Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Great question! This is really up to each player. I really enjoy each guitar's speciality so I enjoy playing a few diffeent guitars. My purpose is I can adjust my techniques to any size guitars.

I noticed it that it was a little difficult to control bending & chords on 22.5 inch scale vintage Fender Musicmaster and Duo Sonic from 1956 to 1964. So I develped my special soft light touch from my left fingers,

In general I practice 1) Chromatic 1212... 2) Classic etude 3) R 3 7 Swing groove with my old Epiphone Arch-top guitar (13-56) Then I practice - Swing Groove R 3 7 - Open strings strumming (Room 418) on my 1963 Gibson LG-1 (13-56)

Then I practice with Duo Sonic or Musicmaster, Stratocaster, ES335 etc.

Tomo

I use both acoustics and electrics too. Lots of practice on electric (Fender Thinline) for me as I dont even have to plug it in to grab quickly and try something. I so enjoy being able to be inspired in different ways and sometimes a guitar just seems right before picking it up. Like I know my Gibson Humminbird is going to be a warm sound while the Martin will articulate every nuance and be so beautiful, yet my electric guitar is so easy to play I feel like trying more things.

Tomo's one finger teaching has been very helpful to me and playing one finger on electric is much easier :).

Hi Bjoern,

I am in the same place and wonder the same, although I don't have an acoustic steel string.

I have 3 strats, a tele, and a acoustic classical guitar with nylon strings.

I've played the strats almost daily for the last six months, and frequently over the last few years. Tele, I pick up occasionally.

Classical I practiced consistently for a decade a long time ago and I have not played it in some years. I think it helped with basic technique and finger/hand strength but they really are very different instruments.

Steel string acoustic seems closer to electric to me.

2 of the electric guitars have a 9.5 inch radius; 2 have 7.25 inch radius.

I do wonder sometimes if R37 swing groove is easier on the flatter radius for me. Sometimes easier on more curved radius.

I prefer the strats to the tele. Strats are clean and articulate; Tele is a G&L bluesboy p90, and a rocker.

When Professor Tomo uses an electric in a video lesson I use my electric and the same with the acoustic. In the twinkle jazz lesson for example, he uses the acoustic and the F13 chord was impossible to play for me with the acoustic so i went to my local music store and they told me the strings were much to high. Thy did "something" to the guitar and after some practice I can play the F13 chord. The acoustic is harder but I have developed more sensitivity in my fingers. I use the acoustic with a Boss katana or unplugged. When practicing R 37 I use the electric for the dynamics and technic improvement. I only buy stuff that I really need mainly for ethical reasons and I play both guitars almost every day.

Good point about the strangle Matt, forgot about that.

Cruz mentioned creative inspiration with lighter touch of the electric. And Tomo developed a loose touch technique after playing steel string acoustic, and so many electric styles and configurations.

Interesting. I spend a lot of time thinking about lighter finger touch (with dancing left hand thumb :) and right elbow pressing down) during foundation practice.

I should make another trip to the music store to play their acoustics to compare. They are usually a lot more expensive than the electrics so no R37 swing groove at the store 😅

That's another really good point. My fender's all have a 1 5/8 width neck at the nut. My acoustic is slightly wider that that. The difference in width is an adjustment when going back and forth between the two. At least for me it is.

My classical has a 2 inch (51mm) nut width. Have not played it in a few years.
When I started electric, I wanted wider necks, now I'm a little nervous about playing it again...

Haha, first world problems.
I am not going to worry (because Don't Worry! :)

Looking forward to see how I can improve my foundation practice technique.

Awesome Tomo!

I have never used a pick on my (now vintage! haha) Takamine Hirade H-7.
It has no radius, and a beautiful and thick ebony fretboard. Maybe I will! I wonder how my R 7 3 / R 3 7 Bb blues swing groove exercise will sound on it...

I was inspired too!
I just practiced for too long on my bluesboy tele. It is so much louder than my strats, and distorts easier. Thicker sound! I forgot how much I love it. Going to change strings now.

Playing it does give me new insights into issues in my foundation practice, but I agree, no answer -- preferences, technique, experience, everything changing all the time.

Grateful to have so many amazing tools for music.

Awesome!
Ok I will try it Tomo.
Just got up.
Looked longingly at my all newly restrung electrics....
Practice after coffee. :D
Thank you!