...about all things guitaristic

Tom demonstrates country fingerpicking, also called Travis picking. There are some decent close-ups of his alternating thumb stroke.

In this clip, Tom gives us the straight skinny on flamenco guitar, and why he’s not a “real” flamenco guitar player.

A caller asked why it often sounds like Tom is playing with two guitars. Tom demonstrates his looping device for her.

Tom describes his Godin Multiac and Roland GR-33 synthesizer.

Tom describes how he tunes using harmonics (also see the accompanying Tom’s Tip). Camera roams a lot in this clip.

Tom runs through the fifteen essential chords every guitar player should know.

Tom demonstrates the backstroke and scissors strum techniques that he uses with 12-string.

The Strat design has been around awhile...since 1954. Tom says even he wasn't designed in 1954. In this clip he talks about its three pickups including the middle one which no one seems to use.

Tom took his other Godin Multiac to the April 25 episode of the show. It's nylon strung, more versatile than his Gipsy Kings electric flamenco and doesn't feed back.

Chainsaws buzzed for days after the April 13th tornadoes with locals cutting and hauling to the dump some of Iowa City's most majestic hardwoods. By coincidence, Tom was recently introduced to a well-crafted one-of-kind Martin replica built out of a maple tree struck down by lightning in the builder's own front yard. Imagine all the guitars the tornado wood could make.

Tom gives an overview of classical technique: rest stroke, free stroke, back stroke, triplets, index-middle alternation and strums, and then closes the clip with a loop.

Tom briefly demonstrates several tremolo techniques in this clip. Look for more in "The Trouble with Tremolos" in Tom's Tips.