Kai Kurosawa

Kai Kurosawa says:

I am self taught in playing instruments, taught myself basic theory as well, and loved the extra theory classes when i was in school. am open to playing many styles, and love to keep it interesting for myself. by the way my education. California Institute of the Arts, Masters in Music Degree Berklee College of Music, Bachelors music degree, As for my playing, yes, the treble side is in 4ths (low c#-d), and bass side in 4ths (low b-c) as well. four sting of the bass side is fretless, originally cause I wanted a much different tone from the top two strings of the bass side. my warr guitar had all frets at one point, and usually I think of the bass side in sort of two parts, and so to make that sound more like two parts, I had plain steel on the top two strings. but i wanted more difference, so i had the lower four strings frets shaved down to the finger board. I like the sound much better that way, that i asked Siggi to do the safe for the new instrument he was building for me. I am actually right handed. i first started out crossing my hands and playing bass with left hand, and treble with right. i did that for half a year, but i realized it was so limiting, especially mentally limiting. i only played things that i could play on a 6 string bass. I thought it best to make a big change, and so from then i started playing the way i do now. i been playing for a little over 7 years now, and am quite happy to be playing today. i think at some point, i will practice crossing hands again, cause it will be good practice, and also free me from my style right now, as it too has limits. I use both of my thumbs. bass side, i use it more than the treble side. bass side, with thumb I play the top two strings to play simple harmony and strum that with my pinky. I can also just tap with my right thumb to free up the rest of the hands to do combination technique for more conventional guitar technique like strumming. In terms on teaching Left hand, separation of each finger, chords, thumb position, soloing, repeated notes, dynamics, muting, how to play with good time, phasing, combination techniques with right hand thumb, is things i can think of right now.... i can show examples in jazz, folk songs and originals. for talking about my experience in playing touch style, maybe i can focus on my right hand use and show the techniques with combination of left, and show that holding a walking bass line or whatever pattern and soloing works just as well with right hand bass, left hand treble. i also like to focus on not trying to imitate guitar and bass but make the tap guitar it's own instrument.