First of all, I’m not a health professional. This is simply practical advice from someone who has spent many years studying, going to therapy and learning what worked for me. Everyone is different. You may want to do things totally differently. I just want you to realize that severe trauma is painful but it is something that you have survived. Now it is time to look forward and grow. Here are some tips I have used to grow in over thirty years from a shy, scared and hurt girl to a strong, and successful adult. I didn’t do everything by the books. I did it my way but learned from experts along the way.

Whether your pain is from war, childhood abuse, witnessing trauma or whatever, it is strong and best handled by talking to a professional. Therapists are helpful, go to a few and find one you truly can relate to. My whole family has been to, and been helped by them. They are there to give you advice, and help, not condemn or hurt you.

The source of my pain was due to a highly aggressive, angry and disturbed female family member. I am fortunate to be alive and functioning fully, after enduring bullying, aggression, and a host of erratic and unhealthy behavior at the hands of that person. Authorities removed me from the home and put me somewhere safer as a teen. It changed my life to be around kinder, gentler and caring people. Since that time I have spent my life learning about what it takes to relate in a healthy manner to others and being thankful to those who rescued me so long ago. I forgive those who were abusive, and those who ignored it. It took years but it did happen.

The residue from abuse or trauma can be severe depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, like in my case. Everyone reacts to life differently, I became very sad and reclusive as a young adult, but hid it by forcing myself to go out with friends. It was a huge struggle to hide the pain sometimes. Having never learned trust, the world felt hostile, and unsafe. At times it still can, but I put it all in more proper perspective now.

Here are some tips to help if you are having trouble with adult survivor or post-traumatic issues:

Remember, the abuse or trauma was not your fault. Don’t beat yourself up about it. People chose to be the way they were, they made choices that were unhealthy. That is not your fault. Defend and nurture yourself, don’t self-hate or blame.

Keep a journal. Nobody else needs to see it. Just write down what is going on in your mind, there is no right or wrong in journaling. Get the feelings out. If you are in a domestic violence situation, I reccommend you hide the journal somewhere where it won’t be find. Keep yourself safe. But, still keep a journal, to give yourself a voice you may not have had in situations out of your control.

Don’t give up. Fight negativity and sadness. Sometimes medicines help, sometimes talk therapy is enough. Doctors can help you decide what is best for you. It took time to build up this pain. Now, do things that make you feel safe and at peace to help rebuild your faith and self confidence. I like to draw, pet my cat, play my guitar, and watch movies. Everyone has their own choices. Do what is your favorite, not what someone else wants to you to do.

Avoid highly unhealthy people. Controlling, negative, angry, mean or rude people are on the top of my list. Do not react or get emotional if these types try to engage you in battles or discussions. Put up boundaries. Even if the offending person is a close family member, establishing boundaries (letting people know your limits of what you will and won’t tolerate) is very important. Do not let others push you around. If they try, be calm and firm, keep repeating your stance on the issue or avoid them. Eventually they will learn or get lost. Do not tolerate poor treatment. You teach people how you want to be treated.

Do not get stuck in the “blame” game (who’s fault this or that problem is). It’s a losing battle, and nobody wins. A lot of my young life was dealing with this. Distance yourself from people who do this, show them that you will not engage in the debate. It is wasted energy, better used on more positive things in life.

Develop positivity, even when you feel very, very negative. Use affirmations (small phrases that are meant to uplift or comfort your mind such as, “I am intelligent, it is ok to stand up for myself,” etc. Say them or stick them on Post-It notes to remind yourself of these positive thoughts throughout the day. Eventually, if you throw enough mud against a wall, some will stick. Same with positivity. In time, it will stick. Then think up new ones and add them into your your affirmation regimen. It does work. Really. It’s fighting those negative inner voices. The more you use them, the more they replace the bad with the good thoughts.

Develop a routine, and stick with it. Be dependable to yourself. Others may not have been there for you, but YOU can be there for you. It’s true. You are your own friend or enemy. Choose to be your own friend. When things are hard for you, cut yourself some slack and stop to realize that the bad time will pass, and that you WILL be ok because you are not alone..you have you. Don’t feel sorry for yourself, just simply be a kind, supportive and understanding friend to your mind. It is uncomfortable at first if you’re not used to it, but in time, the kindness and peace it gives you is worth it.

Don’t look at the big picture, look at pieces of the puzzle and tackle them one at a time. Take care of yourself. Even if depression makes you feel like you’re walking in a big vat of quicksand, realize that baby steps will get you through it. This way, things don’t feel overwhelming. I use a Dayrunner calendar and stick to it. It helps me know what I need to do and when, when my mind is going in a hundred directions. For me, it is a powerful tool and I depend on it to keep organized. The goal is to de-stress as much as possible, using whatever tools work best for you. Simplify your life so your mind doesn’t have to work so hard to deal with everything.

Work to have peace in your life and be very careful of who you let into it. Trust must be earned. Beware of those who are angry, critical and violent or cruel to others or animals. See how a person reacts when angry, that can be a good clue to see if this person has anger management issues. True narcissists and overly self-absorbed people are hard to live with or relate to. Big, fat, red flag. Also, those who have had very shady pasts. Past behavior gives you a glimpse into what their future behavior may be like, according to experts.

Learn from the past, but don’t get stuck in it. I look back on my past to reflect on how much I’ve grown and learned, not to waste energy thinking of all the bad things that happened. It is more important to focus on the present, to make an even better future. Grieve the past then let it go. Sometimes it won’t go away, but with healing, the thoughts will lessen. Let yourself heal by focusing on positive and helpful things you can do to improve your life right now.

Hopefully, these tips are helpful to you. That’s my therapy in a nutshell. I am happier now at 43 than I ever was when younger, due to knowing myself better. I’m a busy professional, and there is no trauma in my life anymore. If it comes up, it will be dealt with, with skills learned through life. Being resourceful and learning to be positive are important to being a successful survivor. Sure, there is still self-doubt and pain deep down, but those feelings lessen, with more positive, productive thoughts to replace them. Do not give up on yourself or your life. I owe my own success to a strong amount of stubbornness and persistence, which I consider good traits. Know yourself, and surround yourself with those who will nurture and help you grow. We’re like plants, feed and nurture and we grow. Ignore, and we wither up. Choose to grow..and you will not only survive but prosper.

200c

The prospect of your online business taking a hit is a pretty realistic one. While everyone loves the profitable times, it is inevitable that eventually your success will begin to wane a little bit. There is a ton of competition online and things change so rapidly that at times, it can be difficult to keep up. Below, are a few ways to help lessen the impact of hard times and also some tips that if followed, will help you bounce back and survive the difficult times.

Diversify: In order to manage the low points, it is important to diversify your marketing methods and the products that you are selling. This will provide you with a bit of “cushion” in case one of your income streams starts to dry up. If you have already gotten into trouble then as you are rebuilding your business use several different types of methods to bounce back. For example, you may want to sell products via pay-per-click, start a membership site on the side and do some freelancing. Sure, this will take quite a bit of work in the beginning but as you buildup each of these businesses you may be able to outsource some of the duties.

Have A Back Up Plan: You should always have a back up plan that is ready to be put into action. If one of your main income earners suddenly becomes unprofitable or is starting to lose steam, go to your back up plan. Having a good “Plan B” will make getting through the tough times much easier.

Save, Save, Save: Never spend all of your money. Always save some portion of it. Come up with a certain percentage and try to put away the same amount every month. Your goal should be to save enough money to cover all of your expenses for 6 months in the event that something disastrous happens to your online business.

Don’t Risk More Then You Can Afford to Lose: It is always a bad idea to risk more then you can afford to lose. If you have hit a rough patch, it can be tempting to put everything that you have left on the line, to get back in the black. Be cautious and avoid this. If you can not afford to lose it, don’t spend it.

Slum It For A While: If your business has taken a hit, you may need to “slum it” for a while. This simply means that you might have to take some “menial” jobs to stay float. This may include posting on forums for other marketers, submitting people’s websites or blogs to directories and other easy freelance work. These are typically the things that you may not enjoy doing but that will help keep the lights on at your house.

These are a few guidelines to follow to lessen the impact of a failed online business or to avoid taking a big hit in the first place. Remember to have a back up plan, always save a portion of your profits, do not risk more then you can afford to lose, slum it for a while if you have to and diversify your income streams.

Related Blogs

• Institutional child abuse in Texas « Robert's Virtual Soapbox
• Home Schooling and Child Abuse. Is There A Link? « (Wo)Men Speak …
• The Progressive Mind » Pope 'led cover-up of child abuse by …
• German tells of childhood abuse by Catholic priest « Ramanan50's Blog
• Armani – 4 year old female Staffordshire Bull Terrier Cross » dog …
• I CAN'T COMPROMISE MY FAMILY FOR MY JOB | NBF NEWS, FREE HOT …
• guitar lessen – Learning to Enjoy Life and Be a Happier Person …
• The Female Orgasm | Civin.org
• Why Do People Develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | Sober Place
• Talking to Your Loved Ones About Post Traumatic Stress Disorder …
• PTSD Professional Perspective: Complementary Therapies for PTSD …
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Getting Help Early to Feeling …
• Types of Effective Therapy for Healing PTSD | Sober Place
• Trauma Symptoms in Survivors With PTSD | Sober Place
• Is there an objective, physical basis for PTSD?
• Can I Have PTSD If I Don't Remember Any Trauma | Sober Place
• Combat Vet's PTSD Untreated; Blames Her Gender
• Advice For Choose the Right Massage Therapist · Cosmetics Guide
• History of Massage Therapy & the Benefits of it | Yoga Masters
• What is the Education difference between a Massage Therapist and a …

Fixing your broken home appliances is one way to ‘go green’. To prevent being accountable to the radical changes in the environment, whose effects include global warming; saving our resources allows us to contribute to the sustainability of the planet. Immediately repairing broken appliances will make them more energy efficient which saves electricity. Also, lessening the demands for new appliances would lessen the necessity for its production. As we all know, industrial manufacturing and assembly plant are highly accountable to the many pollutions that our planet currently suffers from. Last, keeping old appliances working keeps the landfill clear.

Tips in Doing Appliance Repairs

Home appliances are machines that are primarily intended to make life easier. They are built to perform and with that, they endure years year after year of hard work without receiving any form of maintenance. Expectedly, they will start stalling over time. If your appliance breaks down, here’s what you should do:

- After making sure that the appliance do not work even when you turn it on, make sure that you unplug it first before tinkering with its parts. Do not touch anything or do not do any adjustments to the settings unless the power is out. Also, if an appliance is already faulty, unplugging it will prevent it from continuously consuming wasting electricity with its ineffective mechanisms.

- If your appliance is held together by screws, bolts, plugs and other forms of fasteners, repairs normally come easy. However, riveted and welded appliances are more of a repair problem. As a rule of thumb, do not detach or force your way into the system of your broken appliance if you do not know what you are doing. Calling a professional service person can help you salvage your broken appliances.

- In most cases, broken appliance have blown, worn, torn or damaged parts. In this light, it is important to replace damaged parts with the exact same parts. Each part has its own part number code which makes it easier to locate a replacement part. In some cases, the job of locating a spare part, particularly on obsolete appliance models, proves to be quite a challenge. Part replacements should add up to your repair expenses. However, it will ensure that your appliance will work more efficiently and can possibly hold out for more years of service. Learning from a manual or from the owner’s guide leaflet can help if you have enough mechanical skills for the job but avoid tinkering with your broken appliance if you are not skilled in doing repair tasks.

Many times, people get away from the necessity of buying home appliances by having the broken ones immediately repaired. The cost of hiring a handyman or repairman is but a fraction of the cost of a new washer, washing machine and refrigerator. However, you may also opt to do the repairs yourself. With the use of simple hand tools, you can actually save a lot of money in doing repairs.

If there are needed parts, you can conveniently have them delivered to your home through online shopping; saves gas and time on driving over to distance appliance part dealers. There are many websites that offer appliance spare parts from reputable brands and dealers and they sometimes offer free shipping. Now that’s a neat solution to saving money and the environment at the same time.

1feb

If you don’t own them already, at some point, you will encounter what are called guitar effects. Guitar effects are used to enhance the tone and sound of your instrument. Guitar effects can dramatically change your guitar sound, or simply make your guitar sound sonically rich.

When you enter the world of guitar effects, it can be quite overwhelming to know what the best guitar effects to purchase are. From stomp boxes, to full rack mount guitar effects, there is an unending supply of sound available to enhance your guitar playing sound and abilities.

Let’s take a look at 4 must-have guitar effects that you will want to utilize in your guitar playing experience.

1. Distortion

2. Delay

3. Chorus

4. Reverb

1. Distortion: If you’ve ever heard a hard rock band, chances are you have heard a guitar player that is using distortion. Believe it or not, distortion is not just limited to heavy metal playing guitar players. Many jazz guitar players incorporate distortion into their sound. Even rock and blues players will incorporate a light distortion sound, giving their clean tone an extra edge to the sound that their guitar produces. There are unlimited types of distortion available to the guitar player making distortion a great way to craft your own unique guitar tone.

2. Delay: Think back to a time where you were yelling your name in a concrete stairwell, or shouting your name across a canyon, and while you were calling out your name you heard your name repeat over and over. You have just experienced delay. Another name for delay is echo. Delay as a guitar effect is basically when the sound that you produce on your guitar repeats itself over and over again. There are short delays, and long delays. Short delays are great for adding rhythmic variation to your guitar. Long delays are a great way to add excitement within your guitar solos.

3. Chorus: The idea behind the effect known as chorus is when you have an overlapping blend of voices sounding together. Chorus on the guitar is similar to having many guitar‘s overlapping together. Chorus is a great guitar effect when played on a clean guitar tone. Both electric and acoustic guitars will sound great with chorus added to the sound mix of your guitar.

4. Reverb: Very similarly related to delay is the effect called reverb. If hearing the sound repeat over and over again is called delay, the part of the sound that continues onward after you’ve stopped playing is called reverb. Right now, clap your hand in the room that you’re in. If you’re in a small room your handclap will not last very long. In a large auditorium however, the after sound of clapping your hand might last for a few seconds. You’ll also hear the effects of natural reverb by yelling your name in a concrete stairwell, or a canyon. Reverb is a great guitar effect that can add depth to your sound. Thick Reverb guitar effects are generally not recommended playing with live because reverb can muddy up your guitar sound. Instead, try adding reverb to your guitar in a studio recording. In a home studio recording, reverb can make your guitar sound amazing.

About The Author

Interested in learning to play the guitar?: CLICKHERE FOR FREE GUITAR VIDEO LESSONS:how to play guitar beginner

With a passion to teach guitar, Jeremiah La Follette helps beginner and intermediate guitar players unlock the secrets of learning guitar in a snap!

If right now you are asking yourself how to lose fat fast, chances are you want to get rid of some unsightly bulges in the wrong places. The simplest answer to that question of “how to lose fat fast” is to lessen your fat intake. This means getting rid of saturated oils and trans fats (which are usually found in animal and animal-based products) from your diet, and replacing them with mono-unsaturated ones, which are, in turn, usually plant or plant-based products.

Another thing to remember in learning how to lose fat fast is to learn what kind of foods will become fat, even though they do not start out as fats, per se. Carbohydrates and simple sugars are the body’s energy sources, and being the efficient machine that the body is, if the energy is not burned, carbs and sugars will be stored as – yes, you guessed it! – fat. So that is another easy (or maybe, not so easy) take on how to lose weight – that is to say, lessen the intake of carbs and sugars to the amount of how much your body will be able to utilize. A diet that will help answer the question of “how to lose fat fast” would mean boiled, baked, or grilled lean white meats, or tofu, whole grain breads, vegetable salads, vinaigrette dressings, and fresh low-glucose fruits.

The next alternative in finding ways on how to lose fat fast is to find a regimen that will burn the fat already stored. These regimens will usually entail “heating” up your body and making you sweat. Most how to lose fat fast exercise programs will have you doing aerobic or cardiovascular activities. But always note that you are trying to learn how to lose fat fast, not how to dehydrate yourself. Be sure to take plenty of fluids during these exercises, and water is still the best hydrator you can find.

Muscles also weigh more than fat, so don’t be disheartened if the needle on the scale isn’t moving backwards. A better guide to see if the program you are following on how to lose fat fast would probably be the way your clothes fit you.

Dieting and exercising can go hand in hand, but you must ensure that you are taking in enough calories to fuel your body as you work out. Sometimes it is advisable to lose some weight by dieting first before going for the burn. You can also try some low impact exercises during this stage to help get your body ready for the trials that it will face in the coming weeks.

There are faster and less tiring ways on how to lose fat fast, such as the gastric bypass, liposuction, and diet pills, but these should be reserved for movie stars and the morbidly obese. Needless to say, these are risky procedures and should only be an option to take in finding a way of how to weight fast if the benefits will outweigh the cost.

Online learning is a new, innovative, and popular mode of learning which got global approval instantly. Online learning has several benefits, so more and more people are being attracted towards online learning. However, online music learning is a completely new trend. Like other forms of learning, it became popular soon.

Online Music Learning – Beginning of New Era

A majority of music lovers could not learn to play their favorite instruments due to lack of time or required resources. They always wanted an alternative solution of music learning that could help them in fulfilling their desires. To serve this need, some websites started providing online music learning facilities where people can register and learn playing different instruments and get singing or playing lessons.

Advantages of Online Music Learning

Online music learning had several advantages. It provides the facility of learning at your own pace. There are no worries of attending music classroom sessions on time or the teaching speed of instructor in any of the forms of online music learning. One can get music lessons at his or her preferred time and pace. That means, with online music learning facility you no longer need to stick to any routine for learning music.

Costs of Online Music Learning

Online music learning is not only convenient option of learning but also a cost effective alternative. You can find several websites providing free online lessons for playing piano, guitars, or other music instruments. They also provide free music sheets for you to practice whenever you get time. Although there are a few websites too that provide paid online music training facilities. However, as a beginner you do not need to pay money for getting piano lessons. It’s best to enjoy free lessons and get your hands going on your favorite musical instruments.

Video Tutorials – Useful Service in Music Learning

Most of the online music learning websites offer video tutorials. People taking online lessons from these websites can get benefit of these video tutorials. It is really a great way of learning music when you see someone performing and copy him or her. Audio-visuals are always a best way of learning.

Therefore, online music learning websites are a great help of people interested in learning music, or playing any instrument of their choice.

About The Author

http://www.piano-sheets.net is an online service for Piano music lovers. All Piano lovers can find several useful resources of their use and learn play to piano from free music sheet. For more information please visit: – http://purelessons.com/

As a guitarist, I’m often asked this question – “What is the best way to improve my guitar playing given my limited time and budget?”

In this article, I’ll explore how you can use a Guitar Learning Method on the the Internet to learn and master the guitar in the comfort of your own home. Compared to a personal tutor, learning the guitar online is a much more flexible and cost effective route.

You can take the lessons at your own pace and work it around your schedule, plus its far more affordable than a private guitar tutor.

So, what do you need to get started? Contrary to popular belief, you only need a few basic things to get started. Don’t be caught up with all the hype around equipment, gadgets and learning aids.

First of all, you’ll need a guitar. Bet you already knew that, but you don’t have to wait for that perfect guitar to start, a basic acoustic guitar with fresh strings will do. Secondly, you’ll need a PC with a decent set of speakers. Third, a private place to practice and learn is an added bonus. Finally, the most important thing you’ll need is a whole lot of determination and tenacity. Guitar learning can be frustrating and you really need to keep at it to see results.

Now that you’ve got all that sorted out, get online and start learning! A good guitar training program should have step by step instructions with videos. You’ll learn how to read notes and tab, form chords and recognize chord progressions by ear. Some programs will even provide you with custom software to help you develop a musical ear.

You’ll be surprised at how much these excellent online music lessons will cost. Its a lot more affordable then you. Once you purchase it, it’ll always be online for you to login and learn.

Be prepared to develop callous on your fingers and some pain on your wrists when you start. Some programs will also provide finger training exercises to help you strengthen your fingers (and you’ll grow stronger skin on your fingers to compensate the callous).

The secret to learning the guitar successfully is persistence and practice. Don’t rush the program and only move to the next lesson after you’ve mastered one. Many people give up when they don’t seem to get anywhere in their playing, but remember that everyone needs to learn to crawl, then walk, then run! Get down your basics well and work on foundations like playing chords, developing a good sense of rhythm, the correct fingering techniques (bad habits will be hard to break later on), proper posture and handling of your guitar so you can enjoy playing long hours without hurting yourself.

I hope that this article will be useful to you on your musical journey. Remember to keep practicing and don’t give up. If you read biographies of any great guitar players, you’ll see a similar pattern: dedication to their craft and practice!

About The Author

Al Tan tries to be a guitarist when he’s not building websites. One of the best resource to learn guitar online that he’s come across which has step-by-step guitar lessons on video is . For acoustic guitar, try .

• 
  5 Simple Secrets to Losing Weight
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss]
  Losing weight is something that most of us give some thought to at some point in our lives. There then comes the all important question: how do we go about losing some of that extra weight? Let’s face it, we’re all basically a bit on the lazy side. Strenuous exercise is not something most of us like to undertake, and strict diets usually end up being not as strict as they should be.

• 
  Using Email Marketing Targeted Properly
  

  [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Email-Marketing]
  Using email marketing targeted at the right people, the results can be quite amazing. This is where so many people fail. They think that their offer is a great one, and maybe it is too.

• 
  Martin Acoustic Guitars
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music]
  Martin acoustic guitars can be traced back in the USA to 1833 when C. F. Martin Sr. arrived in New York from Germany with his family and set up his luthier shop in the city. The legendary Martin guitars were born.

• 
  Growing Rhubarb in Winter
  

  [Home-and-Family:Gardening]
  Most people think that growing rhubarb is so easy that they don’t have to do anything. The rhubarb will simply grow itself. To some extent this is true; rhubarb is a very hardy plant that will thrive in the face of the most disadvantageous conditions, but it is also an extremely versatile plant that responds well to a little care and attention.

• 
  Is She Telling You the Truth? Learn to Read Her Body Language!
  

  [Relationships:Conflict]
  We read body language all the time without knowing we do. It’s something we learn instinctively at a very young age. You dog can even learn body language, so it isn’t really difficult to master. It’s surprising, though, how many of us have never learned how to read the body language of someone telling a lie. Maybe that’s because we are a trusting animal by nature.

• 
  The 3 Biggest Relationship Killers
  

  [Relationships:Conflict]
  There are many things that can kill off a good relationship. Most of them are big things, as most relationships are strong if they have been going on for any length of time. When a relationship is threatened by something that happens, one or other of the partners is often surprised, wondering what has gone wrong. Usually it is the partner who has made it go wrong too.

• 
  What Did I Do Wrong on the First Date?
  

  [Relationships:Dating]
  You dated. It went great – as far as you were concerned. You called her a day or two later and left voice mail asking her to get back to you. She didn’t. It’s been nearly a week now and she still hasn’t returned your call. What should you do?

• 
  5 Ways to Impress Him on Your First Date
  

  [Relationships:Dating]
  Guys have a lot of choice these days. For that reason you need to stand out form the crowd if you want to get ahead in the dating game. You have to impress him on your first date so that you can move on the second, third and fourth dates. If he thinks you are OK, but just ordinary, he won’t bother to call you back after the first date.

• 
  Talking Your Way to a Stronger Relationship
  

  [Relationships:Communication]
  When a relationship starts to break down, for whatever reason there may be, it’s often because both people have not talked enough about what’s happening to them. A strong relationship needs communication. It needs clear and strong communications in order for each person to know what’s expected of them, and what they can expect to have happen. If your relationship is starting to crumble at the edges, perhaps all that’s needed is a good talk. Start talking your way to a stronger relationship today!

• 
  Does He Have a Crush on You? Here Are 5 Ways to Tell!
  

  [Relationships:Singles]
  You’ve seen him around a few times, here and there. Somehow he always seems to be there, or somewhere near you, when you least expect it. He’s friendly. You can easily see that, but how friendly? Is he just a nice polite guy?

• 
  5 Ways to Deal With Someone on the Rebound
  

  [Relationships:Conflict]
  As soon as a relationship ends, it tends to be the case that we quickly try to find someone else. We call it the rebound. It’s our way of getting over a hurtful time. But what if you are the one who is picked by someone on the rebound? How do you cope with someone who is obviously somewhere else and not sure of where they want to be?

• 
  Girls, Playing Too Hard to Get Can Ruin Your Chances of Getting Anything
  

  [Relationships:Dating]
  It’s often said that girls should not be easy. They should play hard to get in order to get the guys attention. That’s true to a certain degree, but it can go too far. No guy wants his girl to play too loose and fancy free, but he does want to get to know her. If she plays too hard to get the chances are that he will stop trying and go elsewhere.

• 
  5 Ways to Impress Her on Your First Date
  

  [Relationships:Dating]
  If you think she’s worth having, then you have to impress her on your first date. It’s the only way that you can stand a good chance of getting a second and third date. If you blow the first date there won’t be any more. That’s how important it is. Of course you’re nervous. Everyone is on a first date, but you have to keep your head and have a strategy.

• 
  How to Get the Girl Even If You’re Not a Rock Star
  

  [Relationships:Dating]
  Finding a girl who will agree to date with you can be a struggle sometimes for some guys. Maybe you have stood and wondered how other guys appear to make it all seem so easy. Well, you can do that too. All you need to know are just a few tricks that any guy can do successfully. Here are 7 tips to show you how to get the girl, even if you’re not a rock star.

• 
  5 Top Tips For a Better Dating Experience
  

  [Relationships:Dating]
  If you are a regular at the dating game you will probably want to do whatever you can to get even more out of the experience. There are certain unwritten rules that everyone should follow if they want to do well. There are certain things you should not do as well. It is these thing you shouldn’t do that this article will concentrate on. Here are 5 top tips for a better dating experience.

• 
  Setting Up PSP Internet Is Easier Than You Think!
  

  [Gaming:Console-Systems]
  The PSP is more than a gaming platform. It has WiFi connectivity, and that means that setting up PSP Internet is possible, just like on any computer. The WiFi feature is intended primarily to be used for upgrading software and for downloading games. But you can go several steps further than that, and it isn’t difficult to do either.

• 
  How To Use A Blood Pressure Chart With Blood Pressure Machines
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Home-Health-Care]
  The little blood pressure machines are great. But they don’t usually tell you what the readings mean. A blood pressure chart that you can understand is the only thing that will really tell you whether or not you need to worry over the readings it is giving you. You have to put it all into perspective to make sense out of it.

• 
  How To Lose Weight With 5 Simple Secrets
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss]
  Most people think about losing some weight at some point in their lives. But the question is usually, how to lose weight for the best possible results without having to do too much to achieve it.

• 
  Canine Arthritis Treatment (Or Treating Your Dog For Arthritis)
  

  [Pets:Dogs]
  Canine arthritis treatment, or dog arthritis treatment, involves pretty much the same steps as similar treatments for humans. Dogs can get many of the same arthritis conditions that we get, and it hurts just as much and causes the same amount of disability too.

• 
  Information On Rheumatoid Arthritis, And What To Do With It
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Arthritis]
  Information on rheumatoid arthritis is not particularly useful unless you act on it to try and ease the joint pain and discomfort associated with the condition. In a nutshell, rheumatoid arthritis causes the immune system to launch an attack on certain joints in the body.

• 
  Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment – What Should You Expect?
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Arthritis]
  Psoriatic arthritis treatment is aimed at reducing the pain and the associated swelling. It also aims to maintain fluid and natural movement in the joints, which in turn helps to prevent any further damage. The treatment recommended by your doctor will depend on the severity of the condition, your reaction to the treatment, and the type of psoriatic arthritis that you have.

• 
  Knee Osteoarthritis, What It Is And How To Live With It
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Diseases]
  Knee osteoarthritis is complicated by the fact that the knee takes all the load-bearing strain of the full body weight, which in turn makes the condition even more painful. This is a degenerative disease. It often feels worse in the mornings with stiffness that takes time to resolve.

• 
  Alternative Arthritis Pain Relief, Does It Really Work?
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Alternative]
  Alternative arthritis pain relief is something that many people are turning to more and more. Prescribed medicines and drugs are often seen as something less desirable than the more natural, or alternative medicines that are available.

• 
  Arthritis Treatment, Or Learn To Live With It – It’s Your Choice
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Arthritis]
  Arthritis treatment is a subject of potential interest to 43 million Americans. That’s how many suffer from the condition. And yet there are a large number of these people who poorly understand it, or how it can be treated, and as a result they fail to seek the best advice, or the best arthritis treatment they should have.

• 
  Joint Pain Relief – 3 Simple Tips To Ease Pain And Help Mobility
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Arthritis]
  Joint pain relief is the single most important thing to arthritis sufferers, that and a reasonable degree of mobility. Is there any easy way to achieve it? Yes, there are many simple and natural ways to achieve joint pain relief that don’t involve mind-numbing drugs. Here are a few…

• 
  How To Put Videos On PSP
  

  [Computers-and-Technology:Personal-Tech]
  There’s not really a definitive way of how to put video on PSP, but there’s a fast and easy way, and this is it. It’s not rocket science, but Sony hasn’t made putting video on a PSP as simple and straightforward a task as they should have done. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be simple. Here’s how to do it…

• 
  What Are Good Foods To Eat?
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition]
  For many people, the question of what are good foods to eat never arises. They simply eat by instinct, and that instinct leads then to where the good food is. But for the majority of us in today’s fast-food culture, the question of what are good foods to eat never arises either! We eat badly, and that’s the plain truth. Here are a few of my ideas for improving your everyday diet…

• 
  Where Can I Download Movies? Here Are A Few Tips
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV]
  When you ask the question, “where can I download movies?” you need to weigh up three things: what is the customer service like, how easy is the site to use, and how big and varied is their selection. The competitive nature of movie download sites is such that it can be very confusing for the beginner. It’s not so much, “where can I download movies” as “which site should I use to download movies from”. Here are a few things to look out for…

• 
  What To Do To Lose Weight – And Keep It Off
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss]
  “Tell me what to do to lose weight,” my wife cried in desperation, struggling to fit into a pair of jeans only two months old. And although she isn’t particularly overweight, it wasn’t the first time I’d heard her say that. So, that’s why I wrote this article

• 
  How To Sell Real Estate The Easy Way
  

  [Real-Estate]
  Anyone trying to break into the real estate game might easily lose hope early on if they are not properly prepared. It may seem obvious, but it’s essential to learn how to sell real estate properly before you do anthing else. There are many excellent guides and course where you can learn you how to sell real estate, and I would advise getting the best you can find. Meanwhile, here are a few tips that will help.

• 
  How To Train A Puppy In 3 Easy Steps
  

  [Pets:Dogs]
  Think about how to train a puppy first and foremost if you bring a new puppy into your home. She’s not a toy, so don’t treat her like one. Make your new puppy welcome. Her new home will have strange sounds and smells, which she will have to get used to. This takes time. Here are my 3 easy steps on how to train a puppy with the least possible hassle.

• 
  How To Potty Train A Puppy In 3 Easy Steps – Fast!
  

  [Pets:Dogs]
  Puppies are cute and adorable. But they are animals with bodily functions too. And if you don’t like to clean up behind them, then it’s time you learned how to potty train a puppy. For one thing is sure: if you don’t potty train them, they will mess the floor. Here are my 3 easy steps for how to potty train a puppy…

• 
  Food To Avoid During Pregnancy – 5 Top Tips
  

  [Home-and-Family:Pregnancy]
  It’s difficult to know which food to avoid during pregnancy. You baby’s health is all important, as is your own. But there are a few that do stand out as unwise to eat when you are carrying a child. here are my top 5 tips for food to avoid during pregnancy to help ensure a bright and healthy baby and mother:

• 
  Get Rid Of A Yeast Infection – And Prevent It Happening Again
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues]
  Yeast infection can occur in men as well as women, though it is in women that yeast infections are most commonly found. You might have a yeast infection if you have itching and redness around the external vaginal area. There may be a whitish discharge, and you may experience a burning sensation and possibly some pain when you urinate, or have sex. The good news is that it’s fairly easy to get rid of a yeast infection.

• 
  Gout Food To Avoid – 3 Top Tips
  

  [Health-and-Fitness]
  Gout is painful and debilitating. But it can be largely controlled by the food you eat. The gout food to avoid is the kind with high levels of purines. This substance produces uric acid. Too much uric acid in the body causes gout. So it follows that avoiding eating foods with high levels of purines will help to lessen the chances of a gout attack. Here is my top 3 list of some gout food to avoid

• 
  How Do I Get Rid Of Blackheads
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Acne]
  The question of, “how to I get rid of blackheads” has been on the lips of many a teenager and young adult down the ages. Blackheads are a form of acne. They are essentially similar to whiteheads, but differ from the red bumps type of acne. Blackheads can be controlled and made to disappear. Here are some tips to use

• 
  How To Avoid Miscarriage – A Few Tips
  

  [Home-and-Family:Pregnancy]
  It can be difficult to know how to avoid miscarriage, but often there are warning signs. You need to react quickly if you experience any of the signs. The causes are often unknown, but can commonly be chromosomal, meaning there was something not right with the baby’s chromosomes. Here are a few warning signs to look out for that may, though not necessarily so, indicate the onsset of a miscarriage.

• 
  How To Get Rid Of Skunk Odor
  

  [Home-and-Family]
  The question of how to get rid of skunk smell is one that many unfortunate people have asked over the centuries. There are bad smells, then there are skunk smells. But it’s not like the skunk doesn’t give warning. When they feel threatened they will stamp their feet, hiss and adopt a high-tail attitude – all clear visible signs that a spraying attack may be imminent. But if you still get sprayed, Here are a few useful tips:

• 
  Get Rid Of Sunburn Pain – 3 Top Tips
  

  [Health-and-Fitness]
  Lying in the sun is fun. Getting burned by the sun is not fun. But every year millions of people do get severe sunburn. So, how do you get rid of sunburn pain and agony? The best advice is, of course, to use sunscreen creams BEFORE exposing your skin to the sun. But when it’s too late, there’s still a few things you can do. Here’s my 3 top tips to help you get rid of sunburn misery…

• 
  Getting Rid Of Lice – 3 Top Tips
  

  [Health-and-Fitness]
  Head lice can be a problem that’s all too common among school children, and getting rid of lice is neither easy nor pleasant. The lice can be seen quite easily. They are brown colored and very small. They are parasitic insects, and they can be spread from person to person by hair, or head contact. The cause itching and discomfort through their bites.

• 
  How To Avoid Taxes
  

  [Finance:Taxes]
  It’s often said that there are two things we can depend on in life: death and taxes. The former will certainly remove all worry about the latter, but until it happens, you have to pay taxes. The Chicago crime king of the 1930s, Al Capone, got away with murder — literally, but it was not paying his taxes that put him in prison. You can learn how to avoid taxes, you should keep it legal!

• 
  Getting Rid Of Zits – 5 Top Tips
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Acne]
  Here’s the good news – the battle for getting rid of zits does not need to include a strict diet! Yes, that means you don’t have to cut out chocolate or fatty foods. But of course, keeping your intake of these types of foods down to sensible levels is always a good idea anyway. Scientific research says it can find no connection between diet and zits. So, what should tactics should you use for getting rid of zits? Here are a few

• 
  How To Read Guitar Tabs – An Introduction
  

  [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music]
  Most guitarists are self-taught. They don’t usually go through formal lessons learning scales and music theory… People like Jimmi Hendricks and Eric Clapton made all that stuff way too boring long ago. The average guitarist’s self-taught nature may therefore explain why guitar tabs can sometimes be a bit of a mystery – a bit too much like reading music. But that’s not really the case. Let me show you how to read guitar tabs…

• 
  How Do I Get Rid Of Cellulite?
  

  [Health-and-Fitness]
  It’s a fancy word for old fat trapped in between skin and muscle that looks lumpy and unsightly. But that doesn’t help when you cry out in desperation: “How do I get rid of cellulite?” OK, forget the creams, forget the tight rubber garments, forget the pills – if you have been seeking ways to get rid of cellulite, then this is it – exercise! This article gives you my top 3 exercises to get rid of cellulite – fast!

• 
  Seduction Of Women – 3 Top Tips
  

  [Relationships:Dating]
  The seduction of women is a science, and is never about getting lucky. You have the task of triggering the right feelings and emotions of interest in the woman you are trying to seduce. You have to put her in the exact right frame of attraction where she will see you as special. Do that and you will know what the seduction of women is all about. Here are my top 3 tips for seducing the woman of your choice…

• 
  House Training Dogs – 3 Top Tips
  

  [Pets:Dogs]
  Does your dog or puppy have the occasional “accident”? Do they ignore you when you call on them? Is your frustration with house training dogs reaching an all-time high? If so, you need help. This article sets out to guide you in the right direction to being the master that your dog will listen to and instantly obey.

• 
  How To Attract A Woman
  

  [Relationships:Dating]
  The mating game is very important to any man. Learning how to attract a woman into your life is not always easy at first, but if you follow these few tips, you’ll soon be surprised at how easy it becomes

• 
  Genital Wart Cure? A Few Facts
  

  [Health-and-Fitness]
  Genital warts are uncomfortable, unsightly and unwelcome. The medical establishment claims that its method of treatment is best, and that there is no genital wart cure as such. Alternative medicine claims otherwise, and backs this up with a growing body of evidence. Meanwhile, the question of how to get rid of warts in the genital area is the only thing uppermost in the minds of those who have them!

• 
  High Blood Pressure Remedies – 3 Top Tips
  

  [Health-and-Fitness]
  Hypertension and stress is increasing among people of all ages, particularly among the middle-aged group. Our lifestyles drive us ever farther and further in our quest for — who knows what… This is not the only cause of high blood pressure, but it is a common one. Here are my 3 top high blood pressure remedies for a calmer and more pleasing life:

• 
  Online Money Making System – The Top Three
  

  [Home-Based-Business]
  One of the fastest ways to Internet marketing success is to find a good, workable online money making system and stick with it. The beauty of the Internet is its almost infinite variety of ways to use money making programs. Here’s my top 3 systems for getting you up and running fast:

• 
  Online Money Making Idea – The Top Guides
  

  [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Internet-Marketing]
  There are many people looking for that one golden online money making idea that will catapult them from failure to success overnight. While that elusive dream may not really exist, there are a few excellent guides available that will do the next best thing, if applied properly and sensibly. Here are a few of my top recommendations:

• 
  Internet Wealth System – Which One To Follow?
  

  [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Internet-Marketing]
  The secret to building wealth online spills out of page after page, site upon site. Everyone, it seems has a how to make money course. But unfortunately, the perfect Internet wealth system is still as elusive as ever. Or is it? Here’s one tip for getting you up and running fast:

• 
  Home Based Businesses That Make Money
  

  [Home-Based-Business]
  The very best home based businesses making money are the ones you create. However, you can’t just create them from nothing — you need to have a good, proven system to follow. Get that right and you’ll soon have your very own home based business making all the money you can handle. Here’s my top 3 systems for getting you up and running fast:

• 
  Affiliate Making Money Online – 3 Easy Steps
  

  [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Affiliate-Revenue]
  For anyone with dreams of being a top affiliate making money online, Internet-based affiliate programs seem to have everything going for them. They are usually free to join, they can offer very generous commissions, and you can start from scratch with virtually nothing. Here’s my top 3 tips for getting up and running fast:

• 
  Getting Rid Of Pimples In Three Easy Steps
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Acne]
  Getting rid of pimples is not what young people should have to spend their time on. Your teenage years should be the happiest in your life, and for many that’s true. But for some, pimples and acne combine to make life a misery.

• 
  Getting Rid Of Belly Fat In 5 Easy Steps
  

  [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss]
  For most of us, getting rid of belly fat is our key to attracting a more exciting lover — our passport to getting admiring looks from the desirable, and envious glares from those who still have too much belly fat and don’t know how to get rid of it!

• 
  Home Remedy, Sunburn — 5 Helpful Tips
  

  [Health-and-Fitness]
  You’re on vacation, lying on the beach… The sun is shining… You’ve forgotten to use sun cream, and now you’re feeling just too lazy to do anything about it… Yes, that’s the recipe for the painful, itchy, smarting redness we call sunburn.

• 
  How To Attract Beautiful Women
  

  [Relationships:Dating]
  Much of the dating game is common sense. Learning how to attract beautiful women into your life is easier than most men think, but it does require a certain amount of discipline, sensitivity and sensible planning.

• 
  5 Dating And Relationship Tips
  

  [Relationships:Dating]
  A first date is always a nervous time for both of you. It’s a journey into the unknown, but also a journey that offers excitement and reward. These five tips will tell you how to build up a truly loving and long-lasting relationship, starting with a first date.

Before even thinking about starting a tutorial in learning how to play the guitar, there are basic things that you have to keep in mind. Like for example, you need to know what the bits and pieces that comes with the song. The music that comes out of the guitar is made out of notes that when put together forms a melody.

Chords are made of notes, and most songs would require you to know some chords. Basically, chords are just series of notes that are played in unison. By putting notes together, they could sound very melodic when played correctly.

The usual starting points for beginners like you are chords that are easy to play and learn. These chords are easy because they won’t require you to use all of your fingers at the same time. Examples of these chords are A, D, C and G. These chords will only require you to use 3 fingers.

You can make your guitar produce your desired chords and notes by pushing down on the strings at the fret on the guitar neck. Afterward, you can go ahead and strum or pluck the strings located in the front of the hole in the guitar’s body as you continue to push down on the strings. Most beginners usually practice on acoustic guitar in order to master the basics then moves to electric guitar after mastering the basics.

Making the chords sound right is one of the challenges that beginners should master. Pressing down on the strings too hard or too soft can make the sound muffled or distorted. Finding the right balance of pressure is important. Getting used to it may take some time, but with hard work and practice, you can master this in no time.

Learning the proper positioning of your left hand (or right hand if you’re left handed) is also helpful. By doing this, you will lessen the strain on your hand. Many beginners tend to ignore this posture which results to “buzzing” sounds in a guitar, instead of a good tune.

For a start you can try to practice songs that has less chord movements. It is advisable to practice chords that are in the same fret. Many songs are composed this way, and these are the songs which are perfect for beginners. Finally, try to practice while your eyes are closed. This will allow your hands to memorize the chords and how they feel. Most professional guitar players very rarely look at the fret as they play. They will only look at the fret if they have to perform complicated chords just to make sure that their fingers are placed perfectly.

One roadblock on the highway of learning guitar is the barre chord. The newbie guitar player tries it and it hurts. If you persevere, the discomfort will lessen and eventually go away altogether. Too many people allow barre chords to stop their progress as guitarists. You had to get callouses on your fingers at the beginning of taking your guitar lessons. You got over that hump, you can get over this one.

First, the difficulty with barre chords could be just due to the fact that your guitar’s action is too high. This could be the case with a beginner’s acoustic guitar. If you take it to a guitar store or to a guitarist that you know, they will be able to tell you if the guitar is at fault. With an acoustic guitar it might be a matter of putting in a shallower bridge bone and filing the grooves in the nut a little. With an electric guitar the action can be adjusted.

If you are seriously put off by learning barre chords, you can back off a little and try alternatives like completely ignoring chord changes. That sometimes works when you accompany yourself singing. Another alternative is to stay with the open version of your chords. This could make your guitar playing a little awkward depending on the style of guitar playing you are getting into, but you could try it.

Another approach to chords is telling yourself that they are all basically three notes: the first, third and fifth notes of the scale. So a three note F chord is made up of the notes F, A and C. You can play the notes in any order, not necessarily from lowest to highest. If you try finding three note chords for yourself you might learn something about the notes on the fretboard. While we are on the subject of playing fewer notes, you could just play the first and fifth notes of the chord. These are your basic power chords.

As barre chords are open chords with some notes fretted by the first finger, you could try just moving the open chord up the fretboard and only playing the notes that are not using the barre finger. For example you could just move the open E chord up one fret to make an F and don’t play the open strings.

To play barre chords you might need to build up some strength in your fingers that you don’t have already. The best way to do this is to devote a little time every day to practicing your barre chords. Learn your basic barre chord shapes based on the open E, A, C, G and D chord shapes. Don’t be too hard on yourself, there are five shapes to practice, and you can fool around with trying out how they sound in relation to each other, and your changes don’t have to be quick. Once you have done fifteen minutes a day on barre chords for a week or so, you will be seeing improvement enough to motivate you to finish the job. Like getting callouses, once you can play a barre chord, you will never slide back.

Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.

Learning to teach yourself how to play guitar these days is much easier than in years past. Mainly because of the online options you have to teach yourself how to play guitar.

Online video and audio lessons for guitar have become more and more available in recent years and they rival any traditional or home tutor lessons that are much more costly.

Video capture software have made it possible for professional instructors to not only produce high quality videos but also capture video where you can see both hand moving on the guitar at the same time.

This is crucial when learning to teach yourself how to play guitar because you can actually watch hand movements over and over again to begin to mimic the movements of the teacher.

These lessons are more affordable because when you are using a teacher in the home you tend to spend alot of time going over older lessons to make sure you have them down. When paying a teacher per lesson this can start to add up very quickly.

With the online lessons to teach yourself how to play guitar you can review those lessons as many times as you need without incurring additional lesson costs.

Another added bonus to using the newer online video and audio lessons are the advent of jam tracks. These tracks allow you to apply each thing you learn to actually playing along with a band track making learning much more fun.

I know when I started learning guitar using a traditional instructor there was nothing more boring than having to practice chords and notes for hours upon end without having anything to relate them to as far as actually playing something.

My son recently decided to pick up the instrument and rather than teaching him I told him you are going to teach yourself how to play guitar using online lessons.

He has been having way more fun than I did as a kid learning guitar because I can see him using each of the chords and note structures as he learns them to play along with jam tracks. This makes him feel like he can actually play the guitar rather than just some random chords and notes.

My guess is he is probably a couple years ahead of where I was at his age simply because he is using huitar lessons that make learning easier and more enjoyable. I can certainly tell you they were much easier on my wallet as well.

I recommend anyone interested in starting to teach yourself how to play guitar spend some time looking at the great online video and audio guitar lesson packages as a easier and much cheaper alternative to not only learn how to play guitar but have a lot more fun while doing it.

They are designed by top guitar lesson instructors that know how to make these pessons not only great for adults but even better for kids that have short attention spans.

The lessons, games and jam tracks are designed to teach yourself how to play guitar but at the same time enjoy learning the instrument. That is something we really did not have as kids.

About The Author

Check out one of the best ways to teach yourself how to play guitar using online and video lessons at: http://www.proguitartraining.info

I own a 98 Dodge Ram and my truck has seen quite a crazy time over the past 10 years. It started out as a sparkling clean machine that I first learned how to drive in. Freedom was the open highway and I would usually be found in the road to and from the beach with my surfboard in the bed.

Then came college and I started to play a lot of music. The bed was full of guitar and drum on a weekly basis and we traveled all around the California coast playing shows, so the Dodge really held up when we needed it to. The amount of friends, girls, and randoms that piled in and out of that truck has really left its mark. Who knows what some people have spilled in the cab of that truck

The next phase that came after college was my first full-time job, and I had a construction landscaping job. It paid pretty well, but my truck got even more beat up.

So where it stands now, there has been several years of wear and tear inflicted on my truck and the resale value is not looking so good. I’d like to purchase a new Dodge Ram and I’m going to be sure to take better care of this one now that I’m older and have more vehicle ownership experience. Here are some ideas that I’m going to be sure to do, to help protect the value of my new truck over the forthcoming years:

- Get a truck bed liner to line the bed and inner rail areas. I still play music and load all sorts of materials in and out of the bed every week. With a bed liner, I can protect the bed from scratches and dings, so down the road I will have a shiny conditioned bed. This will help preserve the value of the vehicle.

- Find a truck tool box that’s the right size for where the bed meets the cab. I have created all kinds of dings inside my truck and in the bed over the landscaping years and a nice and tidy tool box would help me tremendously. And, it will lessen the damage that I will likely put on my new truck.

- A set of truck seat covers to cover the seats. So no matter who jumps in or out of my vehicle, I will have a protected interior. If I decide to sell the truck down the road, I can simply remove the seat covers and the seats will look as good as new!

Once I purchase my new truck, the first accessories I’ll be getting will be a truck bed liner & truck seat covers to improve the value of the truck in the future.

Catching the spirit: Christmas past, present and future

Year Four: “I want a Hannah Montana microphone and a Hannah Montana guitar – is your beard real? – and a Hannah Montana CD – where's Rudolph? – and a … … Read More…

Crownsville man reaches out with music, art projects

After stints as a raffle ticket printer, dishwasher, guitar teacher, library worker and teacher's assistant at a child care center, Gordon decided to just … Read More…

Amy Ward releases 'Wintersongs' on Christmas CD

Her first CD release “Twenty-Nine” is also available on Itunes and various stores, including Karma Records in Plymouth. AP Online Video Network. Read More…
That’s all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.

I'm looking for a great place to take guitar lessons in the Phoenix metro area. Any ideas on good places?

I've been playing off and on for 5 years and know the basics. Now, I want to take my guitar playing to another level. Looking for someone who is not just good at guitar, but can teach it well. Thanks everyone.

Right, you need to improve your guitar playing. You have been messing around now for a few months, have learnt a few basic chords and maybe a scale or two. What now?

What do I learn next?

Familiar to you?

Here is the number 1 tip that I have picked up over my 30 odd years of playing and teaching that will really sky rocket your progress. Just try it and see what happens.

1 RELAX There, that sounds easy doesn’t it. Pick up your guitar, form a chord, change to another one, strum a little. Stay relaxed. Easy. Not quite. The staying relaxed is the hard part. After watching lots of beginners play, I can tell you that if you can learn to relax whilst playing, your technique and all round proficiency on the guitar will improve.

The way to improve your ability is to relax while playing. This comes down to awareness. I know, you will say that you have enough to think about as it is, where your fingers go, the strum pattern, where your fingers go next, but just try this little exercise. Form a C chord, strum 4 times, then an F chord(you know the one, the chord that all new players avoid) strum 4 times, just down strokes are fine. Then back to the C for 4 strums, followed by 2 strums on a G chord, 2 strums on the F chord and then back to C for another 4 strums. Now, repeat this pattern. Gradually increase the tempo. Tap your foot as you go. Keep going, getting faster and faster as you go. Don’t worry we are not particularly concerned with the sound you are making here.

After a few minutes, as you can feel yourself getting tired, just stop. Don’t move though, stay in the position you are in. Now scan your body, see if you can pick out areas where you are tense.

I would imagine that if you mentally check the position of your shoulders and neck, they will be tense. Shoulders tend to go up towards the ears when a person is tense. Hows your face, your eyes, cheeks, chin, mouth. I know this may sound daft, but lots of tension is stored in a persons face muscles.

What about your legs? Another area that you might not think had a lot to do with guitar playing. Well it has, every area of our body can store tension, and it will help your playing if you can reduce it. Just scan mentally and see how yours are feeling.

Hopefully you will now be able to identify areas of your body that store tension. All players don’t store tension in the same areas, so you may feel it in certain places whilst another person doesn’t. The area where I used to feel really tense is my face. I screwed it up a lot, and pulled faces when playing. Not in the way that a rocking out lead guitarist might, but just in a tense way. Furrowed brow, squinted eyes etc.

You may need to repeat the exercise a few times to start noticing tension. It may not come easy if you have not tried before.

If you want to use your own chord sequence or favourite scale for the exercise, go ahead. Just increase the tempo until it becomes uncomfortable, then stop and scan.

Once you become adept at finding areas of tension, you can then move on to becoming aware of this during your playing and take steps to lessen it.

I have an article on my guitar website, which will give you tips on how to relax whilst playing, along with other help and lessons of interest to guitarists.

Check it out below.

Keep on pluckin’

Paul Watson guitar teacher.

http://www.focusonguitar.com

Free online guitar lessons?

I'm getting a guitar and i just want a site where i can follow some steps or something to learn how to play and stuff, beginners level obviously. I dint want to have to talk with anyone over the internet just small videos, or something.
i dont know anything about guitar so please give links and ill choose whoevers best gives me what i need.

Buying your first electric guitar can seem like a pretty daunting experience. Having no doubt admired many an axe-wielder, the obvious idea would be to buy the same guitar as one of your heroes. The problem with that is the equally obvious issue of money. Unless you’re willing to spend several thousand pounds on a plank of wood you can barely play, a few helpful hints can ensure that you buy the right guitar to suit your needs, skill level and budget.

The right type of guitar will depend on the style of music you are most likely to play. For example, if heavy metal is your thing, a semi-hollow body guitar, like the Gibson ES-355, made popular in recent times by such luminaries as Noel Gallagher, will probably not be what you’re looking for. For the right style, see what kind of guitars your main influences are playing and see if there are cheaper versions available.

When it comes to the price you’re willing to pay, there must be some leeway. A cheap guitar might be within your budget, but if the wood, pick-ups and frets are substandard, it will lessen your incentive to keep playing. That’s not to say your first guitar should cost a fortune, but even spending £100 more could significantly improve the quality of guitars available. The same can be said for the shape of the guitar, although the most aesthetically-appealing guitars might not always be the best-sounding. The key is to always try the guitar before buying, even if you can’t really play anything, be it in a guitar shop or from a private seller. The sound and feel of playing the guitar should feel right before you part with any of your money.

Every electric guitar needs an amplifier, so unless you’re buying a guitar and amplifier together as part of a deal, you should try several ones to find the right one for you. As a general rule of thumb, always try playing through the amplifier with your guitar or one similar to your own. The amplifier might sound fantastic with a top-of-the range PRS Custom guitar, but that might not be the case with your Squier Strat.

Even though several guitarists, from Jimmy Page to Matt Bellamy of Muse, have been mainly self-taught, it is still worthwhile taking a few lessons to learn the rudimentary workings of a guitar. A look through online classifieds will allow you to see quickly and easily if there are guitar teachers in your local area. In addition, there are several online resources to further your training, where you can learn guitar chords and find transcriptions of your favourite songs. Certain software packages, such as Tab Editor can play transcriptions of songs as MIDI files, with notation to teach you how to play the song in real-time. This is great for when you’re starting out, but be beware of relying too much on these packages, as figuring out songs for yourself is needed to develop your musical ear.

At the end of the day, the most important thing about progressing as a guitarist is, unsurprisingly, to keep practicing. It can seem frustrating to not be able to play your favourite songs straight away, but with tenacity and the right equipment you can reach far further than may seem apparent at first. Rock on.

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance author from Scotland. He is a keen rugby player and enjoys travelling.

The classical guitar is a gift to the guitarist who wants to sit down and play a “complete” piece of music – melody, bass and chordal accompaniment on one guitar. Alot like the kind of freedom that piano players have. If you are thinking of taking classical guitar lessons you have a tradition of composers and guitar players who have made full use of the incredible versatility of the guitar. Many classical composers played and composed for the guitar. Niccolo Paganini is a famous example even though his guitar compositions are a little on the ordinary side for modern music lovers. Much more substantial compositions were written by Antonio Vivaldi, Dionisio Aguado and Domenico Scarlatti.

So, apart from a hefty heritage left from the Baroque, Renaissance and Classical periods we have the ongoing work of twentieth and twenty-first century classical guitar players who are devoted to making the acoustic guitar an expressive instrument endowed with a natural beauty unaided by electronic wizardry. A classical guitarist aims at training his body to bring a range of forces to bear on the guitar so that he has a range of subtle techniques at his disposal to enable him and his guitar to say whatever they want.

All guitar players who take their instrument seriously have an ability to create and interpret music. This musical ability is a product of the time and effort put into practicing their guitar playing and experimenting with different ways of playing music. In a sense a rock or jazz guitar player is on an equal playing field with a classical guitarist as far as the ability to interpret or create music is concerned. The rock or jazz guitar player will even have an advantage over the classical player as far as improvisation goes. Classical guitar lessons will not help you to improvise.

The difference between a classical guitar player and a plectrum player is the groups of muscles used to play classical guitar music. Somebody like Eric Clapton works alone at copying blues artists and in a few years he is a professional guitarist and in about ten years he is one of the greatest electric guitarists of all time. A classical guitar student might just be finding his voice after ten years of playing. There is much more blood, sweat and tears involved in classical guitar lessons.

A classical guitarist needs to cultivate his fingernails. Or his fingertips. Whatever is on the ends of his fingers is where he makes physical contact with the guitar strings. There are ways of shaping them so they sound just right. There are secret potions for making them impervious to cracking. And there is a whole art to playing the classical guitar without the benefit of nails. The attack made by nails on guitar strings is similar to that of a plectrum. The flesh of the guitarist’s fingertips gives a much softer tone. This is achieved over time and with much work. Callouses will eventually form on the fingertips which will lessen the discomfort felt by the guitar player and help him make contact with the strings.

There are books available for anybody who wants to teach themselves classical guitar but it is much better to learn from a seasoned classical guitarist. If you insist on learning from books, Frederick Noad’s “Solo Guitar Playing” is probably the best of them.

Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.

Hi, im just now getting interested in learning guitar. I have a few questions and need all the help i can get.

What would be the best way to learn..acoustic or electric?
Any recommendations on beginner guitars(fairly cheap)?
And are there any good online websites for learning?

Thanks in advance!