February 16th, 2024

Homeskoolin’ Volume 281, Tom Bukovac, “The Cleveland Weatherman”

Chapters
00:00 - Covering Country - Hank Williams Jr. and more
03:44 - Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen - Hot Rod Lincoln
04:43 - Lyrics are important / Singer is direction
06:15 - Hank Williams Jr.
07:30 - Steven Tyler
08:00 - Hermanos Gutierrez
09:50 - Careful about putting something over someone else's work
10:42 - '65 Epiphone Frontier
12:20 - Brian Wilson and playing on record
12:55 - Tom Britt and paintings


Notes
Uncle Larry reminisces a bit about his undying love for real country music and real singers....

here is the new Hermanos Gutierrez track
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrRkXjJpXUU

and check out some of Tom Britt's amazing art work...i love this shit
https://www.facebook.com/people/Tom-Britt-Art/100077778759684/

October 27th, 2023

Homeskoolin' Bonus, "The Early Years"

Chapters
00:00 - Bending the Country out of that thing
01:36 - Real quick check-in
02:02 - Old school pedalboard
05:53 - Custom Shop Tele relic / Uncle Larry's Garage Sale notice
08:09 - Lesson: Old Country Western licks


Notes
Thanks to Jeff Grossman for unearthing that ancient photo

This tele is a custom shop 2021 "1960 Telecaster Custom HVREL"

which i assume stands for "heavy relic"...or "heavy fake memories" as i call it

Its a super fancy custom shop piece that comes ALL the outrageous case candy...AND i put some good brass saddles on it for ya...you're welcome

March 8th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Larry At Work”

Chapters
00:00 - Session playing


Notes

A sweet little tune from today’s session where Uncle overdubbed electrics on 7 songs at a home studio in Nashville…good songs and sweet people…and a nice Japanese themed lunch.

The singer?
Melissa Erin

The song? “Be The Sparrow”

The engineer? Chris “Gearhead” Condon

The bass player/producer? Phil Anthony

November 28th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Sunday Drive”

Chapters
00:00 - John Denver - Country Roads loop and playing


Notes
When the boys and i were driving around on our little Sunday afternoon drive yesterday, we played a million songs. When i put "country roads" by John Denver on they literally went into a trance…and so did i….

I started thinking, what IS IT about this simple song that has such power over people???

I figured it out…it's the note choice of the high harmony part that the girl (Taffy Nivert, also one of the song writers) is singing.

Very odd non-traditional harmony note choices, but SOOOOOO cool and haunting....takes me to the same emotional place that the girls singing on "Revolution Comes With An Act Of Love" by Church Of The Cosmic Skull takes me.

If you took that high harmony part away, the song woulda never made the top 100 billboard charts...that's a guarantee.

The power of the sixth note people....

John Denver rules don't take my word for it....check it out
https://youtu.be/1SKq__Ba6hE

October 11th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Studio Update, “Gear, Gear, Gear!!!!”

Chapters
00:00 - A little tour around the instruments and microphones
01:48 - '62 Country Club
02:31 - Gibson Custom
03:15 - Pedals / treble booster (R2R Electric) / Ebo / Tranzformer (api select)


Notes
Day two of a four day record project for Morgan Wallen and Joey Moi at Blackbird Studios in Nashville TN. There is enough gear in this place to kill an elephant. Thought i would give ya a little tour Hope you enjoy

September 13th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Volume 164, Tom Bukovac, “With Synchronized Tremolo”

Chapters
00:00 - Boogeying some old school guitar
04:28 - Rollin' Rock slide / Hello, class!
05:18 - Duggie Brown's Jazzmaster
05:43 - Vince Gill backup / Sting / Guitar journey meeting people
07:40 - Chris Stapleton / Earthquaker Dispatch Master
08:40 - Jaco Pastorius
09:20 - Lesson: Appropriate fingering
12:04 - Lesson: Silly, hard lick to use all 4 fingers
14:07 - Lesson: "Tempest Fugit" lick
16:00 - Lesson: Taking apart chords for different voicings
16:50 - Kentucky Thunder Bluegrass bad asses / Bluegrass solos vs Rock
19:23 - Brian Sutton lessons / Holding your body correctly
20:15 - Banjo, tempo, and effortless playing
21:50 - Guitar video jam


Notes
Little Tommy discusses proper fretboard fingering after a nice fall haircut….the little clip at the end is from the rehearsal yesterday when we were learning Sting’s tune that he was singing on the show.

Thanks for watching my little stream of consciousness rants people.

September 13th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus…”The Grass Is Always Bluer On The Other Side”

Chapters
00:00 - Kentucky Thunder warming up some fierce Bluegrass Country


Notes
I played a crazy gig tonite kids….a tv show honoring Vince Gill called “Giants” on CMT network….it’s supposed to air on sept 16.

I was in the house band playing behind some real bad asses….like Sting, Chris Stapleton, Maren Morris, Carrie Underwood and many others…got to see a lot of cool people and re-connect with some dear old friends.

One of my very favorite parts of the whole gig was the fact that our band dressing room was right next to the Ricky Skaggs's band Kentucky Thunder's room, and we got to hear them warming up before the show….and they were kind enough to let me film a taste of it. i was quite surprised and honored to hear that a couple of the fellas are Homeskoolers.

Sweet guys and an absolutely INCREDIBLE sounding group of musicians….i sometimes try to imagine what it would be like to pick a banjo like this…must be a whole lotta fun

Personnel:
Jake Workman: acoustic guitar
Russ Carson: banjo
Gavin Kelso: upright bass
Mike Rogers; rhythm guitar
Dennis Parker: arch top guitar
Luke Bulla: fiddle

August 30th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus Jam “OK Card Pt. 2”

Chapters
00:00 - 1962 Gretsch playing


Notes
A brief foray on a cadillac green 62 country club….complete with some phantom bigsby.

PayPal tip jar is tombukovac@gmail.com
Venmo tip jar is @Tom-Bukovac-1

January 21st, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Quickie, “Don’t Quit Your Day Job”

Chapters
00:00 - Acoustic playing and singing


Notes
See? I told ya i can’t sing for shit…but you know me, i’m totally shameless.

My son Marshall gets soooo embarrassed when i start singing real loud in the grocery store or in the car line when i drop him and his brother off at school.

I just keep telling them, boys, anyone can be inhibited and shy, but it takes REAL guts to be an idiot.

This one goes out to you Drew.

January 20th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Quickie “Willoughby Hillbilly”

Chapters
00:00 - Old Country Western playing


Notes
Some people think hillbillies only come from the south…

June 10th, 2021

Homeskoolin’ Bonus Track, “High & Lonesome”

Chapters
00:00 - Beautiful pedal steel-esque playing


Notes
Here’s one for the night owls….cheers to all you sweethearts

Love

Uncle Larry

February 18th, 2021

Homeskoolin’ Volume 94, Tom Bukovac, “Pronounced Boo-kuh-vak”

Chapters
00:00 - Old time Country intro
00:39 - What's up!
02:10 - Adaptation of Country music
02:44 - Tell what chords are behind lead lesson
05:12 - Using partial melodies to create illusions
05:50 - Mutated CAGED system / Bored class member
06:50 - Shifting chords practice / Shapes and knowledge
08:05 - Do I have to learn theory?
08:24 - Chess player / Homework / Philosophical
10:57 - Playing / Tape loop thoughts
12:16 - '59 335 deep tone / PAFs
15:23 - Cool lick lesson


Notes
A brief stream of consciousness ramble on infinite tape loops in the mind, the power of the 6th note, and the brain’s ability to learn and retain at various ages. Check out www.ziggysartstudio for a look at the 100th Homeskoolin episode commemorative print...if it ain’t up yet it will be soon.

Tom Bukovac's personal Rolling Rock tip jar is tombukovac@gmail.com
Homeskoolin merch available at www.guitarhouse.net
Venmo tip jar is @Tom-Bukovac-1

Thanks for watching guys

February 6th, 2021

Homeskoolin’ Volume 89, Tom Bukovac, “Light Up The Eagle”

Chapters
00:00 - Hank Williams Jr - A Country Boy Can't Survive
05:09 - Hello, class!
06:39 - Viewer Comment Bin
06:45 - Philly band
07:10 - Tuning
08:31 - Record dry or with effects
09:45 - Straight into the amp
11:03 - Lap Steel
11:22 - Pre-Homeskoolin' - Corona Lessons
12:32 - Favorite comment (Jazz, Blues, and Honesty)
13:45 - Fingerpicking, muting lesson
14:54 - Hank Williams Jr genius chord progression lesson


Notes
A brief discussion on the genius of Hank Williams JR.

PayPal tip jar is tombukovac@gmail.com
T shirts and mugs available at www.guitarhouse.net

July 20th, 2020

Homeskoolin’ Volume 55, Tom Bukovac, “12 Strings & 12 Packs”

Chapters
00:00 - Intro country tune
02:55 - Hello, class!
04:05 - Viewer Comment Bin (VCB)
04:11 - Create tablature
05:25 - Steve Vai technique
06:18 - Thumb bass notes
07:58 - Pretentious studio guys
08:38 - Prince - Conditions of the Heart
09:34 - Bukovac / Deleo
10:27 - Kind words / Thanks
11:14 - Country jam lesson


Notes
A not so brief ramble on a smorgasbord of musical thoughts from an NEO escapee.

PayPal tip jar is tombukovac@gmail.com
T shirts and mugs available at www.guitarhouse.net

April 14th, 2020

Homeskoolin’ Volume 6, Tom Bukovac, Hillbilly Pickin & Contest Results!

Chapters
00:00 - Hellbilly Intro
01:51 - Welcome
02:30 - Contest winners
03:54 - Reader Comments / Trigger Hippy
06:09 - No back problems / hearing loss (tinnitis)
07:32 - Country guitar players
08:41 - Phil Baugh
09:11 - "Douchey and Uninspiring" / "Fuck-off"
09:37 - No Corporate Sponsorship / Pitiful Little Show
09:55 - Old Blues turnaround lick


Notes
Congrats to Luke Cyrus Goetze...thank you to all participants!!! Trigger Hippy has a new album called "Full Circle and Then Some" available now...check it out!

April 3rd, 2020

Corona Lessons Volume 17, Tom Bukovac, "Touch"

Chapters
00:00 - Corolling Rock lessons / Traditional Country playing
02:42 - Howya all doing
03:33 - How to play real Country
04:00 - "Touch" is everything
06:03 - Ways to play a note
07:40 - Play softer and bloom / overload


Notes
I may not have time tomorrow to post another video friends, so here's what we call an "early delivery". Check out the music of the fella I mentioned here Jedd Hughes if you don't already know about him....amazing player.