...about all things guitaristic

The hook to The Road (written by Danny O’Keefe and covered by Jackson Browne on his Running on Empty album) is the augmented chord. That’s when you raise the 5th a half step. It makes a very lonesome sounding G chord.

A caller requested Classial Gas. Tom plays it on his Strat with its maple neck, the main virtue of this guitar.

There's a little bit of funk, a little bit of flamenco, but mostly blues in this clip with Tom's Godin.

Tom bends some blues on his old soft string Taurus. You also can see good shots of his technique through close camera work.

Iowans can't easily escape the influence of polka, though its beat is subtle in this flamenco-ish loop.

A Chicagoan visitor to Iowa City called from the hospital to tell Tom he was impressed by the sweet sound of this loop.

Callers often request Mason Williams' "Classical Gas." This time Tom gives it a run on his jazz box.