Homeskoolin’ Volume 120, Tom Bukovac, “Song For Kentucky”

Just a little tune born out of my incredible sadness for the poor folks in Kentucky that lost their entire towns to the tornadoes last friday night.

Please check out all the Red Cross donation sites.

Also a brief late night chat on “smash finger” A chords and “neutered” B chords….

You guys are awesome…thanks for watching this little channel…hope you are learning a thing or two

[chorusecho]

Here's a link to my new record "Plexi Soul" lads....

[coopercrouch]

Uncle Larry, as someone whose family goes back generations in Mayfield KY, we really appreciate all the love and support. We had family business and homes destroyed, but God kept them alive and hopefully they'll rebuild to be something even better. Thanks for all your free guitar wisdom - you're the best

[MrChechi]

We're learning a lot from you, Tom. The first thing that i've learned is that you're a really good guy and a beautiful person.

[howabouthetruth]

Tom, living where you do, it would be wise to have a storm shelter installed. All of my family on my father's side have been living in north Alabama for nearly all of em had a storm cellar in the yard, and for damned good reason: years of experience with these of it really bad, with their homes being totally destroyed. According to meteorologist Dr. James Spann, on an acre for acre basis, north Alabama has always had more EF4 & EF5 tornadoes than anywhere else in more than Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri.

[MrMan_]

Tom saying that "he is not really an acoustic player" is like Warren Buffett saying "he is not really an investor"!!!

[guitarguru]

Glad I have data to watch. Storm tore Dresden TN all to hell. Still no internet. We made it out alive. We are blessed. Thanks little Tommy.

[bikesndrums]

Thanks for thinking and playing for KY- they say it's a 200 mile path of destruction - that's the distance from Louisville to Nashville - not a short distance. (But it spared Louisville and Nashville) Those folks in Mayfield, Dawson Springs, and Bowling Green are really hurting. Hard to not feel it.

[richsadowsky]

outstanding playing. Just amazing the quality of your playing recorded on a phone. You play every string to perfection. This was a great episode because it was some simple, easily usable tips to sound great playing relatively simple stuff. Nice country flair. Thanks again. I have visited the Red Cross to help fellow Americans out.

[sledfoot]

Hey Tom, I’m from a small town in South Central Kentucky straight up 65 from Nashville. Lots of friends in Bowling Green took a hard hit from this storm. My little community also took lots of damage but we did not suffer the loss of lives that Mayfield and Bowling Green did. From a life long Kentucky boy, thank you for the support and providing a beautiful tribute during this tough time.

[pfrancz]

Thanks Tom: We like the channel very much, most important you are a great father. Challenge for me: I’m trying to decipher when you move to open tuning. Most times when you fretting minimal fingers and gaining such great harmonies I believe that is a clue.

[ralphfrisk]

Dear Uncle Larry, another "less is more" tune, absolutely beautiful!
Everything has already been said here but I just would like to express my humble thank you, for your amazing "homeskool"... a beacon of hope in a time where we need something to look forward to. I just purchased your "Homeskoolin" record, a lot to work on for my 68year old fingers...but your classes are truly inspirational.
I missed one "tune" though, "95" - 7 kalimbas" absolutely love it but still struggle to get the loop to work fluently ;-)

Take care and all the best from Sweden

[timreadnour]

Thanks Uncle Larry. The airport in Danville ky that had major damage is just about a quarter mile from my place . We're fine but our prayers and support go out to the ones really affected.

[Spatu]

Mr. Tom. Your playing is so melodic. Beautiful. There is band called Insomnium. A song called Pale Morning Star. Even though you may not like that style, for me that is one of the best songs in that genre. Reminds me of you if you were going to play that genre. Skål 🍻 Mate

[mickgodwin]

I've always played the open A in a very similar way, except I hit the D string with my index finger and "smash" the G and B strings with the middle finger... didn't realise I did it until I started teaching my ex's dad to play a few years ago 👍 ... I live in the UK where mother nature is relatively kind. We only see her at her most vicious from a distance on TV, so I can only begin to imagine what it's like to live under that constant threat, or to be one of the unfortunates who loses their home, belongings, or worse, family members or friends overnight. My heart goes out to them all and I hope they find the strength to rebuild and recover quickly.

[philgranito]

Tom..I can't add anything to all these heartfelt, wonderful comments you get. So..I'll just say..Thank you for everything Uncle Larry.

[stratmagic]

You want to know why Tom is so great it is because he has a heart ❤ as big as the sky and it comes out in his music 🎶. God bless all of you out there and especially the victims of the devastating tornados.

[pbluuz]

Thanks for this Tom. Those are some tough, resourceful folks there in Kentucky. If any bunch of people can get through this it will be them.

[dannyriccardo-kornpet]

Dammit, Tom, you're a lovely soul. Teaching in tragedy... and over there, in the teaching philosophy world, there's a lot to said about that. But I've recently been thinking of the Tom world of teaching -- briefly and infrequently, as I'm busier than a one-armed paper hanger. As I listened to Uncle Larry speak of the pure enjoyment of teaching, the bell rang on Legit. I've got twenty-five years in the teaching game. I still nerd on the all the stuff I nerded on as an idealistic rookie. Old Uncle Larry still nerds in all the right places.

Ahem, allow me to nerd on the practice. I'm chewing on the idea of writing a memoir on teaching called, "Carrying a Life-size Paper-Machete Elephant Through a Blizzard." Admittedly, it's a bit long. Whatever the title, CHapet 12 will be called "The In-Betweens." It's the intangible measure of what the teacher says and does outside of the lesson -- but it includes manner, intonation etc. in the delivery of the lesson. The rest is made up of aside commentary, outside anecdotes, behavior outside the classroom. In short, it is the soul of a teacher. Dear Uncle Larry stumbled onto a magic formula. Teaching is a tough trick when done in person -- two in the dimensional walls of Youtube, and the trick gets harder. Homeskoolers receive a mixture of lessons, performances, studio visits, impromptu session interviews, road trips with cats, and a vast random selection trove. They see congruity in all of those categories. Do we know all there is to know about Tom Bukovac? (He did show us inside his fridge.) Of course, no, not by a long shot. But we see what he says about gear -- and how often. We've heard him talk about serving the song and framing the singer, and we've seen him do it onstage. Each Homeskooler has a host of reasons for coming back for more.
...as an aside, let me mention that I never saw the final episode of the Jon Stewart show. But I heard the clip where he said the show was a dialogue... 

...and we wind up over there in the Philosophy department, and those Dialogues of Socrates. The American teaching method was based on the Elenchus of Socrates. He was also the groovy cat who said, "I don't know anything -- and neither do you." If Socrates had taught guitar, he would have said, "I'm a late bloomer... not sure I quite know anything about it yet... but check out this lick."

A bunch of experts say that 90% of communication is nonverbal. My English teacher ego can't handle that; I'm willing to an even split of 50-50. Old Uncle Larry has experience, deep knowledge, much of it long forgotten. And out of the pandemic arises a new breed of Youtube teacher, a long improvisation on alien ground. Those nonverbals and the aside lessons of the In-Betweens wait in the Youtube ether.

I have to do a guitar thing well outside my comfort zone a three night show. ...more aside: I have two nonfunctioning and highly disobedient hands. I am disinclined to prove it in front of 400 people. It's George's part on "Oh Darling" and it's within reach -- on a good day my hands can go ten minutes before things get kerfluey. But the nerves...and those hands... I'm quite familiar with those disobedient bastards...
I reckoned I'd better find a touchstone before I coughed up a big, fat choke. 'Approach the time like Tom Bukovac, ' came the message from the Teacher Center of my brain. 

You've said a lot about time, Tom. I have enjoyed your words and watching them in practice as you play. I don't know exactly what you said that gave me a lesson in 'an approach to time.' It must be something that came from those In-Beweens. Thanks for the touchstone. Maybe I'll put it to a Genesis tune, "I'm counting like Tom..."

[oldbluzguy]

Thank you for this Tom.. I live in Virginia Beach now, but I was born and raised in Paducah Ky. These people in Mayfield and Dawson Springs are really hurting right now.

[richardcranium]

Thanks brother. You got a good heart. That's another reason I like watching you.