4 Essential Guitar Chord Progressions for Beginners

4 Essential Guitar Chord Progressions for Beginners Sign up successful The next chord you should learn is C, or C major. For this chord, you only need to strum the top five, highest-sounding strings. As you practice these guitar chords, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Play the notes of the chord individually, making sure that all the notes are sounding loud and clear. Practice switching between different chords and keeping a steady beat. Try not to stop the goal is to switch between chords, getting the best sound possible. Now youre ready to learn some easy guitar chord progressions. (Keep reading to learn the fingerings for the G and D chords, too!) SEE ALSO: How to Play the F Chord on Guitar 4 Easy Guitar Chord Progressions for Beginners Basic Guitar Chord Progression #1 Play these two measures four times. Once youve mastered this progression, youre ready to add in the G chord. For the G chord, there are two fingerings shown below. The one in red should be avoided if at all possible because its more difficult when you are switching between a G and a C chord. The one in black may seem awkward at first because you are using your fourth finger, which is your weakest finger, but keep practicing and itll get easier! Basic Guitar Chord Progression #2 Play this guitar chord progression four times.  With the addition of the D chord, shown below, you can play thousands of songs! The biggest problem encountered with this chord is getting the first string to sound. Make sure that your third finger is not touching the first string. Here is the fingering: Basic Guitar Chord Progression #3 Now that you know both G and D, play this progression four times for even more practice. Basic Guitar Chord Progression #4 Play the first four measures shown above two times, then end on G. There are a lot more chords to learn and also different versions of these particular chords. But knowing these guitar chord progressions is a great start because they will allow you to play thousands of songs. Want to switch it up and do more with these chords? Try the following exercise for each chord progression: Strum only on beat 1 of each measure. This gives you plenty of time to get to the next chord. Next, try strumming only on beats 1 and 3. Finally, strum on all 4 beats. By now you should be very familiar with some basic guitar chord progressions. To advance even more in your skills, consider working with a guitar teacher. An experienced teacher can help propel you to the next stage of mastering the guitar. Best of luck on your musical journey! Matt B. teaches guitar to students of all ages in Pacifica, CA. Matt joined the TakeLessons team in October 2012, with over 40 years of experience teaching music. His specialties include pop, jazz, folk, and rock guitar styles. Learn more about Matt, or search for a teacher near you! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of prescreened teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for safe, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by Amy Willard

Which Online Tutoring Website offers the Unlimited Tutoring Services

Which Online Tutoring Website offers the Unlimited Tutoring Services 0SHARESShare The academic life is the foundation of good professional career. It is the primary necessity for students to excel in academics and cast in a way to accept the competition and challenges for future professional life. To face strong competition, school academic is not sufficient. One requires extra academic support. The students may take private tutoring, group tutoring, online tutoring in desire to get additional help and support. However, none of them give unlimited tutoring except few reputed online tutoring websites. Here are some leading online tutoring websites that offers variety of study programs: TutorPace.com offers unlimited hours of study program for K-12 students. It targets overall performance of the student with tutoring textbook lessons, homework help, test preparation, etc. It offers 24*7 anywhere, anytime availability of online tutors. Tutor Pace offers flexible, systematic, affordable and complete tutoring programs that do not work to pay and use the service but target increased performance of the student with unlimited tutoring. Online Math tutoring benefits the most with boundless tutoring. Unlike Tutor Pace, Tutor.com and SmartThinking.com do not offer unlimited tutoring at a fixed price but offer per minute on-demand program with round the clock availability. The program turns out to be more expensive if child requires tutoring for more than an hour or two in a week. Etutor.com offers lesson module program in two different ways. One is an Independent study program. The student work independently and contact tutor when required. Another is Guided Study Program. It offers one-to-one tutoring like any other tutoring websites. Etutor.com study program expensive in comparison to other website that offer on-demand tutoring but it is worth. Tutorvista.com offers unlimited hours of tutoring at a fixed price with round the clock availability of tutors. It is viable for students who are serious about online learning GrowingStars.com offers per hour on-demand study program. However, it offers unique features called “Always-On Tutoring” program for 5 hour window open for each affiliated school. The student can pre-schedule their session through Sunday to Thursday in the evening between 4pm to 9 pm. This is a low cost tutoring program with almost half of the price in comparison to others. [starbox id=admin]

Deferred Admission in Early Decision What You Need to Know

Deferred Admission in Early Decision What You Need to Know The following piece was written by Rachel Korn. Rachel has been featured in ourAdmissions Expert seriesand is a former University of Pennsylvaniaadmissions officer, as well as the founder of her own admissions consulting firm. Youve heard back from your dream school about your Early Decision (ED) application no, not rejected; no, not admitted; deferred your application will be re-read and reconsidered with the Regular Decision (RD) applicant pool in the coming months for a final answer later. In the meantime, what can you do to improve your chances of admission? How can you manage this time period as well as your applications to other schools? Behind the decision: Most of the time, a deferred ED application falls under a colleges admission criteria and/or admitted student norms. For example, grades may not always have been strong, class schedules may not always have been demanding, testing may have been low, essays may have been poorly executed or in poor taste, or activities may have been slim. Sometimes, these issues can be resolved or improved, and in such cases, the applicants can have a fair shot at admission later. There are other reasons, though, why you may be deferred that are not as clear-cut. You may come from a high school that sends many annual applications to your college and the college wants to wait to see you in the context of the rest of your high school pool in RD. You may not be admissible for some reason, but you are the kind of candidate the college seeks, so the college wants to send a positive message to you and your community that you are, indeed, viewed as talented. You may have connections to the college and the college does not want to say no, but is also not ready to say yes. In many of these cases, politics play a role in resolving the decision in RD. What can you do? First of all, send the college a letter that can be considered when your application is re-evaluated. While you want to remind the college how much you are committed to attending, your passion for the college is a given since you applied ED, so the letter should focus on explaining anything relevant to what you suspect could be the cause of the deferral. Perhaps you have not yet shared enough information in your application about something that worried the admissions officers. Moreover, you should be sharing updates about anything significant that could impact your application like new test scores that you will be sending, the resolution of an incomplete grade, or new awards. It may be possible to correspond or speak with the admissions officers in charge of your application to see if there is something specific you can share to help them in their decision-making. Sometimes, you may gain feedback, overt or subtle, about what has happened. Do note that how you handle this situation will shape how the admissions office feels about you. The odds are very high that you are liked remember, your application could have just been rejected and you want to keep it that way. Contact the admissions staff only when you are calm and thoughtful. Shouting on a phone or sending weekly e-mails bombarding the office will not persuade them to admit you. Plan your contact strategically, speak and write thoughtfully, and take cues from the admissions officers about how much your contact/information is wanted. Prepare for new directions. Although ideally your defer will turn into an admit, you need to start to plan for the possibility that it may not. Make sure that you are continuing to prepare with the same care applications to other schools for RD. As much as you want to hope for the positive answer from your dream school, you actually will help yourself if you can start to also focus on your other favorite options. While completing the remaining applications, remember why you liked those schools in the first place. You may have a dream school, but by no means is it the only school you can love and in which you will thrive. Try to keep a balance between hopeful and strategic for Regular Decision. When all of the application results finally arrive, you will then be assured to have an exciting college option for your future. Visit RachelsAdmissions Consultingsite. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

What To Do the Summer Before Your Senior Year of High School

What To Do the Summer Before Your Senior Year of High School The following piece was written by Kofi Kankam. Kofi has been featured in our Admissions Expert series and is a former admissions interviewer for The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also the co-founder of Admit Advantage. The summer is finally here. Time to kick back and relax before the final push of your high school career, right? Unfortunately, I think this notion was generated in the same rumor mill that would have you believe that senior year is a time to coast. The reality is that if you are applying to competitive schools, there is much work to be done during your senior summer. Senior summer affords a tremendous opportunity for continuing, extending, creating, or mitigating experiences as needed. Continuing: If you have been a part of an organization consistently throughout your high school summers (or during the school year, for that matter), your senior summer could serve as an opportunity to demonstrate continued involvement. There is often a misconception about what colleges are looking for. In more of a check-off-every-box approach, students build resumes that read as more of a hodgepodge of disconnected experiences. I would challenge this notion, as this sort of resume building is easily discerned by admissions officers and does little to support your candidacy. Certainly, if there are gaping holes or a lack of certain activities that are preventing you from growing as a high school student, then, by all means, use your senior summer to fill in these holes. For example, if youd really like to challenge yourself by taking a certain advanced course during your senior year but you lack the prerequisite requirements to enroll in that course, go ahead and take a summer cours e that will allow you to advance academically. Or if you are particularly light in community service and involvement, you could use your senior summer to engage in such activities. The key here is this: try to pick organizations, activities, and courses in which you have a genuine interest and are in line with past experiences or future plans. This way, you are more likely to stick with the involvement, and your participation in such endeavors will come across as a seamless part of the bigger picture you are trying to paint as an applicant. Extending: This is the step beyond mere continuation. This means that for three summers you have been a camp counselor, and, during your senior summer, you step up to be the lead counselor. Perhaps it means that you challenge yourself athletically and earn a new designation or title during your senior summer for your sports team. It could also mean that you take the initiative to take an advanced course that goes beyond what is offered at your high school. Colleges love to see this! Not only does it demonstrate a sustained commitment to an activity, organization, or interest, it demonstrates initiative, leadership, and passion. More importantly, it also signals to colleges that this is something you will bring to their campus should you be admitted. So, if the opportunity presents itself for you to step up, or if you have to create this opportunity for yourself, without a doubt you should heed the call. Creating: Perhaps the only thing that speaks louder than the extension of an activity is creating new ones. These are the stories that get featured in local and national publications or go viral on YouTube. These are the kind of ventures that dont require you to point out how terrific you are because someone else, usually with a much larger platform, is already doing it for you. Just this week, I watched an internet story about a boy in southern California who didnt just volunteer at a soup kitchen he, along with his father, created a program to feed poor neighborhood residents breakfast every Sunday, complete with corporate sponsors and dozens of volunteers. This level of engagement sends a message to colleges that you arent the kind of person to sit around and complain about things; you are going to institute change. Think about the impact that this sort of proactive person could have on a college campus; it could be game-changing. Look around your community where do you recogniz e a need? Whats lacking? And more importantly, what can you do to spark that change? Alternatively, what industry would you like to learn more about? As the job market continues to struggle, internships abound. Want to learn more about social media? Propose an internship at a local PR firm looking to enhance their social media presence. Just because there isnt a job posting for an opportunity yet doesnt mean there isnt a need; this is where you swoop in to create that opportunity. Just a word of caution here dont force the issue. Again, pick an area that is consistent with your interests or past involvement so that you are more likely to stick with it. Additionally, it should be in line with your values as well as the story you are trying to communicate to the admissions committees. Mitigating: No one likes to admit that they have weaknesses or deficits, but we all do. If your weakness happens to be in the area of test taking, dont allow this to be your Achilles heel. The summer offers the perfect opportunity for test preparation. With so many applicants now taking test prep courses, you are almost certainly at a disadvantage if you do not. Not the best math student? You could use the summer to take a course at a local college to get a jump on the material that will be presented during senior year. Often, a weakness is only as much of a hindrance as you allow it to be. Perhaps youll never grow into a Nobel Prize winning mathematician or get a perfect SAT score, but proactively tackling your weakness may prove to be just the boost you need to at least make it a non-issue. Heres a heads-up for the fall of your senior year: it will likely be overwhelmingly busy. Rather than testing the limits of your time-management skills, use the summer to review and familiarize yourself with the Common Application, and take a stab at responding to the essay questions. Come senior year, you will still find that you are unbelievably busy, but the overwhelming feelings will be turned down just a notch. Remember, you are not alone in this venture. The college guidance office at your school can serve as a tremendous resource for opportunities that may be available during the summer from pre-college programs to summer study abroad and internship opportunities. Additionally, search the websites of local or interesting colleges for programs that they may be offering. Figure out if you need to continue, extend, create, or mitigate and make the most of your senior summer. Then, time permitting, you can kick back, relax, and enjoy the remainder of it. Visit Admit Advantage for more information. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Five Strategies to improve Academic Performance

Five Strategies to improve Academic Performance Is your child struggling to improve their academic performance? Are you looking for some manageable, simple learning strategies to help them improve their academic performance? Top tutor  Scott D  has figured out the most effective strategies and techniques, based on his own experiences at university. He discovered that while some aspects of a student’s academic performance are very unique to them (i.e. their learning styles and natural aptitudes), there are several key strategies which can be applied to accelerate anyone’s performance. In this post Scott outlines five strategies to improve academic performance. Most of them are simple, but if implemented (and this is the key) they are extremely effective. Set Goals and Work Backwards The first step with any new student is to construct a set of goals. Goals enable a student to continuously track their progress and adjust accordingly. It is considerably easier to make small adjustments throughout the year, than to make a huge pivot come exam time (or after mock examination results, as is common). This helps students feel more in control, reducing anxiety during exams. The process of setting goals also enables students to plan their time more effectively and quantify their progress. This enables students to re-evaluate their performance and determine what they can achieve throughout the year. In the words of Bruce Lee, “Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity”. When I first went to university, my initial goal was to get a 2:1. However, when I achieved a high first-class average for my second year, my long-term goal immediately changed. I adjusted what I believed was possible for me and set a new higher goal. This is how I have seen students jump several grade bounds during a single year. They set a goal, hit it early (which often surprises them, but fills them full of belief) and raise their expectations (and usually their performance). However, without setting a goal in the first place, the student cannot effectively measure, track or adjust their performance as they go. Their education becomes a shot in the dark. Use A Wider Variety of Learning Resources Using different resources is significantly more effective than using a single resource. Here are a few reasons why: You can gain different contexts and/or perspectives Overall, anything that gives you a different perspective on a theory, idea or problem will act to enhance learning. A good example of this is to look at the earth from a single image. It does give you a perspective of what earth looks like, but you never get the whole picture until you look at it from several different angles (and get several different perspectives). They can provide different associations and analogies The same is true of using different associations and analogies. Everyone has had that experience where they haven’t understood something properly, and then suddenly it clicked with an analogy that resonated with them. In my opinion, it is certainly one of the most effective ways to learn more abstract subjects, such as the sciences or maths. Different learning styles i.e. visual, auditory and/or kinaesthetic are stimulated In my experience, using resources that engage  visual, auditory and kinaesthetic have the best results for students. As a private tutor I will often start with a syllabus textbook and then gradually introduce other subject specific reading materials. I may also introduce videos, images, varied questioning and testing resources. This I find to be the most effective way for students to learn.  It can help make learning more enjoyable. There are two effective ways to memorise information: repetition and variation. While the former is very effective it is also quite tedious, particularly if it is from the same resource. Variation, on the other hand, is not only very effective but it can also make learning more enjoyable. Studies have also found that students learn better through active engagement. Get Through the ‘Frustration’ Period There is no doubt about it; trying to learn a new skill or material can be frustrating at first. However, this is a natural process and the friction caused by a lack of understanding will always disappear given enough exposure. A great analogy for thinking about these stages is learning to drive (or if you haven’t reached that stage, riding a bike). The ‘learning cycle’ suggests that we all go through four stages of learning. Here are the four stages using this analogy. Unconscious incompetence (this is when you are grossly incompetent at something because you haven’t been exposed to it before). When you start learning  to drive, you don’t know how anything works. This stage can be very frustrating and you feel completely incompetent for the first couple of lessons. Conscious incompetence (this is when you know you are not good at something despite having had some exposure to it) After a few driving lessons you begin to improve but you still cannot not drive independently. Conscious competence (this is when you become knowingly competent in some area of skill) You have taken your test and are able to drive on your own. This stage, however, still requires a lot of conscious effort to drive on your own. Unconscious competence (this is when you can do it on autopilot.  It becomes natural and subconscious) Finally, after a few months, driving becomes subconscious. One of the key challenges of secondary and higher education is getting a student to the last two stages in the learning cycle. The challenge being that many students are exposed only to new information for a few lessons at most. The problem arises when students are stuck in the ‘incompetence’ stages of learning. Frustration can lead them to avoid the subject altogether; or worse still, they start to believe they are not smart enough and develop a dislike (or even anxiety) towards that subject. We know, however, if students are able to through this ‘frustration’ phase they will grow in confidence and self belief. Sharpen Your Examination Techniques It might sound obvious, but you don’t get good at driving a car by taking the theory test (using my car analogy, again). You have to physically get in the car and start to drive. Likewise, you don’t get good at exams just by learning the content tested in the exams. Mastering examinations is a skill all of its own, much like essay writing and giving oral presentations. Yet, surprisingly, I have found many students fail to practice the techniques required to do well. These techniques do depend on the individual’s level of education but typical questioning generally progresses from description to explanation to discussion. At GCSE level, you are focusing much more on the former. The typical prefix to questions will be: Describe Explain Suggest These are usually combined with the open-ended questions: what, where, when, why and how. At this level, the examiner is typically looking for keywords. At higher levels, the questions start to incorporate discussions. These require more thought and structure, typically combined with your own research, opinions and case studies. Exam technique requires an article of its own. Nevertheless, one useful tip is to always put yourself into the mind of the examiner when answering questions; and when practicing, always have the mark scheme to see exactly what keywords the examiner is looking for.  5.  Practice Exams In his TED Talk “What do top students do differently?”,  Douglas Barton of Elevate Education discussed how top students don’t necessarily get the top grades because they have the highest IQ’s or even because they work the hardest (although there is usually some correlation with the latter). It was because they do more practice exams. Their study, based on a 13-year process looking into the learning habits of tens of thousands of students, found that they could almost perfectly estimate a student’s results based upon the number of practice exam papers they had done. I cannot disagree with this. Here are a few of the many benefits associated with practicing exams: Recognisable patterns will begin to form in the questioning and content Applying knowledge to different types of questioning will become easier. Using additional resources supplied with the exam will become more familiar. The structure of the exam will make more sense. You will become faster and less prone to silly mistakes Ultimately you will sharpen the techniques I discussed in the section above and become more aware of what the examiner (or mark scheme) is looking for. One of the most common problems I see is when a student is knowledgeable in the subject area but cannot connect that with answering a question. This is simply a symptom of lack of practice. So there you have it. These are my top  five strategies to improve academic performance. I guarantee that if you apply these strategies from the beginning of the year you will be shocked at how far you progress by the time you have to sit an exam. If you would like to contact Scott D to arrange private tutoring please contact him through his Tutorfair profile. Scott is a Maths and Science specialist as well as a learning coach with many years experience in tutoring. Alternatively search on Tutorfair for an ideal tutor in your area.

Writing How I Learned Its Okay to Ask For Help

Writing How I Learned It's Okay to Ask For Help As I embarked on my journey to become an English teacher, I would find myself worrying about my abilities as a writer. After taking a class my first semester that showcased my weaknesses as a writer, I began to question myself and wondered if maybe I had mistaken the calling I was so sure I had heard. Along the path on the rest of my three-year journey, however, I have found inspiration and have also come to realize that to love the English subject, I do not have to have the words or vision of Jane Austen or Emily Dickinson. In other words, I do not have to be a naturally great writer. I discovered that when I started seeking help and additional resources, I was not only able to achieve better grades, but I was also able to grow as a writer. We all have those moments in life that make us question everything. While attending Wake Tech Community College, I took an Argument-Based Research class. That class was that moment for me. Here I was, making the biggest decision of my life to l eave a job I’d been at for ten years to be an English teacher, and I am struggling with an English class. To be clear, I was by no means failing, but I was not getting all A’s and B’s either. I never understood what my instructor wanted from me and would spend hours on papers that received nothing but criticism and low grades. I was frustrated and I was too prideful to admit I was struggling or to seek help, but when my teacher decided to offer, I hesitantly accepted. The first time I sought out extra help was on my second paper for Argument-Based Research. My instructor assigned three major essays and three mini-essays. She realized that a lot of us were not understanding what she expected us to do after the first major essay, so she held an online webinar to walk us through the first mini-essay. I went to the gym and then, instead of meeting my friends for post-workout libations, I went home to participate in this webinar. I did not expect it to help, but I figured it coul dn't hurt either. My instructor took us step-by-step through her rubric and I outlined my paper as she continued. Once I had the organization of my paper down, it was easy to write the rest. I got an A! Then came the second mini essay. Feeling more confident this time, I wrote the paper without additional help and got a B, and more criticism. Feeling defeated once again, I asked my instructor for advice. Her advice has helped me write every paper I’ve written since then during my college career. Tutoring was not something I ever felt I needed. I was the one that made good grades naturally without studying. When my instructor suggested I send my papers to the tutoring center for revision, I was taken aback at first. I told my dad about the conversation, and he assured me that there was no shame in seeking extra help. So I did it, and my paper came back with positive comments as well as a ton of feedback. I was overwhelmed at first, and a little discouraged, but I read through the c omments and realized that I had been understanding some concepts wrong the whole time. One example that I remember is that I would refer to society as plural rather than singular. I also would slip out of third person without realizing it, which in the future, taught me to read my papers back to myself out loud. I made the necessary changes and got an A on my next paper, as well as the ones after that. While the tutoring center at Wake Tech was my greatest resource, I had to leave it behind when I began attending NC State in the Fall of 2015. Through my journey as a writer, I have learned lessons that will help me in the future as an educator. For example, if I am stuck or feel like I am not being effective in my lessons, I know it’s okay to seek help and additional resources. I realize that I do not have to be “great” at everything the subject of English requires of me. Proficient, yes, but not great. I also learned that there are people that want to help others succeed, and I hope to be one of those people to my future students.

Finals prep Why You Should Book Your San Diego Tutor Now

Finals prep Why You Should Book Your San Diego Tutor Now Finals Prep: Why You Should Book Your Private San Diego Tutor Now Final exams are just a few days away, and students are frantically prepping for these important exams. Whether students are in elementary school or getting ready for college its important they do their best because finals are usually worth a large percentage of their overall grade and encompass a large amount of information from the beginning of class until now. Tutors can help students stay organized, review challenging information, and prioritize one exam over another. Students at any level are encouraged to book a session with their tutor today, so they are ready for final exams its never too early to start prepping for finals with the help of a private San Diego tutor. 1. Organize and prioritize One of the most important things students can work on with their tutor is to organize all of the information they need to study for final exams as well as prioritize one exam over another. For instance, they might be struggling in math but doing well in English and should prioritize their math study. Alternatively, one exam might be worth 50% of the overall class grade while another might be worth only 10%. Regardless of the situation, students should share their syllabus and class notes with their tutor so they can help students stay on track in this manner. 2. Work on review Every student should be reviewing information they learned earlier in the year, especially if the final exam is cumulative. However, this review can become overwhelming because encompassing an entire semester worth of material takes a lot of time and prep. Tutors can help students sift through chapter material in old tests and quizzes to see which information might be more important and which subjects a student needs to review based on their previous grades. A student may have done very well on something they learned three months ago but may not remember the specifics of that assignment. Even a little bit of a review can make it easier for students to soar through final exams. 3. Avoid distraction It can be very easy for students to get distracted from finals prep and focus more on social activities at this time of the year. Students are also distracted by the holidays and family visits that take up a lot of their time. Tutors help students focus on the here and now and help them get away from distractions that can potentially derail their finals study. Its much harder to get into social media or watch TV when a tutor is sitting across the table from the student. Avoiding distractions is one of the best ways students can make their finals prep effective at this point in the year (READ: Irvine Tutoring Tips: Make Studying a Social Activity). 4. Boost GPA One of the most practical reasons to book a tutor during finals week is for students to boost their grades on final exams, thus raising their overall GPA. This is especially important for students in 10th through 12th grade, who will be sending their grade sheets to potential colleges and universities as part of the admissions process. Some colleges give students a conditional acceptance but require they keep their GPA high during their senior year to ensure they are an all-around good student. Many finals are worth 25% or more of an overall class grade so working with a tutor is definitely worth the time and effort to ace exams. Its never too early to book your San Diego tutor for finals. End the semester strong with the help of our experienced and highly educated tutors. Call us today for more information. Great news, Orange County! We’ve launched   www.TutorNerd.com to offer the best online and in-home tutoring in SoCal. Get 50% off your first online or in-home tutoring session with code: SUCCESS. The code is for a limited time only, so book your tutor today! All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.