Taught kids English for 4 years and this was so true. Students are basically people who challenge you on a constant basis. The constant out of left field questions that you get about things you never though of before really force you to reevaluate you own knowledge and teach you new things about yourself. I grew as a person so much being a teacher. I think it’s something everyone needs to experience (providing they are qualified...) Forces you to think about stuff from someone else’s perspective. Something that seems to be lacking more and more as time goes on....
A teacher learns as it reinforces what you already know and that keeps you on your toes. I have taught people how to demonstrate products when trying to sell said products. It helps to own and use an item yourself just as Tomo does with the guitar.
Tomo is one of the best Guitar teachers on the Internet. I love his no bullshit approach. No effects , Dry tone. Purely focuses on the mechanics. The hard to learn stuff.
Recording yourself, cringing at yourself and improving little by little made me progress so much better than i thought i would. This is how i learnt to sing in 6 months. Even though i am not the greatest vocalist in the world, i can hit every single note properly in the song.
The more I hear from Tomo Fujita, the more I feel that he is really a sensei rather than a plain teacher; and even then much bigger than the many instructors available in UA-cam. Thanks for sharing your conversation...
"Narrowing down is hard work"....this is one of the most powerful sentence ever spoken in musicianship and academia. Great interview and great job always Mary
As an older beginner, I needed to focus on my strengths. I will never be an all-around CGP... but I can play fingerstyle and sing. It is so important to focus on the best that YOU can be, rather than be distracted by the best in others. Social media is someone's highlight reel. It isn't ALL real because of the magic of editing. Be you. Choose the songs that people want to hear from YOU.
i am so annoyed right now, i wish this video was like many hours longer. So much information especially for self-taught guitarist like me. I didnt even realise when this video ended so soon. I wish i could learn more from you guys. Thanks anyways for this wonderful conversation and knowledge.
TOMO I have heard him speak many times. His love for music and playing the guitar is amazing. He can’t help but to drop little pearls of wisdom and knowledge about music and playing the guitar. Truly a amazing teacher.
I am enrolled on Tomo's guitar wisdom site and he is one of the best teachers around. He is a wonderful person and makes you not feel intimdated or overwhelmed by learning from him.
I consider myself very lucky to have grown up playing guitar when i did, rather than now, because then, you had a record, and your ears. You didn’t have tabs, you didn’t have slower speeds, you didn’t have step by step videos walking you through every single song you could imagine. You had to memorize every note, and play the songs as you could hear them. It wasn’t always right, and it taught you to learn as closely, and as economically as you could for yourself. Now, when i use the internet for learning songs, that foundation serves me well, making it much easier to pick up any song faster, because my ear knows pretty much where to go before the video shows me.
Records and ears was the way every kid learned when I was a young man in the 70s. The internet would have ruined generations of players. I do like it for learning new tunes and seeing/hearing the artist playing a live rendition of it for realism. A studio recording is static whereas a live performance is dynamic.
means he doesn't think in computer-eeze.. I am a retired programmer.. I just can't help myself.. I love computers.. my girlfriend is the Google babe 😘 💕
recording myself was the best thing ive ever done. I would always play my electric guitar unplugged and late at night in my room with the door closed because i was so shy and didnt want anyone to hear me. LIttle did i know i wasnt projecting any sound and my playing had zero confidence and it definitely wasn't something i enjoyed hearing. After recording myself I started playing my acoustic guitar to make my hands stronger from the thicker strings and it taught me to press down hard on the strings and to strum and pick as loud as possible.
I like that both Mary here and Michael Palmisano used the same sentence in their thumbnail/title for their videos of interviews with Tomo. You can see how they would both have felt the same urge to say: "every guitarrist must hear this" even if it is kind of a cliche/clickbait. They mus have thought "OMG this is amazing, people should listen to this man!" The guy is giving us real education and its so diferent from cliche guitar learning advice. Such great, useful stuff! Thank you Tomo and Mary!!
“I teach people limitations” ..... “Narrow down”...... a two pieces of advice that will help me focus on the knowledge and skill I need rather than the things I want.. 🙏🏻🇦🇺
Being present, completing music, taking notice, being thorough, it is all about not F'ing around and giving respect to what you are doing. This is the essential message I get.
@@Epicionx it means if the students don't become better than the teacher, that's not a good teacher Students are supposed to build on top of what already exists. If they can't innovate, perhaps they haven't been taught well enough.
Im a beginning guitar player. I feel so lucky that i stumbled on to Tomo and his You Tube videos. Even before i knew his background i could tell he was special. Thank You .
Tomo is a great person. Love how he says none of these guitars are important. His wife is everything to him. He puts his family first and music is in a nice second place category. 👏👏
Two beautiful individuals from different parts of the world who show vulnerability, enthusiasm, and a true dedication to the connection of people through music.
This was a fascinating discussion. I really enjoyed it! Thanks so much Mary for bringing this conversation with Tomo to your channel. Several quotes struck me. Most notable, "Less is better", "Narrowing down is hard work", most noble and humbling words, "Teacher is great student who learn anything we can but our job is to help others. " 💖
I am a big fan of Mary Spender. She is an outstanding singer song writer but also I am a fan because I love to listen to her speak, enjoy her sense of humor and appreciate her clarity of thought. Tomo Fujita- my best teachers are always from Japan.
Great man !!! I always thought... Start slim (technique, scales, melodies) Get wide (try everything, follow your whim, experience it all) End up thin (find what really resonates with your musical spirit and become a master of that. 🤘🤩🤘
God this guy is amazing , so truthful and smart this guy , i have done one of his YT lessons for a few weeks and I already am improved , like he says, " make effort " great video BTW , Peace Moda
5:57 literally me right now. i want to be ultimate shredder, i want to play funk, i want to play blues, and i want to play neosoul too. and i have soo many favorite guitarist. and this makes me confused which one i should focus. thanks to tomo for the great advice:)
I have been a member of Guitar Wisdom for about 3 months now and I have learned so much. I wish I would have been smart and joined years ago. I love it so much my favorite is NO WORRIES!
This video is the exact reason why I subscribe to you Mary, You are intriguing not for the way you play, but the way you get me to think about the way I play music and the way you convey that message. Thanks again for encouraging me to play daily, my fingers and playing are immeasurably better for it.
I'm so glad for people who are smarter than me, half way in I had an ah ha moment. Mr. Fujita has been with me since my beginning a year and a half ago. Old starter 48..... now 50! This was a great video Mary... Thanks Teach!! lol
Mary ... Your idea of watching your channel while practicing our instrument(s) is such an awesome idea ! I've been looking forward to my daily practice even more ... you inspire me Mary, more than you know. Thank you for sharing all you hard work, you are so very talented and beautiful my dear. I appreciate you, thank you ! Sincerely, Michael your #1 fan 😍
It’s obvious how valuable his experience is. Those of us that grew up before the 90s are the most fortunate where music is concerned, but this doesn’t mean anyone can’t get it 😧
I actually stumbled onto Tomo's UA-cam channel independently. That is very cool! I really can understand all the things he is saying. With a cassette tape or anything long-form, it trains the mind to have a longer attention, longer stream of consciousness and concentration. The problem with the modern world is we have developed lazy attention spans... short chunking of stimuli. Fascinating concepts. I love both your UA-cam channels. So much great content. Thanks to both of you. :-)
Thank you for sharing this. We are lucky to live in a time of youtube guitar community folks. As a slow and self taught person... I have learned so much in the last couple of years just from these videos
I take away so much each time I watch one of Tomo Fujita's lessons. For a beginner as myself, asking me to play a perfect chord, finger shifts, keeping time... It seems overwhelming & Mr Fujita seems to put it all in order. Slow down & enjoy the moment.
I used to listen to myself on tape and recordings often albeit 27 years ago while listening to 102.2 jazz fm...some awesome music. It made me realise how so very far I had to go at the time and become my best critic. Playing live regularly is also a different beast and learn a lot about performance, gear, tone..you get one take
The takeaway quote for me is, "Less is better." Previously posted,... I've been playing for approximately 60 years. My channel will be for all to see, how does this old guy come up to speed, who knows functionally NO Theory. Who has Classic ADD diagnosed 25 years ago, has significant arthritis in both hands. These are blessings with which to share small victories to hopeful viewers who may feel challenged and wish an example of encouragement to actually see. I drank in every word Tomo Fujita said. Thanks Mary.
Mary, thanks so much for having me at your show!!
Just watched the extended interview. Amazing! Thanks for your wisdom and experience.
Thanks for your wisdom =)
You are a legend Tomo
You are a legend Tomo
I loved your whole concept of guitar exploration...very clear and inspiring. Thank you!
Favorite Tomo quote: “Triads are good for you. Like a vegetable!”
The best vegetable triad is celery, carrot, onion.
@@HigherPlanes the only problem there is that carrot and onions are both roots
@@himeshchauhan9843 LOL. Good point!
Time stamp?
As a schoolteacher myself, Tomo just nailed what it takes. “A teacher is just a great student who learns anything.” Brilliant. Just brilliant.
Taught kids English for 4 years and this was so true. Students are basically people who challenge you on a constant basis. The constant out of left field questions that you get about things you never though of before really force you to reevaluate you own knowledge and teach you new things about yourself. I grew as a person so much being a teacher. I think it’s something everyone needs to experience (providing they are qualified...) Forces you to think about stuff from someone else’s perspective. Something that seems to be lacking more and more as time goes on....
A teacher learns as it reinforces what you already know and that keeps you on your toes. I have taught people how to demonstrate products when trying to sell said products. It helps to own and use an item yourself just as Tomo does with the guitar.
Get off with him then.
Tomo is one of the best Guitar teachers on the Internet. I love his no bullshit approach. No effects , Dry tone. Purely focuses on the mechanics. The hard to learn stuff.
He’s good
Tomo is amazing!
Thanks so much Jens!!!
Tomo and Jens are amazing
Whoa small world I’ve been studying both of y’all’s stuff!
Tomo!!!
Best guitar teacher on UA-cam!
"Don't worry. Don't compare. Don't expect too fast. Be kind to yourself". Tomo Fujita
Recording yourself, cringing at yourself and improving little by little made me progress so much better than i thought i would. This is how i learnt to sing in 6 months. Even though i am not the greatest vocalist in the world, i can hit every single note properly in the song.
The more I hear from Tomo Fujita, the more I feel that he is really a sensei rather than a plain teacher; and even then much bigger than the many instructors available in UA-cam. Thanks for sharing your conversation...
"Narrowing down is hard work"....this is one of the most powerful sentence ever spoken in musicianship and academia.
Great interview and great job always Mary
"Art is about subtraction" (I paraphrase...)
Tomo is a great, great guitarist and a great teacher, but most of all Tomo is a great human being.
As an older beginner, I needed to focus on my strengths. I will never be an all-around CGP... but I can play fingerstyle and sing. It is so important to focus on the best that YOU can be, rather than be distracted by the best in others. Social media is someone's highlight reel. It isn't ALL real because of the magic of editing. Be you. Choose the songs that people want to hear from YOU.
This is profound. I agree as an older beginner trying to do all the things only hurts progress. And it plays with your mindset and confidence.
Cheers to all the older beginners, me one as well 😀
What a brilliant video! By giving ourselves limitations, we learn discipline. By listening to ourselves we see our faults and where we are improving.
Tomo is a blessed soul
i am so annoyed right now, i wish this video was like many hours longer. So much information especially for self-taught guitarist like me. I didnt even realise when this video ended so soon. I wish i could learn more from you guys. Thanks anyways for this wonderful conversation and knowledge.
TOMO
I have heard him speak many times. His love for music and playing the guitar is amazing. He can’t help but to drop little pearls of wisdom and knowledge about music and playing the guitar.
Truly a amazing teacher.
I am enrolled on Tomo's guitar wisdom site and he is one of the best teachers around. He is a wonderful person and makes you not feel intimdated or overwhelmed by learning from him.
I think I learn more than music from this man, and I cant put my finger on it. He is a true gem.
Hey, just wanna say I'm really loving the daily uploads and they're helping me get through lockdown. Good job :) and thank you!
Yes these are so good for the soul!
I love Tomo’s emphasis on ear training, triads, keeping things simple and using theory to figure out what you did, not what you should do.
I consider myself very lucky to have grown up playing guitar when i did, rather than now, because then, you had a record, and your ears. You didn’t have tabs, you didn’t have slower speeds, you didn’t have step by step videos walking you through every single song you could imagine. You had to memorize every note, and play the songs as you could hear them. It wasn’t always right, and it taught you to learn as closely, and as economically as you could for yourself.
Now, when i use the internet for learning songs, that foundation serves me well, making it much easier to pick up any song faster, because my ear knows pretty much where to go before the video shows me.
@AntiComm holy crap! I never did! I wish I’d known that!! Did it work?
Records and ears was the way every kid learned when I was a young man in the 70s. The internet would have ruined generations of players. I do like it for learning new tunes and seeing/hearing the artist playing a live rendition of it for realism.
A studio recording is static whereas a live performance is dynamic.
He uses casettes, that means he's trustworthy and cool.
also he's an older gentleman of asian descent so his words are Words Of Wisdom...
means he doesn't think in computer-eeze.. I am a retired programmer.. I just can't help myself.. I love computers.. my girlfriend is the Google babe 😘 💕
@@samlee2562 older... than whom?
Tomo say ~man look like strumming in long grass not always play guitar!
@@HareDeLune how many?
Such a wonderful conversation... so many lightbulb moments for me. Thank you Mary and Tomo!
Thanks a lot for this video! Gave me a lot to think about. Thanks
Lowell George is my favorite player/singer. He was a great song writer also. RIP Lowell.
recording myself was the best thing ive ever done. I would always play my electric guitar unplugged and late at night in my room with the door closed because i was so shy and didnt want anyone to hear me. LIttle did i know i wasnt projecting any sound and my playing had zero confidence and it definitely wasn't something i enjoyed hearing. After recording myself I started playing my acoustic guitar to make my hands stronger from the thicker strings and it taught me to press down hard on the strings and to strum and pick as loud as possible.
Best advice I ever got was to turn my amp louder than I wanted it, then try to play as quietly as possible. That teaches control.
Recording yourself also reveals if you need to learn proper muting
Playing as loud as you possibly can is usually not a good thing to do.
@@lo-filogic there is a happy medium
playing unplugged with electric guitar is great for practice, you can har all the flaws in your playing and can learn to control dynamics.
I like that both Mary here and Michael Palmisano used the same sentence in their thumbnail/title for their videos of interviews with Tomo. You can see how they would both have felt the same urge to say: "every guitarrist must hear this" even if it is kind of a cliche/clickbait. They mus have thought "OMG this is amazing, people should listen to this man!" The guy is giving us real education and its so diferent from cliche guitar learning advice. Such great, useful stuff! Thank you Tomo and Mary!!
Thank you Miss Spender for sharing this. Excellent ! 🗺🎸🎶
“I teach people limitations” ..... “Narrow down”...... a two pieces of advice that will help me focus on the knowledge and skill I need rather than the things I want.. 🙏🏻🇦🇺
"A teacher is just a great student..." love it!
Being present, completing music, taking notice, being thorough, it is all about not F'ing around and giving respect to what you are doing. This is the essential message I get.
"A teacher is not a good teacher, if he is not excelled by his students."
but what does this quote mean. Like, do the students push the teacher forward to become better?
It means,If the teacher knows how to get along with the students in a good way,he's a good teacher
@@Epicionx it means if the students don't become better than the teacher, that's not a good teacher
Students are supposed to build on top of what already exists. If they can't innovate, perhaps they haven't been taught well enough.
And the way to learn something is to be good at it enough to teach it to someone else.
@@Epicionx Aren't they both becoming better, each in there own journeying, both learners?
Im a beginning guitar player. I feel so lucky that i stumbled on to Tomo and his You Tube videos. Even before i knew his background i could tell he was special. Thank You .
This is such a wonderful conversation! In times of unlimited excess, less really is more! ❤️
Thank you for introducing us to Mr. Fujita! Blessings 😊
Can we just have a moment to thank Mary for asking beyond the obvious questions.
Greetings from India!!!!.
Mary Spender is beautiful inside and out...what a voice! The voice of an angel.
Thank you. Both Yomo and you are great learning resources. Very nice sweater too, Mary.
So great Tomo is getting more recognized on UA-cam! He's amazing!
Tomo is a great person. Love how he says none of these guitars are important. His wife is everything to him. He puts his family first and music is in a nice second place category. 👏👏
For anyone that hasn’t; watch Tomo play “just funky” live here on youtube. Amazing.
Narrow down is great advice.
I'm sticking to that.
Excellent guest and discussion. Really enjoyed this. Love this guy. Thank you.
Tomo is one of the greatest souls i have come across. This world needs more Tomo's😊
Watching this in December 2023. I am amazed how Tomo has so much wisdom not just for learning guitar but for everything!!
Love this guy, such down to earth, has a spiritual divine about him.
Two of my FAVE youtube stars in one video - wow
Life doesn't get any better :))
It does when U get to watch it again 🎸🎶🎶
The teacher is the great student! Absolutely Tomo!
Two beautiful individuals from different parts of the world who show vulnerability, enthusiasm, and a true dedication to the connection of people through music.
Tomo is such a wonderful human being, he has touched so many lives, simply amazing.
Very interesting and helpful. Thank you!
This was a fascinating discussion. I really enjoyed it! Thanks so much Mary for bringing this conversation with Tomo to your channel. Several quotes struck me. Most notable, "Less is better", "Narrowing down is hard work", most noble and humbling words, "Teacher is great student who learn anything we can but our job is to help others. " 💖
That was excellent! Thank you, Mary, and thank you, Maestro Fujita!
Thank you for the conversation with Fujita-san. Appreciate it very much!
Start
Develop
Finish
Thank you for this advice Mr Fujita
Tomo!!! Great to see you and even better to hear your wisdom. All the best to you. And thank you Mary for doing these great interviews.
"narrow down is hard work -- easy to write more things" so true, important and well put, amazing moment of the interview
I am a big fan of Mary Spender. She is an outstanding singer song writer but also I am a fan because I love to listen to her speak, enjoy her sense of humor and appreciate her clarity of thought.
Tomo Fujita- my best teachers are always from Japan.
Great man !!!
I always thought...
Start slim (technique, scales, melodies)
Get wide (try everything, follow your whim, experience it all)
End up thin (find what really resonates with your musical spirit and become a master of that.
🤘🤩🤘
Incredible teacher and player. Thanks
God this guy is amazing , so truthful and smart this guy , i have done one of his YT lessons for a few weeks and I already am improved , like he says, " make effort " great video BTW , Peace Moda
One of the best videos I've ever seen on UA-cam about playing the guitar. Genuinely inspiring stuff, thank you.
Many valuable life lessons! Thank you for guitar lessons that are teaching us how to think and how to learn.
I need to hear this interview over and over again. Thank you so much for making this interview possible!! 🙏🏼❤️
I saw Tomo F. recently for the first time and I was blown away by his incredible knowledge and passion for the instrument.
Thanks Mary you r wise beyond your years, I appreciate you thanks for sharing.
5:57 literally me right now.
i want to be ultimate shredder, i want to play funk, i want to play blues, and i want to play neosoul too. and i have soo many favorite guitarist. and this makes me confused which one i should focus.
thanks to tomo for the great advice:)
so what you gonna choose?!
@@Dadaadad268 blues rock!!🤟
I want to be myself.
I have been a member of Guitar Wisdom for about 3 months now and I have learned so much. I wish I would have been smart and joined years ago. I love it so much my favorite is NO WORRIES!
I love what you said about feeling terrible when seeing amazing players, but that you realize that your playing serves a purpose.
This video is the exact reason why I subscribe to you Mary, You are intriguing not for the way you play, but the way you get me to think about the way I play music and the way you convey that message. Thanks again for encouraging me to play daily, my fingers and playing are immeasurably better for it.
I'm so glad for people who are smarter than me, half way in I had an ah ha moment. Mr. Fujita has been with me since my beginning a year and a half ago. Old starter 48..... now 50! This was a great video Mary... Thanks Teach!! lol
Mary the song you made for the ending feels so good!! ☀️
Tomo!!!!!!!!!!
Lovely and very useful video, thank you Mary and Tomo
What a genuine personality, and a genius !!
Mary ...
Your idea of watching your channel while practicing our instrument(s) is such an awesome idea !
I've been looking forward to my daily practice even more ... you inspire me Mary, more than you know.
Thank you for sharing all you hard work, you are so very talented and beautiful my dear.
I appreciate you, thank you !
Sincerely,
Michael your #1 fan 😍
Thank you Mary....I'm about to go down the Tomo rabbit hole.....you have chosen a wonderful teacher
The Casette- thing is the very best , you could chose. Charlie Banacos did it years ago. These were my best lesson, i ever had.
Thanks for posting this video Mary! I love Tomo Fujita, he’s so cool.
Tomo is such an awesome instructor, so humble!
I love Tomo so much and this advice about narrowing it down is exactly what I needed hear today. Thank you so much.
It’s obvious how valuable his experience is. Those of us that grew up before the 90s are the most fortunate where music is
concerned, but this doesn’t mean anyone can’t get it 😧
very smart guy and thinks about how to learn fantastic teacher !!!!
Wonderful video, Mary, truly wonderful. Thank you.
I actually stumbled onto Tomo's UA-cam channel independently. That is very cool! I really can understand all the things he is saying. With a cassette tape or anything long-form, it trains the mind to have a longer attention, longer stream of consciousness and concentration. The problem with the modern world is we have developed lazy attention spans... short chunking of stimuli. Fascinating concepts. I love both your UA-cam channels. So much great content. Thanks to both of you. :-)
Very strong choice of jumper Mary. Love the channel, keep up the good work!
Thank you for sharing this. We are lucky to live in a time of youtube guitar community folks. As a slow and self taught person... I have learned so much in the last couple of years just from these videos
thanks Mary, I love your playing and learning about tomo
I take away so much each time I watch one of Tomo Fujita's lessons. For a beginner as myself, asking me to play a perfect chord, finger shifts, keeping time... It seems overwhelming & Mr Fujita seems to put it all in order. Slow down & enjoy the moment.
This is a very informative video.. the master has taught at Berkeley School of Music for 27 long years.. what a great experience to share to all..💕
I used to listen to myself on tape and recordings often albeit 27 years ago while listening to 102.2 jazz fm...some awesome music. It made me realise how so very far I had to go at the time and become my best critic. Playing live regularly is also a different beast and learn a lot about performance, gear, tone..you get one take
Thanks for sharing! Always great to hear from the master!
He is brilliant! Thanks.
What a wonderful interview. Thank you for sharing.
Loved the idea of imposed limitations.
Indeed, real advice from a real teacher!
Thanks for posting this. Tomo is a very special musician and teacher.
Thanks Mary, Tomo is really a gift for every musician!
This is exactly what I needed today. Thank you for that and keep up the great content !
The takeaway quote for me is, "Less is better." Previously posted,... I've been playing for approximately 60 years. My channel will be for all to see, how does this old guy come up to speed, who knows functionally NO Theory. Who has Classic ADD diagnosed 25 years ago, has significant arthritis in both hands. These are blessings with which to share small victories to hopeful viewers who may feel challenged and wish an example of encouragement to actually see. I drank in every word Tomo Fujita said. Thanks Mary.
I really enjoyed this conversation, very informal.
A “teacher is just a great student…but I’m here to serve others… “ to me that’s the best teacher you can find…