Beginning Guitar How to Build Up Calluses

Beginning Guitar How to Build Up Calluses Megan L. Theres no way around it, learning to play guitar is sometimes a painful process. If youre feeling like your guitar strings bit your finger, take this advice from guitar teacher  Joe H. Struggling to hold down the strings of your guitar without feeling like you are going to cut your finger wide open? Do you put your guitar away after just a few minutes of practicing with your fingertips gleaming red and feeling raw? Don’t worry! This is a common problem for the first few weeks or so of playing until you start developing guitar calluses. What’s a callus? A callus is “A thickened and hardened part of the skin or soft tissue, especially in an area that has been subjected to friction.” Plain English? The more you play guitar the harder the tips of your fingers will become, allowing you to play more and more comfortably without any pain. Today we are going to talk about a few things you can do right now to make things a little easier on your fingers until you build up this protective layer. Finger Placement Make sure you are pushing down on the string just behind the fret you are trying to. When we are pushing down a string, our goal is to make the string touch the fret firmly to make a solid connection so we can get a clear sound. If our finger is too far away from the fret we are trying to hold down, we have to push down all that much harder to get a clear sound. By holding right next to the fret we get can get that solid connection with much less pressure being necessary. In this case less pressure=less discomfort! Try Lighter Strings Many guitars come strung with thicker strings than might be appropriate. Thicker strings require more tension on the strings to be tuned appropriately. By putting lighter strings, this tension will be lessened, and this will allow us to push down on the strings with less pressure to get that solid connection we discussed in tip #1! Make sure you have someone who knows what they are doing (i.e. a more experienced guitar player or a guitar store tech) set up the guitar to make sure it is still in good playing shape after the change. Have The Action Adjusted The “action” of a guitar is how we refer to the distance between the strings and the frets. All guitars need to have this adjusted from time to time. Many beginner guitars come with very high actions that make playing very uncomfortable and painful. To make a guitar easier and more comfortable to play, the action should be lowered until just before any of frets start buzzing when played. Again, make sure you have someone who knows what they are doing do this for you. Practice, Practice, Practice! Make sure you are picking up the guitar almost every day if possible. Your practice sessions don’t need to be long, just a few minutes each day should suffice to help promote the building of guitar calluses. Find some good exercises to help build finger strength and play them at least once each time you pick up the guitar. All of these tips should help make playing guitar comfortably more attainable for anyone who is just starting out, or picking the guitar back up. Now, there are no more excuses, get back to practicing! Beginning guitar is easier when you have a guide. Your guitar teacher can help you along the way and show you the best way to learn to play the guitar. Search for your guitar teacher now!   Joe H. is a guitar and music theory instructor in White Plains, NY. Teaching since 2009, he received a degree in Jazz Studies from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music and can help students specialize in blues or country guitar. Learn more about Joe here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by Codayy

How to Graduate On Time in College

How to Graduate On Time in College It is widely assumed that the college experience is only a four-year one. Many students embark on this journey believing four years is all theyll have, as if college will automatically end once that proclaimed time period has passed. However, college doesnt necessarily wrap up in four years so easily. In fact, the amount of time you spend there is very much in your control. Unlike in high school when teachers and various meetings helped you map out your schedule every semester along the way, no one will be closely overseeing that aspect of your college classes. If you dont keep track of what subjects and how many hours you need to take in order to graduate on time or graduate at all you may not be finding this installment of higher education to be completed so easily in just four years. From the very beginning, you are the one who needs to be aware of what classes you have been, are, and will be taking. Yes, you will have an advisor assigned to you by your major who will be able to help you scope these things out, but even then, you must set up your own meetings with them at the right times. Especially if you end up attending a larger school, it will take a lot more effort to schedule some time between you and your advisor to make sure you degree requirements are correctly on track. If you are planning on going to grad school you may want to check out some of the best classes for grad school admissions. This is clearly an important process to be aware of if you want to be sure to successfully graduate in general, but it is absolutely crucial that you are on top of these things if you want to guarantee yourself a timely graduation ceremony with the rest of your class. There are several things to keep track of and you need to have a personally helpful system in place in order to keep this information organized. It isnt the most fun thing to do and it may not feel necessary right away, but youll be thankful that you did it once senior year rolls around and the degree application process isnt giving you red flags of rejection. It may seem overwhelming, but there are just a few areas you really need to make sure you look at: General Education Requirements: Your freshman orientation will probably encourage you to sign up for most of these anyway, but it is a good idea to check out exactly what you need to take in this section of classes. Among the selection of English, math, and science related courses, there will be a specific amount of general education courses that you must complete. Dont just assume you only need one of each and then think youve gotten them out of the way. There are sub-categories in each of these subjects that you must pay attention to. For instance, you may need to take a certain number of science labs in addition to lectures, or fictional literature classes in addition to non-fiction ones. Throw in the endless variety of mathematics and you are facing quite the handful of possible Gen Eds. A very useful tip in this area is to get as much of these taken care of as early as possible. Although they may not be the exciting courses you wanted to start your college experience with, youll be a lot more content sitting in these classes as a freshman than as the only upper-classman in the bunch later on. Requirements for Your Major: Needless to say, every major is different and therefore demands vastly different selections of classes for you to take. If you are an Engineering major, you should not converse about registration decisions with your Psychology major roommate. This is particularly where advisors come in handy because they are informed most specifically on your field of study. There are going to be a certain amount of hours you need to take of classes related to your major, and a specific list of the types of classes related to your major. Make sure you understand which specific subjects you need to take, how many hours of each of them, and how many hours overall. Additionally, you may be required to take a certain amount of classes/hours in the particular school you belong to (i.e. School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Business, etc.) that are specifically not related to your major. Universities like you to be well-rounded even within your major, so be prepared to continue looking at the wide span of things even under this umbrella. If you are still unsure about your major you may want to check out this information on college majors. Semester Hours: This is the big one. Graduation requirements will typically state that you need to have X amount of hours total to graduate but it never stays that simple. There will be semester hour requirements within those total hours. For instance, no more than X amount of hours can come from your major, or at least X amount of hours must come from general education classes, etc.. If youve paid attention to the aforementioned course requirements, these hours should ideally fall into place relatively easily. However, it is still very important to keep track of, since one small mistake with your hours could throw off everything and cancel out many hours of hard work. Bottom line: these requirements are tricky, and these requirements are final. Make a list or chart early on to map out these demands perfectly so you dont get lost as time flies by. If you get this process started before it begins, you will be far more likely to stay on top of it throughout the entire duration of your college experience. Whereas if you try to catch up on it in the middle of your junior year, there will be much more of a challenge to get your schedule straightened out and ensure you are set to graduate on time. Get this information put together immediately and you will have a great item of guidance every semester when it comes time to register for classes. You may also want to check out this information on how to network as a recent college graduate!

Free AP exam prep seminars

Free AP exam prep seminars Its already March, which means that AP exam season will soon be upon us!  Most teachers are  finishing up new material in AP classes this month, and exam preparation will start in April.  If youre  worried about that tough US History or Calculus exam, you should check out our AP exam preparation  seminars!New for 2012, our AP seminars are free for current AJ Tutoring students and only $50 for non-AJ  Tutoring students.  Each seminar is two hours long and will consist of a review of major topics, hard concepts, and typical problems, as well as a question and answer session.  All seminars will take place at our Palo Alto office at 430 Cambridge Avenue, Suite 110.AP Seminar Schedule:AP Calculus (AB/BC) Seminar: Date: April   23rd @ 6-8pm (Instructor: William Cesarotti)AP Chemistry Seminar:  Date: May 3rd @ 6:30-8:30pm (Instructor: Robert Jonas)AP Physics B Seminar: Date: May 7th @ 4:30-6:30pm (Instructors: William Cesarotti Andrew Dreyfuss)AP US History Seminar: Date: May 7th @ 6:30-8:30pm (Instructors: Jean Liao Jared Greene)AP English (Language) Seminar: Date: May 12th @ 3-5pm (Instructor: Jared Greene)Click here  to register for a seminar.  Space is limited, so register today!    If youd like more comprehensive review for your AP exams with one of our experienced tutors, email info@ajtutoring.com and well get you set up.

How Technology Is Improving Tutoring

How Technology Is Improving Tutoring Improving Academic Performance Technology is helping tutors, teachers, and other education professionals go beyond the classroom and textbooks to help students learn. Online courses and lectures, 3-D modeling, videos, infographics, and other online media encourage students to go further than just memorization and notetaking. Technological developments allow students to fully immerse themselves in the material, revisit lectures, and gain a better understanding of the material through various pathways of learning. New technology is particularly beneficial where traditional methods of teaching have fallen short. Tutors are often brought in when a student is experiencing difficulty understanding a topic. Typically the more abstract subjects, like math or physics, require more assistance for students. Advances in technology have made learning much easier for students who learn visually--those who need to see representations or videos of topics that are hard to understand in standard textbook and lecture methods. Tutors have an opportunity where most teachers do not--to implement new technology to help their students learn. Digital simulations and models go well beyond 2-D representations or a process flowchart. Certain concepts are a challenge to understand when the student is unable to see the behavior in action (like physics). With technology, tutors and teachers are able to bring simulations and modeling into the classroom, assisting students who have difficulty grasping the information through verbal discussion. Technological simulations allow students to have a hands-on experience, which often helps them retain information better. It’s like having lab in the middle of class. Technology removes physical barriers and allows you to learn from anywhere in the world. This greatly opens up the world of education. For example, you could learn your math lessons from an online math tutor program that comes with a variety of support, rather than trying to figure it out on your own. Or, why not get help with science homework with an online physics tutor from a prestigious physics program, rather than paying the kid from down the street? If you’re trying to learn another language, online language sites that connect students with native speakers through videoconferencing can be an amazing educational opportunity. The social interaction and opportunity to learn about another culture without having to relocate to another country is priceless. Technology also enables students to work together on group projects more easily. Various platforms like Podio, Google Drive, Basecamp, and Dropbox make it simpler than ever to share information, documents and research, while assigning tasks and responsibilities. With many recent publications, studies, and books coming out through online platforms, lugging around heavy books will soon be a thing of the past. Instead of having to buy heavy sets of books, additional readings, and lecture notes at the start of each quarter, semester or year, textbooks will literally just be a swipe away on your iPad or tablet. The recent introduction of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), which enables top tier universities’ classes to become increasingly available to the general public, allows for more people to have online access to some of the best education in the world. As the courses and platforms become further advanced, the college may recommend tutors in physics, math, or other subjects, and even provide online tutoring services. Online programs make it easy for people to gain a career that, several years ago, was only possible with four years on a university campus. Whether it is a desire to become a nurse’s aid, a technician, or even how to become a medical assistant, these are all viable options accessible online. With such great online support, this pathway to a career is wide open. Unfortunately, in-class lectures are not the easiest things to remember. Between rapidly copying down notes and asking questions, it seems like you are always playing catch-up. Fortunately, lectures can now be pre-recorded and accessed anytime, anywhere, and as frequently as the student needs. No more missing out on valuable informationâ€"with the notes and lectures available at any time for students to visit at their leisure, they are able to invest more attention to in-session lectures. This means that classroom time can be more devoted to supplementing lecture content through discussions and QA. Teachers and tutors also have more ways to improve, based on the analytics and questions received post lectures. Technological advances are changing the face of education. While teachers might be slightly restricted by funding or school policies, private institutions and online tutor programs can harness the benefits of technology to improve the learning of their students. Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer in Southern California. With a great interest in technology, her writings have covered the many different facets that come along with it. Follow her on Twitter or Facebook to find out more! hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(215486, '6baac2ae-05a3-4610-9d1f-265c8cbd809f', {});

3 Easy Ways to Help Control Anxiety

3 Easy Ways to Help Control Anxiety pinterest.com Every time something bothers you and you get those uncomfortable butterflies in your chest, grab a pen and paper or sit down in front of your computer and write about it. You dont have to post it anywhere or let anyone read it, but get it out on paper. Have a personal blog or journal that is private for you, or post it as some kind of helpful content to others. I promise, writing about your worries will help relieve some of that anxiety you feel like you just cant shake. If something happens to you and you feel like you are going to bust, hold it together, get to your journal, and let it all out. Finding a hobby kind of goes in there too, as writing can be a hobby but Im going to leave that for another top 3. #2) TALK ABOUT IT emaze.com I know a lot of people struggling with anxiety might have a problem opening up and talking about it. You can talk to your friends, parents, God, or even a therapist. Speaking of therapy, dont be embarrassed to go to a session or two. If you need it you need it and it will help. You dont have to tell a soul about it. Its confidential and all between you and your doctor. On that note, make sure you have a good therapist. I went to see one a couple times and she turned out to be exactly everything I DID NOT want in a therapist. #1) GET AN ANIMAL     That cute puppy up there is my baby. You think I am crazy, but trust me my little Pomeranian has worked wonders for my anxiety. She is two years old but has been living with me for about eight months. When I started having really bad panic attacks my boyfriend didnt know what to do. In a desperate attempt to calm me down he handed me my puppy and told me to hold her and told her to love on momma. She licked on my hands and my face, which I normally hate, but this time it was oddly soothing. I squeezed her tight and rubbed her belly as a sort of thanks. Previous to this, I had her registered as an Emotional Support Animal to avoid having to pay a pet fee at my apartment complex. I had the prescription medicine to prove I struggled with anxiety, but Id never experienced what she could truly do for me until that night. Having her close to me and loving me with her puppy kisses really helped the calming down process and eventually pulled me out of my little spell. I really suggest investing in a good puppy that can help you out too. Shes truly my furry best friend. These are three things that I have found very helpful in trying to control my anxiety. Comment below and let me know some of your helpful tips! Subscribe to my YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/user/indepdanc

Instituto San Roberto

Instituto San Roberto Instituto San Roberto Instituto San Roberto is a pre-K-9th grade private school located in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, MexicoInstituto San Roberto is a pre-K-9th grade private school located in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The school offers a bilingual education that provides the students with the ability to communicate in both English and Spanish, which gives them a competitive advantage in college and in the future job market.ISR is also recognized for having a high academic level, a strong 1:1 MS Technology Program, a comprehensive values program, and a well- defined communication structure. It is accredited by AdvancED and its Accreditation Division: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI)) and belongs to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and the American Schools Association in Mexico (ASOMEX).Our mission is to provide a well-rounded education in a student-centered environment, where academic excellence and universal v alues are promoted and students are cherished and inspired.Our program adheres to the highest Mexican and U.S. standards, is consistent with those of the Meritas family of schools, and guides our students to become successful and responsible global citizens.

Is it Time to Quit Your Job 8 Red Flags

Is it Time to Quit Your Job 8 Red Flags via Pixabay You dread going to work This isn’t the feeling that you would rather be doing something else that day instead of going to work every so often. It is an almost painful feeling every single day before you go to work. Thinking about walking into your office feels like there is a rock in your stomach. The feeling is so overwhelming that you may just want to break down and cry because you don’t want to go into work. If you wake up every morning and have absolutely nothing to look forward to at work, then it may be time to quit your job. You complain about your job constantly It’s all you talk about with your friends and family. When you get together for brunch with your friends on the weekends, all you contribute to the conversation is how awful your week at work was and what a terrible person your boss is. Everyone complains about their job at some point, but if you find that the only thing you talk about is how much you despise going into work, then maybe it is time for you to quit your job. You justify staying Quitting your job is like breaking up with someone. You know it’s the right thing to do, but you hate confrontation so you’re going to put it off for just a little longer in the hopes that maybe it’ll get better. If you find yourself saying something along the lines of, “I hate my job, but it offers stability and a nice paycheck,” then you are absolutely justifying you staying at your job. You must look past what your current job offers you and instead look at what new opportunities can offer you. When the cons outweigh the pros, then it is time to quit your job. via Pixabay Your health is declining First of all, you should never jeopardize your health for a job. Some people may not know that stress can take a toll on your body physically. Some of these effects include insomnia, headaches, stomach problems, frequent colds, and many other painful effects. Try to take some time off from your job to relax and relieve your stress. If you find that your job is stressing you out to the point that you are experiencing these effects and taking a few personal days off to relax is not helping, it may be time to quit your job. via Pixabay You’re bored Everyone gets a little bored at work sometimes. It may be a slow couple of weeks and you don’t have much to do, but once work picks up you’re excited to be busy. It is when you are bored at work all day no matter what is going on that it becomes a problem. Being consistently bored at work means that you are not fulfilling your potential and have lost all interest in your job. When you find that absolutely nothing excites you about your job, then it may be time to quit your job. via Pixabay You daydream about other opportunities It’s not uncommon for people to get lost in their thoughts while at work. Maybe they’re thinking about the next vacation they will take or what they will be having for dinner that night. If you find yourself daydreaming of other job opportunities and pursuing another time, then it may be a sign that it’s time to quit your job. via Pixabay Your skills aren’t being used One factor that contributes to becoming bored at work is that your special skills are not being used at your job. This holds you back from working to your full potential, especially if these skills are hard to come across. It’s important to feel like you are challenging yourself and cultivating your skills so you can advance later on in the company. If you find that basic skills are needed for your position and your company is not taking advantage of the special skills you have, then it may be time to quit your job. You don’t picture yourself there in the future Take a minute and try to imagine yourself 10 years from now. Are you still working for your company? Do you see the possibility of advancing to another position? Or are you still sitting at your same desk doing the same things you are now? You may see yourself doing working in a completely different field or at another company. If you don’t plan to stay at your company, then it may be time to quit your job.