Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

The Return of the Dancing Thumb!
Pure Solid Gold!
Thanks very much for the deep dive on this.
Also, the muting of the notes at the very end is what we practice in the method book :-)
Kurt

Thank you Kurt! You enjoyed my dancing thumb motion!

You're very welcome! I love this forum! So much fun!

Now I need to practice for Saturday. Usual thing first.

The Method book is really great way to work on muting techniques!

Tomo

You’re very welcome Kazufumi. Thanks for posting these videos! Thank you so much for your kind words! So happy to hear that! Both Chromatic Scale Exercise and R 3 7 Swing Groove. Placement of left hand thumb position is very difficult to master it. It takes time.

I have been teaching at Berklee for 32 years and I have taught many students from many different countries but there are some similarities in technical problems. One of them is left hand thumb position & amount of pressure etc. So I have learned so much from all my students! So I fixed it better for my playing.

So great to hear that! I am trying just like my private lessons… when I teach lessons at Guitar Wisdom. Thank you so much! You are doing so well for two months. Great job!

Tomo

Dear Kazufumi,

This is a quite helpful example of how to interact on GW for me. Thank you so much for this thread, and to all who have interacted. I am learning so much. I am so grateful. I am so lucky.

Thank you,
Sunil

Thank you for sharing your videos.

1) Chromatic 1212 …. Good job! Try to sustain each note longer so do more 1234 simple chromatic. Then do this but you want to do from 5th fret to 9th fret (your first finger) Because from 1st fret to 9th fret. It is so difficult to focus that long time! It is so difficult but you want to sustain each note more! Please pay attention on your 3rd finger… a little faster than your picking. You can pick a little closer to the front pickup. I practice this everyday!

2) R 3 7 Swing Groove…. A little too fast. Without a metronome… should be a little slower. Bb7…. 4th beat… you can relax your left fingers. 3rd bar… you can use a little softer touch from your picking. Like this… I listened first 4 bars for 6 times. 3rd bar..1st beat was great Then too strong! Do you record with your amp, room sound too right? Can you explain how you record this? Please let me know your amp setting too. Overall your techniques are good! Less pressure (I always think about this) I practice this everyday!

Tomo

Hi KAZUFUMI !

Thanks for the update. You are sure putting in the work.
So smart to take advantage of Tomo's guidance.
I can hear the improvement!
Tomo said your technique is good!
He doesn't say thing he doesn't mean.
Please keep updating us!
Kurt

Sunil,

Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m really happy to hear that this thread has been helpful for you.
Honestly, I’ve also learned so much through everyone’s comments and interactions here — it really feels like we are all growing together, step by step.

I’m very grateful to be part of this amazing community. Your thoughtful feedback and encouragement always motivate me to keep improving.

Thank you again, my friend! 🙏

Kazufumi

Tomo,

Thank you so much for your detailed feedback! I truly appreciate how specific and thoughtful your advice always is.
I’ll focus on sustaining each note longer in the Chromatic 1212 and practice more slowly without a metronome for the R-3-7 Swing Groove, just as you suggested.

Regarding the recording — I’m actually playing through my Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb (Blonde).
I monitor the live amp sound in the room while recording directly into my computer via audio interface.
This setup lets me hear every small detail — including noise, uneven picking, and excess pressure — so it helps me reflect on my technique more accurately.

As for my amp settings:
• Chromatic 1212 → Volume 10, Treble 10, Bass 5, others at 0
• R3 Swing Groove → Volume 5, Treble 8, Bass 5

Ideally, I’d love to record with a real tube amp and a mic, but I don’t have that setup yet.
For now, this method works well for closely analyzing my tone and touch.

Thank you again for taking the time to guide me in such detail — every bit of your advice gives me new insights. 🙏

Kazufumi

Thank you Kazufumi for adding clear detail information! That's helpful! Good job! I really appreciate your efforts on these important subjects. I still practice chromatic scale exercises with super slow tempos. I don't use a metronome for this. But I use a metronome with R 3 7 swing groove exercises. Only in the beginning, I like to pracice R 3 7 Swing Groove without a metronome then I use a metronome. These are not easy to do. Keep going! Do these two items everyday! That keeps me play guitar very smooth. Yes! Triad inversion exercises are great too! Thank you so much for trusting me!

Tomo

Tomo

You're very welcome! Your point is good one way but direct recording without a speker and room sound... it is a little harder to hear all the details that your finger, string noise. Some sound can travel through the pickup but some sound is outside of the pickup. That's why simple recording is prefer for this practice purpose. Yes! The iPhone recording can capture the speaker sound from distance & all sounds in that room. So you can hear everything! Yes! The direct sound recording (I don't use that for my guitar lessons / tape lesspns or in person lessons) I don't use it.

I still teach audio casette tape lessons! That's much better than iphone recording! I use my casette recorder once a week. Please take your time and try to use your iphone. Simple and better!

Tomo

Thank you Tomo!
So helpful for me to think deeply of the tools and their associated use.
I re-organized the app locations on my phone around my daily (practice and not-practice) schedules of what I do.
Funny, to always be on the “phone” to do the not-talking.

Also, I’m realizing I’ve been listening to Tomo’s for 2 years before signing up, then again another few years on and off on GW, fighting against Tomo…not really fighting that not a good word for it…like not-listening to what Tomo says.

Sometime along that path I remember he said (he responded to my YouTube comment) “stop wasting your time, and signup” something like that. I thought “hey maaan, I know how to hike…I’ve been walking most of my life…” did not write that though. Quietly following. Only after actually listening, actually trying do to the suggested work in small efforts, plus the notebook, to see the truth myself, close to doing what the real hikers like all of you are doing…and making the video…only now I understood Tomo was suggesting the shortest path.
I keep doing that, so many times. Interesting state of mind.

You're very welcome Sunil! Glad to be helpful! Amazing! Thanks so much for listening my music. Don'r worry! Keep your pace and please enjoy. Do one thing at a time.

Thank you!

Tomo

Thank you so much, Tomo!

I’ll try and continue practicing with the iPhone as you advised.
Thank you for your detailed advice as always!

Kazufumi

My pleasure Kazufumi!

Simple recording is always better for praciting.

Tomo

Thank you, Tomo!

I’ll keep it simple and focus on listening more carefully every day.

I truly feel so lucky and grateful to receive such kind and detailed guidance from one of the world’s greatest teachers like you.

Kazufumi

Thanks so much for your kind words!

This place is so amazing!

Tomo

P.S.
The sound may be a little uneven at times — I think it’s because of the iPhone’s automatic volume adjustment.
Sorry if it’s hard to listen to, and thank you for your understanding.

Nice and clean Kazufumi - great progress!

These recordings are so dang inspiring.
Keep going Kazufumi!
Thank you so much for sharing.
Your hard work is really paying off. I can HEAR it and SEE it!
Very best,
Kurt

Thank you Kazufum for posting these videos! Your tone is getting better and so smooth! Good job! Great sustaing and timing!
Keep going this everyday!

For 1212…. You can hold your pick a little lighter. Good! Sustain is good.

R 3 7 Swing Groove… Move your body with triplet feel / swing feel. You don’t want to play straight 8th note feel. Good job! Clean muting! Body motion is very important! What is without sound….

Thanks so much for a great inspiration to others.
PS, For Chromatic... you only need to play 3 pattern (3-4 frets) good!

Tomo

You're very welcome Kazufumi! Great inspiration! Thank you for your hard work and your pure passion!

5th to 9th fret is good! Less and more focus! Always keep them clean, suutain, no noises...smooth!

Less is more!

Tomo

Thank you so much, Tomo!

Your message really clarified everything for me.
I will stay focused within the 5th to 9th fret and work on keeping every note clean, smooth, sustained, and noise-free — just as you advised.

“Less is more”
I truly feel that message sinking deeper each day, and it’s changing the way I practice.

Thank you always for your generous guidance and inspiration.

Kazufumi

My pleasure Kazufumi! Thanks so much for your reply.

Actually I meant that for posting your video, because I only need to hear 2-3 patterns and good. These demo video is maybe one minute to less than 2 minutes total is enough, When you are practicing, you could practice 4th & 3rd strings a few times from 1st fret to 9th fret when you have enough time. Keep watching looking checking your playing in every details so do not limited to what I sussgested, My suggestion can be very helpful but it is not answer. I am looking better quality myself! We are same level about getting "BETTER"

Yes! Somehow I prefer less things in general. This way I can enjoy "quality" than "quantity"
Thanks so much for your passion! This thread is so inspiring to others!

Chromatic Scale is so important!

Tomo

That’s that truth man.
We’re all the same level for getting BETTER!
Wow I never thought about that!
Profoundly beautiful thought!

Dear Kazufumi,
Your work is inspiring anyone doing chromatic scale…that’s everyone!
Me too.
I haven’t practiced much over the last few days. Kind of crazy good amazing things happening now, I’m glad I’m still here to experience this…so breathing.

Tomorrow morning, I need to reorganize daily work list, reorganize goals, everything. Adding the stuff Tomo is saying he does everyday still, including chromatic scale. This is kind of intimidating also because November challenge brought my touch back to when I was younger. Didn’t think I could get it back but I did I think! But I didn’t do it! I don’t know how it happened, just do what Tomo suggests and see what happens then Boom miracle. :) Maybe there is a smarter way to proceed.
One thing that helps me solve problems is focused work over a few days then sleep. Sometimes when I wake up, I know what to do.
We need sleep to learn I know that but where do the answers come from…?
I don’t think anyone knows.
All we know is do something everyday.

Thank you Sunil! One thing at a time. It's all about guitar journey! I want to be better! Good job!
Chromatic scale is like.... brushing your teeth every morning. No need to think too much.

Tomo