5 Guitar Gadgets That Will Change Your Life

5 Guitar Gadgets That Will Change Your Life Suzy S. When youre a beginner learning the guitar, does brand name matter?  For the basics, an inexpensive (but still quality!) instrument is completely fine, and can offer you a great starting point. Ultimately, the difference between a $100 guitar and a more expensive guitar can be subjective it all comes down to what you prefer and what your end goals are. On the other hand, there are some added accessories that can make a huge impact on your playing, no matter how much you shelled out for your guitar.  With a great collection of guitar gadgets, you can make a big impression.  Here are just a few awesome accessories to add to your bag: 1. Capo A capo is essentially a clamp that you attach to your fretboard, shortening the length and moving the end of the board, allowing you to play in different keys using basic chords.  This allows you to play tougher songs, and especially comes in handy if youre singing along and need to adjust to your vocal range.  If youre anticipating some impromptu karaoke, a capo is essential for your accessory collection. 2. Tuner Learning how to tune a guitar takes practice, and some players just dont have the natural talent to tune by ear and thats ok! But thats where an electronic tuner will come into play. Tuners can be purchased at any music store, or there are also several apps available for your Smartphone for easier access. 3. The right strings Note that this isnt just any strings. The type of  strings you choose will impact your sound, as well as your ability to play for some beginners.  Generally, heavier strings will give you a fuller sound.  If heavy metal is your preferred style, youll want to go with heavier strings. However, if you havent developed calluses yet, heavy strings can be pretty painful.  Most beginners choose thinner strings for this reason, but keep in mind that they break easily so pick up a few extra packs!  Of course, remember to restring your guitar regularly, especially if youre playing often. 4. Metronome A metronome is one piece of equipment that every musician needs to own. Using a metronome will help with your timing, rhythm, tackling tough phrases and more.  Even if you think you have that internal timing, practicing  with a metronome is important. 5. An arsenal of apps The great thing about living in the generation of iPhones, iPads and Smartphones is the availability of apps to help you with well, pretty much anything! There are a ton of music apps on the market, free or otherwise, ranging from tuners to metronomes to chord charts and more. 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 burgerfeet1.

Learning the Guitar Fretboard Notes [BONUS Guitar Notes Chart]

Learning the Guitar Fretboard Notes [BONUS Guitar Notes Chart] Sign up successful There is so much variation in sound, which makes the guitar a very unique and beautiful instrument. Mastery of the guitar fretboard, along with great ear training and technique, will give you the freedom to express yourself on the instrument without any obstacles. Keep reading to learn more! Understanding the Guitar Fretboard Notes In order to understand the guitar fretboard notes, you need to keep in mind the intervallic relationship between each string and be able to visualize all the possible fingerings for all intervals. The guitar strings are tuned in intervals of 4ths, starting from the lowest pitched string. That means that the next higher string is five half-steps above the previous string. This is true for all sets of strings except for the relationship between the 3rd and 2nd string, which is a 3rd interval (four half-steps) instead of a 4th interval. This lets us know that the guitar fretboard is not completely symmetrical and that we need to compensate for the 3rd interval every time we go to, or come from, the 2nd string. RELATED: How to Read Guitar Tabs Memorizing the Fretboard Now lets go over some simple exercises that will help you memorize the guitar fretboard notes. Use the helpful guitar notes chart on the left as a guide. Start by identifying and memorizing all interval fingerings within an octave that are in a practical position to play on the guitar neck. For example, a unison, or same note, can be played on the same fret of the same string, or you can also play it on the next higher string but five frets lower in pitch. As we discussed, the distance between strings is a 4th interval (five half-steps), and each half-step is equal to one fret on the guitar. So you can play the same note on the next higher string simply by going down five frets. When you reach the fingering of a 5th interval, you will have three practical shape options: Same string / 7 frets up Next higher string / 2 frets up Skip a string / 3 frets down Keep in mind to compensate for the 3rd interval tuning between the 3rd and 2nd strings whenever you use or cross over the 2nd string. Once you feel comfortable with visualizing all the possible fingerings within an octave, its time to explore these same intervals but in reverse. This  time around, lets start with the first note on the first string and work your way down in pitch using the same interval fingerings but in reverse. Remember to stick to practical fingerings that you can incorporate into your playing. The next step would be to explore interval fingerings that are larger than an octave. You can use the next higher or lower octave note as an anchor point to help you visualize where you need to go. SEE ALSO: Tips for Reading Guitar Chord Charts In Conclusion This exercise will take lots of patient practicing and visualizing. If youre a visual learner, looking at a guitar neck note chart like the one pictured above can really help. You can use this guitar notes chart to practice even when you don’t have a guitar around. This system will eventually allow you to explore scales, lines, and chords anywhere on the fretboard and change positions whenever you want. Its also important that you get your ear used to hearing the intervals between notes in scales, chords, and lines so that you can incorporate this system into your playing and feel comfortable all over the fretboard. We hope this system helps you in understanding the basic mechanics of guitar fretboard notes and lets you play the guitar more freely. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments section below. For more help mastering the guitar fretboard, check out our live, online guitar classes today! Edwin I. teaches guitar, songwriting, music theory and more in Hawthorne, CA. He is a professional teacher and performer with over 17 years of experience, and a graduate of the University of Miamis Studio Music and Jazz program.  Learn more about Edwin 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

Do Students Definitely Need Assignment Help

Do Students Definitely Need Assignment Help Homework help for any subject is not just to complete the academic task before the dead line. It is more than that. It functions as fountainhead of knowledge for struggling students to build the basics of a subject and to do well in higher studies without problem. Why do we need help in Math, Science and English. Get assignment help for your students? Let us think on these lines for some time. Following are some frequently asked questions. Questions are about seeking online help for writing assignments. Are assignments necessary? Assignments are the tools for testing your knowledge. Test your knowledge of a subject and measuring the level of your understanding. It is the understanding of tough chapters and concepts. Are all assignments tough? Most of the assignments are tough and they are meant as yardsticks for gauging your analytical skills and capabilities of drawing a conclusion. It is under given conditions and circumstances as per the requirements of a topic. 8 Tips For Choosing The Best Online Tutoring Company In The USA Picking out the best online tutoring company in the USA is a challenging task due to the availability of innumerable companies there. Quality, reference check, survival in the market, affordable costs, and use of reliable tech tools are some yardsticks needed for choosing the best online tutoring center in the USA. Can I complete all assignments by my own? You are supposed to complete all assignments by your own. But under present complex educational circumstances, you may not be able to master all subject topics and may want the support of assignment help services. What are the benefits I gain out of assignment help sites? You get plagiarism free content with original write ups. You get your work done before the deadline. These assignments serve as models for your own write ups in future. The writers are 24/7 available and answer your queries instantly. Do I need to seek assignment help experts? Yes, you do. You need subject clarifications for difficult topics. When you contact assignment help experts, you get to know the ways through which you can simplify tough topics and follow break up methods for doing so. Further, you learn methods by which you can embellish your writing style and also understand the principles of writing and presentation. The writers instruct you with techniques for presenting the topic in the most impressive way with catchy vocabulary. Tutor Paces 25 % Discount on Online #Tutoring for Helping Students More https://t.co/COgKN3HrgW â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) February 12, 2016 Seeking the help of assignment experts also gets you with insights about and different approaches to the topics. You get a chance to improve your analytical skills and explore the topics in an original manner. Can you recommend a good website for assignment help? Tutor Pace, for sure. The writers are highly qualified with Masters and PhDs in their respective subjects and help you with excellent write ups for your assignment writing. They guide you in methods of assignment writing and lead you through difficult phases of tough topic understanding. The website offers 24/7 help and render solid customer support. The prices are also cost effective. To say in conclusion Getting online assignment help makes things easy for you and broadens your vistas of knowledge along with improving your writing techniques.

Libraries Go Digital

Libraries Go Digital Digital education is a rapidly-growing trend for public and private schools across the nation, as these mediums are quickly transforming how students learn. Now, school libraries are beginning to catch on to the trend, getting rid of thousands of physical books and replacing them with digital copies, according to an article in the District Administration. The District Administration cited Cushing Academy, a private secondary school in Massachusetts that recently gave away most of its 20,000 physical textbooks. The school upgraded by purchasing nearly 200 iRivers and Kindle e-readers. Cushing Academy also sold all of its 445 students a laptop, and began to upload electronic copies of textbooks straight to students laptops. However, many teachers at Cushing Academy still use and assign printed textbooks in their classes. Federal and state funding for digital improvements in the classrooms and libraries is slowly increasing. Most schools libraries, even if they are low-budget programs, have some computers or laptops for students to use and are beginning to purchase electronic readers. Critics claim that this trend is not necessary, and it separates the wealthy schools from the low-income schools. They believe that Cushing and other private schools have significantly more funding than public schools. Therefore, they can upgrade their libraries with expensive digital textbooks; where as public schools facing harsh budget cuts could never be able to fund these textbooks. However, others believe that this could save schools money in the long run because they only buy the rights to use books and never pay for printing materials and fees. But, the digital readers are still expensive. Yet the appeal of digital textbooks is obvious. Students can easily and quickly access information through digital readers, instead of having to go to the library and find the book. This saves students time, time that most will spend reading. Also, digital textbooks are more relevant to students interests. Lets face it, said Doug Johnson, author of The Indispensable Librarian: Surviving (and Thriving) in School Media Centers. The Net Generation wants its information and entertainment in digital formats. Ours may well be the last generation to use cellulose-based information-storage technology. If students are reading and learning more with digital textbooks, then implementing these digital readers is worth every penny invested in them, no matter how expensive they may be at first. Most experts believe that to be true and are pushing for more digital and electronic upgrades for students. But funding is still down at most public schools, and the transformation to digital will be slow at least until funding increases.

A Student Perspective on Cornell University

A Student Perspective on Cornell University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well.Kelly received her Bachelors degree in Biological Engineering and her PhDfrom Cornell University. She is currently a tutor in New York City specializing in GRE Quantitative tutoring, Life Sciences tutoring, SAT Math tutoring, and several other subjects. See what she had to say about her experience at Cornell University: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Kelly: I went to college at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Ithaca is a small city in upstate New York, right on the Finger Lakes. The campus is beautiful, with lots of (big) hills overlooking Cayuga Lake. There are also many architecturally diverse buildings. You can get around campus on foot (I did!), but the buildings are pretty spread out. If you are in a rush, or the weather is bad (it gets cold there in the winter), I would definitely recommend taking a bus. Cars are good to have if you want to get away from campus for the weekend or you want to take a day trip to the local gorges, but having a car is not necessary. (To get home for breaks and holidays, I took a Greyhound bus to the New York City area). Bikes are a great alternative, but be prepared to get a great leg workout it is hilly here! Even though the campus is pretty large, it has a small town feel to it, so I always felt extremely safe walking around. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Kelly:I was an Engineering major, and during my first two years, I took a lot of large, lower-level science and math courses. We had recitation sections that met once per week that were led by graduate students whose job it was to review the material covered in class. Both the professors and graduate students held their own office hours and practically begged us to come, even if it was just to say hello they wanted company while sitting in their offices for two hours. The professors were all incredibly intelligent (and therefore, a bit intimidating), but they all encouraged us to get help if we were confused. My academic adviser was great he hired me as a teaching assistant for an upper-level Engineering class and encouraged me to pursue independent study. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Kelly:You always hear horror stories about the food at dining halls, but I can tell you that the food on campus was always very good. There was such a wide variety Mongolian grill, pizza, pasta, salads, soups, etc. And, of course, I always helped myself to some ice cream made right at the Cornell Dairy Bar. There are dining halls near the dormitories, as well as a few on campus for you to grab some food in-between classes. Dorms are both hall-style and suite-style, so there are plenty of opportunities to socialize and meet new people. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Kelly:I was a Biological Engineering major, which meant that I took both basic Biology courses (such as Genetics and Biochemistry) and Engineering courses (such as Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics). The Engineering programs at Cornell University are all very strong, so when signing up for an Engineering course, you know it is going to be challenging. The general attitude with the students was, We are all in this together, so if we work together, it will be much easier. Unlike in other majors (such as Biology), there was almost no competition between students, which helped my grades and helped me make new friends. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Kelly:As a freshman, your first friends are generally those who live near you in the dorm and in your major. Greek life is pretty popular, but you have to wait until second semester of your freshman year to rush. I was not part of Greek life, and I did not feel like I was missing out on anything. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Kelly:To be honest, I did not use the Career Center or go to job fairs because I knew I was going to go to graduate school. I did have friends who went to job fairs and met some great contacts. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Kelly:During finals time, the running joke is that the library is more to socialize than to study. I did a lot of my work in computer labs, in my room, and in the library (during non-finals weeks). During finals week, I went to the Ithaca city library, which is huge and recently remodeled. It also gave me a good change of scenery to break up the monotony of studying on campus. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Kelly:The area immediately surrounding campus is called Collegetown (not terribly creative, I know). It is filled with cafes, coffee shops, and restaurants. A 10-minute drive down the hill takes you to downtown Ithaca, which is a moderately-sized city with some great outdoor activities (hiking, mountain biking, trail running, skiing, etc.), as well as some decent shopping (used book stores, local art, small boutiques). There are a number of malls and strip malls with big stores such as Barnes Noble, Home Depot, Target, Wegmans, etc. Also, the Finger Lakes region is known for its wineries, so if you are of age, you can do wine tasting tours along the lakes. Ithaca is pretty isolated in upstate New York, but there are a lot of activities to do within a 15-minute drive. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Kelly:Cornell University is a fairly large institution, with over 20,000 students. It has over 12,000 students at the Ithaca campus, as well as campuses in New York City and Qatar. Even though it is pretty big, it does not feel that big. I found that you see the same people when you are walking to your classes, you sit next to the same people in class, you see the same faces in the dining halls, etc. Introductory class sizes were admittedly large, with anywhere from 100-300 people in a large lecture hall. However, there are recitation sections that meet at least once per week, and these have about 20 students in them. Also, once you got past the introductory courses, class size shrunk dramatically. It was not uncommon for upper-level classes to have less than 20 students. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Kelly:During my junior year, I took an elective, mostly because I heard it would be an easy A. However, what I did not bargain for was that I would really enjoy the class! It was a class about Native American culture, and it was fascinating. The professor was passionate and an honorary member of a local tribe from upstate New York. To this day, I remember sitting in that auditorium being blown away by the professors lecture. Check out Kellys tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

4 Tricks to Learn Vocab for the New SAT

4 Tricks to Learn Vocab for the New SAT The new SAT tests vocabulary in a completely different way from the old format of the test. Instead of focusing on the necessity of memorizing and using less commonly spoken, difficult words, the new SAT concentrates on your ability to recognize the meaning of words in context. The new SAT has ditched those pesky sentence completion tasks for more varied passages with vocab questions that may ask you to discern between multiple, potential definitions of a certain word, or how that word affects a passages meaning. Even though the vocab may seem more intuitive on the new SAT, there are several study tips that may help you snag extra points on test day. Check out these tricks to learn vocab for the new SAT: 1. Ditch the old SAT vocab lists The new SAT is not concerned with obscure vocab words, and you shouldnt be either. Get rid of those stacks of flashcards developed for the old test and forego straight-up memorization of definitions as you approach this new test. Remember that success on this new test does not depend on your rote memorization of information, but rather your understanding of words as they appear in passages. [RELATED: What is an Average SAT Score?] 2. Focus on studying words in context by reading materials from varied disciplines The new SATs Reading section now encompasses comprehension skills from various disciples, and this is reflected in its vocab questions. For example, you might be asked to discern the meaning of a word in a scientific context that would have a different meaning in an art history context. Your task would be to recognize the differing function of that word in its different contexts and to select the proper way that word functions in the context at hand. You can prepare yourself for vocab questions like this by making a habit of reading articles from varying disciplinespolitics, geography, nature, health, economics, history, etc. Try selecting a few unfamiliar words from each article as you read and challenge yourself to figure out the definition of those words, as well as how they function in the article as a whole. 3. Practice understanding what the questions are asking Unlike the old SAT, which had vocab questions that focused on applying definitions, the new SAT questions focus on application, context, and alternate meanings. Practice reading question stems via SAT practice tests and writing out your translation of what the question is asking before you select your answer. Though you wont have time to write out your translations on test day, taking some time to practice this skill now can help you more automatically understand the purpose of a question the first time you read it on the actual test, preventing you from having to re-read the question multiple times. Ask yourself what task you have to complete as you read vocab questions and select an answer that fulfills that task the best. 4. If you must have flashcards, select your words carefully Some students love to study from SAT flashcards, and if youre intent on doing so for the new SAT, do so intelligently. Instead of finding the hardest words from your practice passages to write down on cards, look for words within your readings that have multiple known definitions. When making your flashcards, put the word with which you are concerned on one side and as many definitions for that word as you can find on the reverse. Prep your brain to recognize those multiple meanings available for single words in order to learn vocabfor the new SAT.

Take The Exam If You Are Taking The AP Class

Take The Exam If You Are Taking The AP Class Do you have a few Advanced Placement classes in your schedule? Now, youre not required to take the corresponding AP test come May, but the class should be preparing you for said test. However, an easy question to ask would be: should I take the AP test? The answer is simply, yes. Heres why College credit for cheap -One AP test will cost you $87 (as of 2010). Some school districts may even offer financial assistance to students taking AP tests. That may sound like a lot of money, but on the other hand, many colleges will award you college credit for good scores. That generally means a 4 or a 5 on any test. Compared to the cost of taking a college course, $87 is mere peanuts. Each college has different policies towards awarding credit for AP tests, so be sure to check them out. For example, here are the AP policies for the top five colleges in the nation: Harvard Princeton Yale MIT Stanford Bloggers personal note: my younger brother was able to graduate college in 3.5 years instead of the usual 4. That one less semester saved $15,000 in tuition. Compare that to the $696 spent on the eight AP tests he took. Thats a bargain if there ever was one. Valuable experience -If the college youre interested in does not award any credit for AP tests, it may not be worth your while to take the exam. However, taking the corresponding AP class will still be a valuable experience. It will be as close as you can get to a college course without actually taking a college course. In addition, taking the AP test will give you a very good idea of how youll fare when you do take the college course. Extra notes about AP exams Advanced Placement tests are scored on a 1-5 scale. The CollegeBoard has its own interpretations of what each score means: 5 extremely well qualified 4 well qualified 3 qualified 2 possibly qualified 1 no recommendation There has been criticism from students that the CollegeBoards scoring is somewhat inflated. For example, its a well-known secret that the AP Statistics test is fairly easy when you walk in with your TI-83. Heres a possibly more realistic interpretation of the scores: 5 extremely likely to pass the equivalent college course 4 likely to pass the equivalent college course 3 may struggle with the equivalent college course 2 very likely to struggle with the equivalent college course 1 thank you for your $87!

3 Reasons to Consider Obtaining College Admissions Advice

3 Reasons to Consider Obtaining College Admissions Advice Improving Academic Performance You (or your child) studied hard for three years in high school. You’ve now got a solid GPA, and along the way you took difficult classes: AP Calculus, AP Biology, AP US History, and AP Physics. You earned a 4 or a 5 on each of these difficult AP tests. You played several sports at the Varisity level, and even wrote for the school newspaper. You’ve taken the ACT several times, as well. The first time you scored a 25. Then, you took an ACT prep course, and scored a 27. Finally, you hired a private ACT tutor, received customized help, and scored a 30. Now, your applications are looking good. The problem is that thousands of other high school seniors are in the same boat, with generally impressive overall backgrounds. That’s why biting the bullet and paying for college admissions advice might be a worthwhile investment. There are three reasons why paying for college admissions advice might make sense: #1 - If You Know What Admissions Committees are Looking For, Your Chances of Success Increase There is an all-important general theme running through college application questions â€" the school is trying to learn more about you with each question, essay, or request for data. Admissions advisors are good at understanding what the school is trying to learn with every question on the application, and they’ll help you write responses which get at the core of what is being asked by the college. Certainly, they’ll also help you write generally better essays that are clearer and more concise. #2 â€" College Is Expensive, and the Return on Investment Varies Widely High quality admissions advice can be expensive â€" it could run you $2,000 or more. However, the return on a $200,000 investment associated with a B.S. in Engineering from, say, Northwestern University vs. a B.S. in Engineering from a middle of the road state school probably varies substantially. At Northwestern, better companies actively recruit, and you might end up finding a job quicker â€" or, let’s assume, you might end up earning $10,000 more per year for the next decade â€" $100,000 (over a decade). If you’re the type of candidate with even an outside shot at Northwestern, consider your odds.Let’s assume you think without any admissions advice, you just wouldn’t get in. Also assume that Northwestern and the other school you’re considering cost about the same. With some help via personalized admissions advice, you might have a 1 in 5 shot at getting into Northwestern University, because your essays would position you really well. So, you face the following decision. Should you spend $2,000 for admissions advice, which would result in you having a 20% chance of earning an extra $100,000 over the next decade? Well, a 20% chance at $100,000 is worth $20,000 â€" that’s the expected value of the decision to spend $2,000 (for you finance people, let’s just ignore the time value of money here). Would you spend $2,000 to get $20,000? You can play with the numbers all you want, but that’s the idea. It’s not a clear cut choice. #3 â€" Different Schools Seek Different Candidates Many students don’t realize this, but different colleges really do seek different candidates. While some large public colleges simply use a sliding scale of GPA vs. ACT/SAT score, others read essays carefully and put much less weight on GPA, test scores, or both. Some private colleges receive many applications and are very selective overall, but also work carefully to construct the type of incoming class they desire. GPA and test score will always matter, but sometimes the college is historically short on athletes, or business majors, or whatever â€" which means if you are one of these people, your chances of admission go up. Professional admissions advisors understand these types of things, and can help you apply where your chances of getting a scholarship or getting admitted increase.Visit our ACT/SAT and College Admissions tools and resources page for more information and advice about college admissions.