Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Thank you so much, Tomo!

Your explanation helped me understand your intention very clearly.

I will keep my posted videos short — just 1–2 minutes with a few patterns — as you suggested.
For daily practice, I’ll continue working through a wider range and keep watching myself carefully to improve the quality of every note.

I practice the chromatic exercises every single day, and honestly, it never feels exactly the same.
Some days I feel progress, but other days I wonder why things don’t change more quickly.
It feels like one step forward and one step back.

But when I keep going every day, I sometimes notice — after a few days — a small but real improvement.
When I watch my recordings, I hear clearer notes, less picking noise, and better control.
So I believe that after 90 days, I will reach a more stable and solid level.
That gives me hope and keeps me motivated.

In about two weeks, I would like to post another short video,
hopefully showing a small amount of growth from where I am today.

“Less is more” — I’m really feeling the truth of that now.
Thank you always for your inspiration and your incredible generosity.

Kazufumi

Dear Sunil,

Thank you so much for your beautiful message.

Your words always encourage me, and I feel we are really walking this path together.
I also try to reorganize my practice and goals every day,
and I understand so well what you said about “focused work, then sleep, and answers come the next morning.”
I feel the same many times.

Let’s keep going with small, steady efforts — just as Tomo teaches us.
I’m always inspired by your honesty and your mindset.

Kazufumi

Hi everyone,

Here are my Day 61 videos for the 90-day challenge:
Chromatic 1212 and R37 Swing Groove.

Over the past two weeks, I have been practicing every day, and I can feel some gradual improvements.

For the chromatic exercise, the extra noise from other strings is slowly decreasing, but when I lose focus, I still sometimes get a choked note — especially with my third finger.
I am also trying to sustain each note more and to keep the right- and left-hand timing together.

For the R37 Swing Groove, even though I feel as if I am relaxing, the video shows that I still press too hard. My index-finger muting is not stable yet, and as you can hear in this video, the second string often rings out when it shouldn’t.
These issues — muting and staying relaxed — are still my biggest challenges.

I will continue to practice slowly and patiently, focusing on clear tone, timing, and relaxation.
Any feedback or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you always for your support.

Kazufumi

90-Day Guitar Challenge – Day 61: Chromatic 1212 Exercise👇

90-Day Guitar Challenge – Day 61: R37 Swing Groove👇

Thank you Kazufumi for sharing these videos! I still practice these everyday with detail intentions.

1) Chromatic 1212… so smooth!b Good job! Now it’s time to use softer dynamics. So 3rd pattern , you can start softer and softer.

2) R 3 7 … first hit. I heard 5th string. Please watch your first finger for 6th string root. Very difficult but you don’t move your first finger with other fingers. You could use a little lighter grip on 5th string root. So you should slow down when you find one problem. That's my way.

This exercise is very difficult.

Overall your progress is so good!
Please keep working.

Tomo

Thank you so much, Tomo.

Your detailed feedback always helps me understand exactly what to focus on, and I’m truly grateful for your guidance.

For the chromatic 1212, I will work more on using softer dynamics and keeping each note sustained and even. When I concentrate on these points, the sound becomes much clearer, but as soon as my focus slips, I still get the occasional choked note — especially with my third finger. Your advice gives me a very clear direction to continue improving.

For the R37 Swing Groove, your comments are extremely helpful.
There are moments when the muting feels clean and controlled, but the 6th-string root with my index finger is still very unstable for me. It’s difficult to keep that finger relaxed and independent. And as I practice, I tend to speed up without noticing. I always bring the tempo back down, but if I’m not consciously aware, the playing quickly becomes sloppy. Your reminder to fix one problem at a time — by slowing down right at the moment I notice it — really resonates with me.

I also realize how different things feel when I record myself.
Sometimes during practice I think, “That was pretty good,” but when I watch the video, all the small mistakes and tension become obvious. In a way, this is humbling, but it also motivates me to keep refining every detail. Recording myself has become an important part of my learning process.

These exercises are truly challenging, but they are also incredibly meaningful to me.
Working on them every day brings a kind of clarity and peace, and I am beginning to understand why you continue to practice them yourself with so much intention. I will continue to follow your guidance and stay patient with the process.

Thank you again, Tomo, for caring so much and for teaching with such kindness.
It means a great deal to me.

Kazufumi

Thank you Kazufumi for your reply! Glad to be helpful! R 3 7 Swing Groove.... I still practice it with super slow tempo and always working on using less pressure! Very difficult to control! I can play something really hard by my right hand and I can play so soft with my left hand!

Once I thought I played so good! (Blues gig) I recorded it then I listened it in my car later... Horrible! My time is weak... my pitch is a little shape and touch is too hard! But I really thought I was playing pretty good! That's why.... if you don't record yourself each week... no matter how many hours... you will not improve at all!

You're very welcome!

Tomo

Tomo

Thank you so much, Tomo.

I came home completely exhausted from work today, but the moment I pick up the guitar, I feel happy again. As you always say, I’m practicing slowly and softly, and then recording myself to find new things to improve every day.

I started playing guitar in April, joined Guitar Wisdom in August, and now I'm past Day 60 of the 90-day challenge.
To be honest, when I first began, I imagined I would be improving much faster by now. But through your teaching, I’m beginning to understand that real progress comes from repeating the fundamentals every single day — and that if I keep doing this for one year, two years, my playing will grow far beyond what I can imagine now.

At this moment, I still can’t play songs well or perform for anyone. But I will continue to look honestly at myself, stay patient, and keep working.

I’ll post another real update in two weeks.
Thank you always for your encouragement, Tomo. It means more than I can say.

Kazufumi

Thanks for this message. So important Kazufumi!
"Repeating the fundamentals Every Single Day!"
Love the idea of consistency over intensity (like Sammi taught me).
Just staying with it is HUGE if we want to actually improve our playing.
Please keep updating us!
Kurt

Thank you Kazufumi.
That is so kind of you.
I am so happy that you are enjoying the guitar after work!

I am currently, making videos of 1212 chromatic exercise and triads 70s song exercise. But I am not feeling too good about them. Just observing these feelings. It's ok.

I am remembering so many instances during my life when I was similarly dissatisfied like finding pictures of myself as a teen. I didn't like any pictures. But then when I became an adult, I thought I looked so good! Haha.

Such a weird process of learning guitar, isn't it?
Just have to keep going, keep listening, to my heart, my lungs, my feet...with incremental changes. So it goes.

At the end of the day, or when I am done with guitar I will post the "best" videos of the day, even though there is no best. I will read the feedback from Tomo, and all of you, and I will incorporate it into the next videos....

The only choice is always just to take the next step. Haha, nothing so dramatic.

90-Day Guitar Challenge – Day 74

Hello everyone,
after working on these exercises for the past two weeks,
I’m uploading two videos today.

①Chromatic 1212 Exercise
After Tomo’s advice last time to work more on dynamics,
I’ve been focusing on this exercise for the past two weeks.
Starting from the 3rd fret, I try to play very softly, with control.
I’m not sure if I’m doing it the right way, but at the beginning it was really hard to play quietly.
Recently, I feel I can produce softer notes more cleanly, and my picking and fingering feel more stable than before.

②R37 Swing Groove
For this exercise, I’ve been consciously trying to relax my left hand and press the strings as lightly as possible over the past two weeks.
I do feel that I’m using much less force now.
Still, I hear a lot of noise, so muting is definitely challenging.
I used to struggle with chord changes, and while it’s still not easy, I feel it has improved a bit — but I’m not sure.
I’d really appreciate any comments or advice.

Thank you, Tomo, and thank you everyone.

90-Day Guitar Challenge – Day74 : Chromatic 1212 Exercise👇

90-Day Guitar Challenge – Day 74: R37 Swing Groove👇

Thank you Kazufumi for sharing these videos. Good job! So much inspiration for all of us! I am so grateful!

I can see your left fingers got softer touch overall. Dynamics is on now! Keep going! softer and softer!

Definitely you are playing lighter on R 3 7 Swing Groove. For 5th string root, try to grab less, no contact below your first joint of your thumb. This part is very difficult. You need a little more space between the back of the neck and your palm of your hand, especially your thumb. 6th string root, relax your first finger. You press with your 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers but your 1st finger should be relaxed.

Tomo

Thank you so much, Tomo.

Your feedback means a lot to me.
I’m really happy you noticed the softer touch in my left hand.
I’ll pay close attention to my thumb position and try to create more space behind the neck, especially on the 5th string root.
I’ll keep working on relaxing my first finger and playing softer and softer.

Thank you again for the clear guidance and inspiration!

Kazufumi

Wow! Kazufumi, you have made so much progress. Well done!

Thank you so much, Tomo.

Based on your advice about the 6th string root,
I focused on pressing mainly with my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers during yesterday’s and today’s practice.
By doing that, my 1st finger started muting much better, which was a big discovery for me.

During chord changes, my 1st finger still moves between being straight and slightly angled to the fret,
so I want to become more aware of that and work on stabilizing it.

I’ll keep practicing with this in mind, and I’ll upload another video in about two weeks.
Thank you again for the clear and detailed guidance!

Kazufumi

You're very welcome! This technique is quite difficult to master it. Better not expect yet keep working this for better sound. Please try using a few different angles for muting.

Lately I practice with a metronome at 48,26,44,44 and 40 then 40, 42, 44 (2&4) then a little faster. This topic is so deep! No need to hurry at all! I do R 3 7 Swing Groove without a metronomr first.

Looking forward to your guitar journey!

Tomo