April 6th, 2024

Homeskoolin' Volume 298, Tom Bukovac, "Something Borrowed Something Black"

Chapters
00:00 - Session take on the goldtop
01:45 - Playing some ZZ Top montage riffs into full rock n' roll into Joe Walsh on a black Gibson Les Paul Custom
08:58 - The 3 best guitars I've played but don't own (Dan Auerbach - '60 Tele Custom, Jim Bagget - '38 Martin D-18, Elliot Michael - '59 Gibson Les Paul Custom)
09:27 - '59 Gibson Les Paul Custom
10:23 - Acoustically played
10:50 - Bridge pickup
11:32 - Playing like Jimmy Page
11:58 - Out-of-phase bridge and middle pickup (shit sound)
12:24 - Neck pickup
13:10 - Trying to buy the guitar / Headstock repair, doesn't care


Notes
"well the bitter comes out better on a stolen guitar"...

The opening bit is one of Nicky G's soulful masterpieces...from the sessions we did this week.

September 23rd, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Soul Hotel”

Chapters
00:00 - Hitting it where it counts with some deep, amazing playing
04:00 - Hello, friends! / Jim Irsay gig
04:50 - Lesson: Common Uncle Larry lick (Please watch this wizardary!) / Sneaky IV chord
06:13 - Lesson: ZZ Top - I Thank You
07:26 - Lesson: Changing Blues to D


Notes
Uncle Larry shares a bit of his morning practice ritual with his fellow Homeskoolers.

Just a little tune I just made up to go with my hotel room coffee with no real half and half.

March 15th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Bonus, “Scenes From A Wednesday”

Chapters
00:00 - Editing in the studio
01:23 - Chatting with the man Billy Gibbons
02:10 - Driving through a hydrant, HA!


Notes

Fun day today friends…getting close to finishing this little record i am making with Guthrie….it really should be illegal to have as much fun as we have been having the past few days.

A day of legends…getting to hear Paul Franklin burn it up on a little number i made up in my lonely kitchen is one for the memory books…

and then the Reverend came by for a bit this afternoon and we were all talking about potential names for this project GT and I are doing…which naturally turned into me asking him how he came up with that name you might have heard of called “ZZ Top” (partially captured here)

I also threw in a somewhat surreal moment from the drive in to work this morning

Thanks for watching guys

October 9th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Volume 166, Tom Bukovac, “And Your Bird Is Too Bright”

Chapters
00:00 - Funky playing on the bass
04:06 - Hello, class! / Loop
04:42 - ZZ Top swag / Sessions
05:32 - Lesson: Loop chords and little tablature
06:41 - Overdubbing loop and hitting out of the park
11:00 - Insight thoughts during playing / Motif or theme
11:54 - Steve Hackett and certain tricks / decending 6ths
13:35 - Firebird guitars / Brightness 250k vs 500k pots


Notes
I took a brief hiatus from some heavy gambling to film this little odyssey…this one goes out to Ray Dietrich…who changed the world forever in October of 1962…exactly 60 years ago…wow

Big thanks to all those who watch regularly and steal all my licks and concepts…use them in good health my friends.

Today’s amplification provided by Benson Electronics from Portland Oregon…the model is a very limited run of 3x10 tweed Bandmaster clones they recently made called a “Benmaster”

somewhat inconsequential side note:
from 3:04 to 3:06 is a good illustration of the kind of musical "telepathy" that can only come from one person...(the subconscious break in the rhythm in EXACTLY the same spot on both instruments)...that kinda shit fascinates me.

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

September 28th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Pedal Board Cam”

Chapters
00:00 - Footage: Pedalboard cam
04:30 - Guitar playing / Heart - Even It Up
10:12 - Ann Wilson greetings / Ann Wilson - Black Wing
17:00 - Ann Wilson - Greed
20:30 - Heart - Magic Man
26:45 - Tom solo / Heart - Crazy On You
33:25 - The Who - Rain On Me
39:15 - Band intro / Heart - Barracuda
44:30 - Heart - Straight On
50:10 - Led Zeppelin - Black Dog


Notes
Ann Wilson live, Sunday September 25th in Houston Texas….opening for Jeff Beck and The ZZ Tops…

In case you were ever wondering what pedal changes Larry makes on what songs, here ya go As my dear friend Joe Vitale once said watching me on a session….”Buko, it looks like you’re trying to put out a fire”

Hope you enjoy

September 28th, 2022

Homeskoolin Road Update “Texas Heat”

Chapters
00:00 - Playing without amp
00:45 - Hello, friends! / Tour update (Jeff Beck / ZZ Top)
01:30 - Back injury and gig
02:40 - David Grissom
02:55 - Jeff Beck / Noises (Eddie Van Halen)
03:55 - Fan shoutouts
04:42 - Footage: Stage tour
07:25 - Footage: Jeff Beck
08:23 - Chug challenge


Notes
Lord…picture old larry up on stage yesterday…blown lower back agony, pouring sweat in that special kind of Texas heat and strangling humidity…good times for sure.

Fun show though, we really got that 50 minute long hit it and quit it opening act thing down.

Thank you for your continued patronage of the humble Homeskoolin’ channel. Go wolverines, (a 17 point favorite by the way)

September 12th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Volume 163, Tom Bukovac, “Charcuterie & Crudite Blues”

Chapters
00:00 - Raw pickin' and chuggin' intro
03:40 - Hello, class! / Being back home / Upcoming gigs and musicians
06:00 - Jim Irsay private plane and hotel
09:10 - Danny Nucci
10:00 - Buddy Guy encounter
12:08 - Harmony Silvertone Jupiter / h47 Stratotone guitar (1423)
15:00 - Lesson: Nastiest G Minor 6th chord (Bluesy Pentatonic)


Notes
A brief discussion on how once you fly private one time, you’re basically ruined for life. And….a look at how nasty a minor 6th can be.

August 16th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Road Bonus “Guinness Stew”

Chapters
00:00 - Royal Mile Pub in Des Moines


Notes
Dear John Hickl from the Royal Mile pub in Des Moines….this place is awesome and the food is incredible….

Check it out on your next trip to the midwest friends.

Opening for ZZ tonite again…last time we did that the whole crowd just sat there the whole time with their arms crossed waiting for Billy to come on…i get that

July 23rd, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Update, “Witch Hats and Broomsticks”

Chapters
00:00 - Tour stop guided tour
04:01 - 70’s Les Paul



Notes
To my knowledge, everything about this video is factual EXCEPT it’s actually TOMORROW that we play a gig with ZZ Top…sorry guys, it was early when i filmed this.

Starring Eric “Ebo Borash from Ebo Customs Amps and a special cameo at the end by Tony “T Loose” Lucido

April 18th, 2022

Homeskoolin’, Tom Bukovac, “Strat Fury Volume 2”

Chapters
00:00 - Some fine tastey Blues licks and playing


Notes
A humble tribute to the Reverend Billy G….from one of my alltime favorite records….Tejas.

today's equipment choice....late '62 stratocaster/cable/'66 deluxe reverb

Paypal request line tip jar is tombukovac@gmail.com
Venmo beer fund is @Tom-Bukovac-1

March 13th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus Jam…ZZ Tom

Chapters
00:00 - Rehearsing with the man himself, Billy Gibbons


Notes
A super rough rehearsal sketch from the moment when our little band was joined by the coolest guy that ever walked on this earth….as you all know Uncle Larry is a huge fan of the Reverend Billy G….I have been lucky enough to work with him a couple times in my humble career.

He is the NICEST guy you will ever meet.

Ol’ Larry rarely gets starstruck by anybody but i gotta admit it’s a very cool feeling being anywhere near Billy Gibbons.

I didn’t think he would remember me from the last time we jammed together, but when he walked up on stage at this rehearsal and looked right at me and yelled out “Mr. T” i gotta admit i was instantly 13 years old again sitting in my room listening to “It’s Only Love” off the Tejas album and staring at that amazing album sleeve. Such a genius, such a sweetheart and such a class act…and soooo cool and easy to work with.

If i could ever achieve just one percent of the coolness this man exudes in my own life i would be absolutely thrilled.

Credit to my dear 9 year old son Marshall for coming up with the title for this video….he’s great at coming up with cool names for stuff quickly haha.

April 12th, 2020

Homeskoolin’ Volume 4, Tom Bukovac “The Smear”

Chapters
00:00 - Welcome
00:48 - The Smear (Billy Gibbons king) lesson
02:39 - ZZ Top - "Arrested For Driving While Blind" lesson
03:45 - Contrast bass notes lesson
04:12 - Alex Harvey Band - "Midnight Moses"
04:56 - Double-stop bends
05:43 - "Whole Lotta Love" smear lesson
06:41 - "War Pigs" smear
07:21 - Key of G (Edgar Winter)
09:44 - Aerosmith Tune?
10:43 - Play for a minute...
11:20 - Van Halen - "Janie's Crying" lesson


Notes
An in depth look at one of the great natural wonders of the world...the smear.