to pick the string , I feel the note volume will more loud .

Thumb position , how to work with guitar neck , if the position is right , will be relax to made the note , and the tone have more space . If the position not fit , the note will break or stop .

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

5 months ago

Thank you so much, Jiayang!
I really appreciate your kind words and the detailed advice from your own practice. It helps me a lot to know that you also face the same challenge.
For me, the thumb position is especially difficult — it often becomes unstable. Even though I have watched Tomo’s videos many times, I sometimes realize that my thumb has shifted without noticing. I think this happens because I focus too much on the fretting fingers and neglect the thumb. As you pointed out, when the sound is strange, it’s often related to my thumb position.
My picking has improved compared to when I first started, but I still notice that when I pick too weakly, the next note sometimes comes out too loud. This inconsistency is still my big challenge.
Also, following Tomo’s advice, I am now practicing with the amp volume all the way up and treble on full. Honestly, it makes me very nervous because if I make a mistake it feels so loud — maybe even noisy for my neighbors! But I think this tension is helping me to focus more.
I will post another video soon as a re-challenge. Thank you again for your support and helpful advice — it really motivates me!

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

5 months ago

Here is my new attempt at the chromatic exercise.
This time I tried to pay special attention to:
Keeping my thumb position stable.
Controlling the picking so that it doesn’t become too weak or too loud.
Practicing with the amp volume and treble all the way up, as Tomo advised.
Thanks to Tomo’s advice, I practiced with the amp and treble on full, which really exposed all the details of my playing.
And thanks to Jiayang’s advice, I also tried to be more aware of my thumb position and pick control.
My realizations from this practice:
With the amp and treble full up, I can hear all the imperfections in my finger movement more clearly.
Especially when I release my pinky finger, extra noise comes out easily.
The sustain of the last note often does not ring out long enough.
I need to pick even softer than I imagine, otherwise the sound becomes too loud.
The amp noise itself is also quite noticeable, which distracts me a bit.
It was a little nerve-wracking to play at this volume, but I think it helps me focus more.
One more question: When practicing this chromatic exercise, which pickup position do you recommend — neck, middle, or bridge? I am currently using the middle pickup. I would love to hear your advice.
Any comments or advice are always welcome!

7 Likes

Tomo Fujita Mod

5 months ago

Thank you for sharing this video.
I use Pickboy 1.00 Celluloid pick.

Your guitar volume is good!
Loud enough to hear your pick noise.

This part is very difficult!
Do not make any pick contact sound at all.

The amp noise is okay.
Don't worry about it.

Important part is how to produce less picking noise and softness of tone.
Keep working!

Slower & softer!

Your question is your answer!
Do all and taste each pickup tone. Only use indivisual pickup tone.
The front or the middle or the rear.
Try more middle or rear pickup.

Tomo

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

5 months ago

Thank you so much, Tomo-san, for your clear and detailed advice!
I will try harder to make less pick noise and focus on producing a softer tone. It’s very encouraging to know that the amp noise is okay and nothing to worry about.
About picks: I have been trying different kinds to see what works best for me. In this video, I used the Jim Dunlop Ultex Jazz III, which feels solid and gives me a strong tone. But recently I happened to buy a Pickboy 1.0mm Rainbow Classic, and I really liked the sound and feel of it. From now on, I will also practice with that pick and challenge myself to reduce pick noise even more.
I’m still in the process of finding out which pick is truly best for me, so I will keep experimenting. Along with exploring different pickup tones as you suggested, I would also like to study how different picks affect pick noise and tone.
I feel very lucky to learn directly from your guidance here in Guitar Wisdom. Thank you again!

Tomo Fujita Mod

5 months ago

You're very welcome! So happy to hear that.

Great to hear that you have a Pickboy 1.00mm Raibow Classic pick!
Use that one. Please work on your picking volume and no pick sound before you play any notes!

Tomo

John Fiers

5 months ago

Good to meet you at Guitar Wisdom Kazufumi :). 40 years of drums must be having some great rhythmic ideas. Chromatic exercise improves technique all day long. I try to practice each session either at the beginning or middle of practice. I use front pick up with Tomo's suggestions of Amp louder and allows dynamics. Also, I like to check tone definitions by resting my right hand palm on the 6th, and 5th strings muted to help cut down on extra noise. You played very clean this round, good improvement. Now descending after a week of ascending. It takes time to me to build all the techniques into a foundation, at least for me, no time limit on learning or improving. We keep improving and stay healthy with the guitar :) Enjoy the new digs with 6 strings!! - johno

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KAZUFUMI ONISHI

5 months ago

Thank you so much, John!
I really appreciate your kind words and encouragement. Your idea of practicing chromatic both ascending and descending makes a lot of sense — I will try that in my next practice.
Also, your tip about resting the palm on the 6th and 5th strings to reduce noise is very helpful. I will experiment with that.
I agree with you — it takes time to build a solid foundation, but there is no limit to learning and improving. I’m happy to share this journey with you!

Tomo Fujita Mod

5 months ago

Thank you Johno for encouragement & welcoming!

How Kazufumi could get frustrated to play his guitar after having over 40 years of drumming experience!
I still practice chromatic scale exercise. This is very easy and simple as a materal but it is very hard to understand HOW to do it.

4th and 3rd strings.
Everyday!
5-10 minutes a day!
Stay focus 90 days!

Tomo

Tomo Fujita Mod

5 months ago

Thank you Kazufumi for being very patient and willing to learn this technique.

I have learned so much from drummer! Most great drummers practice their sticking / foundation like a Modern Reading in 4/4 (Page 4 is my favorite part of that book!)

So chromatic scale exercise is like a snare sticking exercise.

Tomo

Sammi Fujita Mod

5 months ago

Hi Kazufumi! Apologies, I did not see this sooner! Wow, what a difference between your first and second video. Slow, mindful practice is where it's at. Thank you for sharing this with us :)

Remember, don't expect too fast! The chromatic scale practice really tests your patience, but many students have said it becomes like a meditation for them. If you read through the posts from our November Challenge, you will see that you are not alone in your struggles. This is very difficult to do well! Keep going!

Tomo Fujita Mod

5 months ago

Thank you Sammi for encouragement!

This exercise is so important and so good!
But it is very difficult to keep working this everday.

Tomo

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

5 months ago

Thank you again, Tomo-san and Sammi, for your encouragement!
As you suggested, I’ll focus on the 4th and 3rd strings for 5–10 minutes a day, and stay focused for 90 days.
This is Day 1 of my 90-day challenge. I would like to share my progress here in this thread so that everyone can see how I grow from this starting point.
My first impressions and struggles are:
In the Chromatic 1212 exercise, when I release my finger, I often make unwanted noise on the other strings.
In the R37 Swing exercise, my chord changes are not smooth, and on the E♭7 chord, the note on the 4th string with my index finger often gets muted.
Even though I try to keep the tempo slow, I tend to speed up little by little without realizing it.
Here are my Day 1 videos:

Chromatic 1212 Exercise

R37 Swing Groove

I’m looking forward to practicing step by step and sharing my progress over the next 90 days.　

Tomo Fujita Mod

5 months ago

Thank you Kazufumi for sharing these videos.

Good job!

1) Chromatic 1212.... Plesae check these....
0:18
0:28
1:04
When these things happened... stop playing this tempo and go slower.

2) Swing groove
Too fast!
It is very difficult to master this.
You want to feel swing feel.... behind this rhythm guitar.
For Eb7... your thumb is wrapped around too much!

Good job & too fast overall!
Go slower!

Tomo

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

5 months ago

Thank you so much, Tomo, for watching both videos and giving me such clear feedback!

For the Chromatic 1212, I checked the spots you mentioned (0:18, 0:28, 1:04), and I can really hear the notes being choked. I now understand that this is the exact moment when I should slow down the tempo. I will try again at a slower speed and focus on clarity first.

For the R37 Swing Groove, I completely agree that I was rushing too much. It is very difficult to keep the groove behind the beat, but I’ll slow down and concentrate on the swing feel. About Eb7, thank you for pointing out my thumb position — I didn’t notice it was wrapping around too much. I’ll try to adjust that carefully.

This feedback is extremely valuable for me. I will keep practicing slowly and patiently, and I’m excited to see how I improve over the 90 days.

Thank you again for your support,

Kazufumi

Clay

5 months ago

That's a great starting point Kazufumi. You're doing great! I don't want to speak for other GW members, but I think most of us didn't really understand what Tomo means by "slow" when we first start. This video is when I really started to understand:

Tomo Fujita Mod

5 months ago

You're very welcome Kazufumi.

Glad to hear that my suggestion was very helpful.

I record myself a few times a week and I listen very deeply about any "noises" It's very simple... if you hear a few times.... that tempo and pace ...no good! Simply go slower. And record yourself again. Keep repeating this. 90 days commitment is very effective!

Keep going!

Tomo Fujita Mod

5 months ago

Thank you Clay for encouragment & adding your thought on this "How slow?"

That's why... learning throught internet discussion is not great way to learn because...these words can mean many different meaning.
That's why... You really need to learn things with the exact sound!

When I say "slow" means a lot of different levels but.... it is very slow that you never expect!
Actually I am challenging myself go much slower than before.

Tomo

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

5 months ago

Thank you so much, Tomo and Clay!

Your advice is very clear and really helpful for me.
After Tomo’s feedback yesterday, I tried playing each exercise unbelievably slowly. When I slowed down, the “stuck” notes actually disappeared. But if I lose focus even a little, my muting gets weak and noise appears. It takes so much concentration — even 10 minutes of this practice makes me very tired! Still, I can clearly see that going slower shows me more details, and it’s the fastest way to grow. I now realize that whenever I hear noise or feel the notes stuck, the best thing is to start over again, even slower.

Clay — thank you for sharing that video. It was extremely helpful and gave me a much better sense of what “slow” truly means. Watching it many times, together with reading Tomo’s book again and again, has deepened my understanding.

I also feel so grateful for this Guitar Wisdom community. Advice from members like you, Clay, who have struggled with the same challenges, really helps me keep going. This kind of support is so encouraging, and I truly appreciate it.

I will continue slowly, step by step, and share my progress here. Thank you again for the guidance and encouragement!

Kazufumi

Tomo Fujita Mod

5 months ago

I am so glad to be helpful! Thanks so much for your feedback! Please do this everyday but do not to do too long. 10 minutes is good!

Record yourself is so important! No noise and keep it super slow. Thanks for sharing! Maybe after 2 weeks.

Tomo

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

4 months ago

Thank you so much, Tomo! Your advice about keeping it short (around 10 minutes) and recording myself really helps.
I have one question about thumb position.

When I watch your videos carefully, I notice that your thumb is often placed more toward the neck side — for example, when you play the B♭7 chord in the Swing Groove (R37) exercise, your thumb seems to be around the 4th fret, slightly to the left of your index finger.

In my case, my thumb usually stays between the 5th and 6th frets, roughly between my index and middle fingers. It feels natural for me, but I’ve realized that my muting is not as clean. When I try placing my thumb more toward the neck — around the 4th fret like you — it actually becomes easier to mute.

However, when I change chords and come back to B♭7, my thumb often slips back toward the middle finger position again, unless I consciously pay attention to it. That’s something I’ve been struggling with.

Could you please give me some advice on how to stay aware of thumb position during practice?
Should I always start with my thumb more toward the neck, or is it better to let it move naturally with each chord change?

Thank you again for your time and guidance — I really appreciate all your detailed advice!

Kazufumi

Sammi Fujita Mod

4 months ago

Hi Kazufumi!

Please take a look at this thread: https://tomovhxtv.vhx.tv/forums/general/75991-3-things-i-learned-from-r37-swing-groove-200x

If you can, read through the comments and watch the videos. I think it will help! If you still need advice, I am sure Tomo would be happy to provide you with it. Let me know if the information in the thread helps!

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

4 months ago

Thank you so much, Sammi!

I watched the video and read through the comments in that thread — it was really helpful and gave me a much clearer understanding of thumb position and hand movement.

I realized, though, that my natural tendency is for my thumb to move slightly inward — between my index and middle fingers. That position actually feels the most comfortable for me, so unless I consciously pay attention, it easily slips back there.

While watching Tomo’s video closely, I also noticed something about the elbow position. My own elbow tends to stay open and doesn’t move very much, which seems to affect my thumb placement as well. In contrast, Tomo’s elbow moves more naturally and settles closer to his body. I think being mindful of that movement will really help me improve my overall hand position and control.

This kind of guidance really helps me focus on the small but important details.
I’ll keep practicing with that in mind — thank you again for pointing me in the right direction!

Kazufumi

Tomo Fujita Mod

4 months ago

You’re very welcome Kazufumi! Yes, keep it short but do it everyday.

Thank you for your attention on thumb position on those R 3 7 chords. Depends on diffeent chords with 6th string root. Best to watch it more and imitate my way without exact words. Thumb position is very diffiult to master. Maybe you should practice triad inversions to understand proper thumb positions.

I highly recomment to practice Chromatic scale, Triad inversions & R 3 7 swing groove. These three items are super important to improve your guitar skills overall. Keep your thumb position behind the guitar neck. Do not wrap over the guitar neck. I think I better to make a video from behind so you can see my thumb movement cleary. Best not think and undestand by words.

My pleasure! Thank you for your consistant efforts. I wll make this video soon.

Tomo

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

4 months ago

Guitar Wisdom 90-Day Challenge — Day 15

It’s been two weeks since I started this 90-day challenge, and I recorded two new videos — Chromatic 1212 and R37 Swing Groove.

When I compare these with my Day 1 videos, I’m not sure if I’m really improving yet. Honestly, it still feels difficult, and I can’t quite feel the progress I was hoping for. I guess two weeks is still too early to see clear results.

Even so, I’ll keep practicing step by step, patiently, and keep imagining where I want to be on Day 90.
It’s not easy, but I know this kind of steady effort will make a difference in the long run.

Thank you, as always, to Tomo and everyone here for the encouragement and support — it really helps me keep going!

90-Day Guitar Challenge – Day 15: Chromatic 1212 Exercise👇

90-Day Guitar Challenge – Day 15: R37 Swing Groove👇

Tomo Fujita Mod

4 months ago

Thank you Kazufumi for sharing those videos.

1) Chromatic scale video.
Good job playing slowly. Your picking position can be a little closer to the front pickup and do not put your palm of your hand on the bridge. Around 0:11… your 3rd finger, when you move from the fret, try to release straight. 0:23… your left hand touched the string before your picking. You need to catch that. 0:37… your left finger touched the string before you pick. So I wooud do a little slower.

2) R 3 7 Swing Groove video.
Good job strumming wide motion. Your R 3 7 chord with 5th fret root. Your thumb is too much warpping on the neck. You need to make more space between the neck and your back of your thumb. I need to show you my video from behind. Make sure you need to play clear M3 on the 4th string. Check angle of your 2nd finger. Your 6th root chord is good. Maybe a little less pressure,

Overall you are doing so good! These are simple yet need to pay a lot of attention on every small details. That’s why I practice these more than playing songs. If I don’t take care of these… I cannot perform songs very well.

Tomo

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

4 months ago

Thank you so much, Tomo!

Your detailed feedback really helped me understand how important the thumb position and hand openness are for achieving a clear sound. I’ve been working on relaxing my hand and keeping the thumb just slightly behind the neck while still touching the 6th string for muting — that balance feels much better now.

However, I’m still struggling a bit with the E♭7 chord in the R-3-7 Swing Groove.
My middle finger, which frets the 5th string, often touches the 4th string and mutes the G note (the major 3rd).
When I try to make the middle finger more vertical, my index finger—which frets the 4th string—also stands up, and then I lose the muting on the 1st to 3rd strings. It’s like a chain reaction, and I’m finding it difficult to balance both at the same time.

I realized that this might be more about my hand position and wrist angle rather than just finger movement, so I’m experimenting with keeping my palm a little away from the neck and pulling my middle finger slightly back instead of forcing it upright. That seems to help, but I’m still not fully consistent yet.

Another challenge I’m facing is with chord changes, especially when switching back to B♭7.
No matter how slowly I practice, I still lose control and get confused during that transition — and when that happens, everything else tends to fall apart.

It’s quite frustrating, and I’d love to know if there’s a specific way to practice chord transitions more effectively, or any small exercises that can help me improve that part.

Thank you again for always taking the time to explain things in such depth — your feedback gives me so much motivation to keep improving step by step.

Kazufumi

Tomo Fujita Mod

4 months ago

Thank you Kazufumi for your reply! You're very welcome!

Plesae enjoy your guitar journey!

Keep going!

Tomo

Kurt Schubert

4 months ago

Great job Kazufumi!
Don't expect too fast. You are doing great.
All your effort will pay off big time.
Tomo still practices this every day!
I do too and sometimes I feel like I've never done it before. Then I slow down:-)
We all just keep going and having fun!

Kurt
Day 61 of "90 straight days sight reading " challenge.

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

4 months ago

Thank you so much, Kurt!

Your words mean a lot — I really appreciate your encouragement.
Yes, I sometimes get frustrated when I don’t feel much progress, but what you said really reminded me that this is a long journey and we just need to keep going and enjoy it step by step.

I’m also inspired that even Tomo still practices these basics every day!
That really motivates me to stay consistent and patient.

Congratulations on reaching Day 61 of your sight-reading challenge — that’s amazing!
Let’s both keep going and have fun together!

Kazufumi

Tomo Fujita Mod

4 months ago

Thank you Kurt for encouragement!

Amazing! Great job on sight-reading challenge
Day 61 of 90 straight days!

Tomo

Sunil Menon

4 months ago

Hello Kazufumi sir!

I just saw this thread, and read through this morning (in California)
Your progress and focus is inspiring me too! Every student posting earnest results of slow effort…is profoundly inspiring me.

Sammi is right practice is a meditation.
Tomo also right…it is intense, week at a time. (Oh, ok I am starting to understand why maestro wants small focused videos for each lesson…)
Kurt is also right! Slowly.

KAZUFUMI ONISHI

4 months ago

Thank you so much, Sunil!

I really appreciate your kind and thoughtful words. Reading your comment made me so happy and gave me even more motivation to keep going.

I also agree with what Sammi said — practice really feels like meditation.
Each time I slow down and focus carefully, I find myself getting calmer and more aware of every movement.

I’ve learned so much from Tomo and from everyone here who shares their honest progress.
It truly feels like we’re all connected in this journey of learning slowly and mindfully together.

Greetings from Japan, and thank you again for your encouragement! 🙏

Kazufumi

Tomo Fujita Mod

4 months ago

Thank you Sunil for encouragement!

I love these two exercises very much.

We can work on these with a lot of depths.

Tomo