Importance Of Finger Placement

Music has always been a huge part of my life, considering I've been singing ever since sound could come out of my mouth, but I never gave interest in learning how to make music with instruments (besides my vocal cords, of course!) until I realized how essential the background instruments are in modern music. So i'm calling out all those people, like me, who love music and want to learn how to make it themselves to try and learn guitar with me!

As I've learned the hard way, you can't just pick up a guitar and start magically strumming beautiful music; you have to learn the basics before anything. A crucial part of strumming chords on the guitar, although sounding like a waste of time, is to know where you put your hand and fingers on the guitar. David Brewster proves that knowing this information is important to playing the guitar by recommending where to put your hand that holds the fret of the guitar from his book Teach Yourself To Play Guitar:

"Place your thumb on the underside of the guitar neck" (6). 

This tip is important to remember because the pressure from your thumb, I find, keeps your fingers close enough to the guitar at a comfortable position to press down on the strings to create a chord! When I first picked up a guitar and started strumming, my hand wasn't supporting my fingers and when I put my fingers on the strings, the sound was not pleasant. It turns out knowing the basics of a simple thumb placement is crucial to playing well! 

Now that we know where our fret-hand should be to help with our finger placement, Brewster gives tips on finger placement in order to get the correct sound. He explains that you should

Arch your fingers in order to not only make sure you can reach all the strings, but also because flat fingers could result in a muted sound of the string. Brewster adds that the pressure you use to push down on the strings should only be coming from your fingertips so that the sound quality is good and it doesn't press down on the string below it (6). 

This was a very stressful and complicated thing for me to get down, which seems ridiculous to me now because it's such a simple concept. Whenever I put my fingers on a string and strum, the sound would be dulled down. I realized I was using too much of my finger tip with not enough arch, so it's essential to keep those tips in mind when attempting to play chords. The first video shows a dulled and muted sound in result of pressing down flat on the strings instead of arched, which the second video shows, resulting in a proper sound of the chord you're playing.

So what do you guys think: Is learning the basics a waste of time or worth it? Would you rather just painfully work through your mistakes?

     Brewster, David M. Teach Yourself to Play Guitar. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard, 2004. Print. 

Vegan Pad Thai

I have been a vegetarian for about 6 months now and have loved it. I never really enjoyed meat and now I find myself eating much more fruits and vegetables. I have read many books and watched many documentaries on becoming a vegan and I look forward to becoming one one day, so a vegan cookbook was the first thing that came to my head when deciding what kind of book to choose for this project. I chose Isa Does It by Isa Chandra Moskowitz because I have heard many great things about this book and the recipes that it withholds. Before reading this book, I had an idea of what it would be like to be a vegan, but I thought that all they ate were fruits and vegetables. Now I have read and learned many recipes that look delicious and consist of many healthy ingredients, but are still no where near boring. For my first meal to prepare from the cookbook, I chose the Everyday Pad Thai. To begin, I gathered my Ingredients:

Vegatable oil

Tofu

Salt

For the Sauce:

Tomato Paste

Soy Sauce

Brown sugar

Fresh Lime Juice

Siracha

Mellow White Miso

Water

For Everything Else:

Broccoli

Garlic

Scallions

Fresh Cilantro

Pad Thai Noodles

Roasted Peanuts

The first thing that I was to do is to cut the Tofu into "cubes" and cook them so I referred to page 17 where Isa talks about "vegan butchery" and explains with pictures and descriptions how to cut tofu and tempeh into the shapes that she states in her recipes. She explained that to cut tofu into cubes you must first turn it on its side and cut it length wise. Then you turn it flat and cut it into quarters in both directions and then you have perfect, equally sized cubes. (P. 17)

In the notes section of the recipe, it said "I make this all in one pan. While the tofu browns, I prep everything else. You might save a little time by using two pans, but this method has served me well." (P. 179) After reading this I decided that since I was in no hurry, I would go with her method and only use one pan for everything. At first I though that would be weird because you would be mixing different elements of the recipe, but it worked out since you combine everything in the end anyways and I would highly recommend doing this. It makes for a much easier clean up afterwards.

Once I had made the tofu and prepped all of my ingredients, I put the tofu to the side and heated up my veggies, noodles, and sauce on the stove. After that was done, I put everything into my skillet, mixed it all up and let it soak up the flavors of the sauce for a minute before i put it on a plate and topped it with some roasted peanuts. I loved how this turned out and so did my family. I would most definitely make this again and recommend to anyone, vegan or not. 

This can be a very controversial topic, but I would like to know what your opinion is on veganism.


Moskowitz, Isa Chandra. Isa Does It: Amazingly Easy, Wildy Delicious Vegan Recipes for Every Day of the Week. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, I haven't always been the best at cooking, or baking. Based off of that, I chose somewhat of an easy, but also difficult book, called "Ultimate Comfort Food". The last time I tried to make Mac & Cheese, I accidentally kind of set it on fire, so I thought for this assignment, I'd start with something simple. Something I could also get help on if things went a little.. messy. So, I chose chocolate chip cookies (cause, who doesn't like those?). It's a very simple recipe, as well as a beginner one.
To begin with, I gathered up everything I need:

3/4 cup of butter, softened

2/3 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups (12 ounces) chocolate chips

(The picture only has some of the supplies, it took a while to find the rest)

Now, this recipe will make about 3 dozen cookies, and that;s quite a lot (but hey, I don't mind at all).

So, the first step of this recipe is to cream shortening, butter and sugars until light and fluffy into a large bowl (p. 282). Then, beat in the eggs and vanilla. After that, combine the rest of the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and throw that mixture into the bowl as well, then, mix well before adding in the chocolate chips.

This step turned out to be sort of tricky for me. We don't really have any mixing machine, so I had to do it by hand with a rather weak wooden spoon. The mixture was thick and hard to stir, but eventually, I got a hold of it.

After mixing them all together, I added the bag (we got a large) of chocolate chips (I wanted it to be extra chocolaty). Then, the next step is to chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Just to be careful, I left it in the fridge for an extra 15 minutes before taking it out. The next step after this was to lay the cookie dough into 1/4 cupfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Now, the author warns to be very careful with how I placed the cookies, and to be exact, because this recipe made the cookies turn out extremely large and fluffy (p. 283). So, JUST to be exact, since I sort of suck at cooking, I grabbed a ruler from my room and used it to measure the dough and placement EXACT (I know I know, I'm too worried). After filling up almost 4 baking sheets, the next step was to place the cookies in the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown. So, I shoved them into the oven, and waiting for 20 minutes before taking them out.

Now, make fun of me all you want, but I forgot to put on a glove, so I burnt the inside of my thumb and ended up dropping a rack. BUT, it's okay! Only a little under half the cookies didn't survive, but I still had just the right amount to enjoy.

The cookies looked delicious! But I think I did something wrong, because they didn't turn out very big and fluffy at all, but they were DEFINITELY chocolaty, due to the extra chocolate chips. So, following the instructions, I let the cookies cool for a few minutes before removing them from the baking sheets.

As you can see, they look pretty edible! So, at least I didn't mess up too bad. And, trust me, they were SO good!

But, my question is, what if I ended up using baking powder instead of baking soda? I used the last of the baking soda, and I was wondering if there was any difference between the two?

Learning to Play Guitar

 I have been working a lot on the C chord because at first I was having a lot of trouble switching in between chords to create a progression since my fingers are not very long in the first place. So in the mean time I have been reading an instructional book to help me.

Since I have been struggling I looked to Hal Leonard the author of Guitar Method for help with my chord progression. Leonard simply states that now that I am advancing the notes will be moving from string to string (pg.11) as I am supposed to look ahead I must ready my finger for the next position (pg.11) after reading this I expanded my understanding of how to accomplish chord progression by getting my fingers ready instead of switching last minute.

  As you can see from my video I intergraded Leonard's technique into my usual practice after reading his next instructions. Leonard says to gradually and slowly increase my tempo (pg. 12) it started clicking with me after a while when I would fumble a few times but remained steady and constant.

As you can hear over the course of time after taking Leonard's advice I am slowly getting better at chord progression. Leonard gets more into chord progression as he says to depress the strings with your fingertips and arch your fingers to avoid touching strings (Pg.19) after taking his advice my chords became clearer and less muddled. I wonder how much faster I will be able to play now.


Citation:
Leonard, Hal Complete Addition: Guitar Method Leonard Hal, 1997

Intensity of Training

I love workouts that are focused on intensity. Everyone should have some high intensity workouts included in their workout plans, because their very essential to increase performance as Steve Magness states on pg. 127 "Distance runners typically perform several higher intensity workouts per week, which are separated with easier runs. The intensity of both harder and easier runs affect the adaptations that take place and lead to improved performance." So, before following the workout plan he has provided for me, I decided to hit the track and get some basic intensity workouts done so my body can adapt to it. I was doing 8x150 meter sprints w/full recovery (5-7 minutes). I also want to tell you guys that within your first couple of high intensity workouts you will probably puke, i want you to know that it's okay. If anything that's a good thing that means your body is adapting to change. 

This photo was taken at Kentwood high school by Maamoon Saleh.

"Four different studies with recreational athletes found that adding between 1 and 6 LT (Lactate Threshold) type sessions per week increased VO2max by between 2.5-8.1% after 6-8 weeks of training." For those of you that don't know what VO2max is, it is a measure of the maximum volume of oxygen that an athlete can use. It is measured in milliliters per kilogram of body weight per minute. So, in a way it's kind of like speed endurance training, not the exact same thing, but similar.

What are some of your guys' favorite intensity (speed) workouts? 

Creating a Perfect Focal Point

A focal point by definition in this book: Photography by Nicole Woods, is "something that your eyes cannot let go of" (Woods 36). If we go layer by layer of detail of this photograph to the right, a camera placed between two front-facing mirrors, we can see the mirror behind the camera is out of focus, however we can see the basic shape of the camera and hand being replicated through the other mirrors. But what you don't see is how dirty the mirror is. This is how you use focus to your advantage and exclude doesn't degrade the picture's quality because the main object of the picture is still being focused on. What I have learned through personal experience and through this book is what this book states: "just make sure that you choose something that captures the hearts of those who look at the images once they are produced" (Woods 36). I believe I am getting closer to this quote's description of a photograph's objective by experience. This book gave me a new understanding of photographs with that last quote and I treat photographs differently. Overall, if you don't want something in the picture, either remove it entirely or focus out of it. In this case, I needed the mirror and that's why I decided to focus out of the mirror. All photographs I took are over 4K (3888x2592px) resolution as proof of my improvement throughout my recent photographs.

What do you think of these photographs?

Do you see an improvement on these pictures below and how so?

       Woods, Nicole. Photography. Lexington: CreateSpace, 2015. Print.

Learning to Knit? Mastering the Basics of Knitting Comes First!

Basics of Knitting

Have you ever wanted to learn the beautiful art of knitting?  At first knitting may seem very difficult, but with practice and patience, it can become really fun and easy.  I didn't really know how to knit when I first picked up the book "Knitting- Teach Yourself Visually" by Sharon Turner, and it was a challenge to start learning, but I gave it time, and now I know the basics of knitting. 


I am going to be learning throughout the 3 months in which we were assigned to read and blog about one particular non-fiction book and how we incorporate it into our everyday lives, to learn a new skill every single blog post.  For the first blog post, I mastered the skill of the basics of knitting, for example casting-on, and the basic knit.  For the second blog post, I am going to master and complete a knitted square and learn how to cast the square off.  For the third blog post, I am going to knit a square using a type of special knit called a purl.  For the 4th, I am going to complete a square with purls and different colors.  And for the 5th and final blog post, I am going to put all my knowledge to a test and create a scarf with purl knits, different colors, and cast-off. 


A knit piece may look something like this...

 

So what's the big deal with knitting?
According to the non-fiction book, "Knitting", knitting is fun and relaxing, "Once you begin to get into a knitting rhythm, you'll discover one of the most relaxing and satisfying of hobbies." (Turner 4).  Knitting is not just for grandmothers; children, teens, 20 year-olds, and new mothers are learning to share the hobby (Turner 4).  I decided to take up this challenge of learning how to knit, because for Christmas I wish to give my mom a hand-knit scarf with beautiful colors and different kinds of stitches.  "A hand-knit gift with extra meaning for both the person giving and the one receiving.  When you knit a special hat, scarf, or baby sweater for someone, you weave your love into the fabric, and the person receiving your gift will know it and appreciate it." (Turner 5)


So what did I learn to do, you may ask?
For this specific blog post, I learned to take up the art of casting on and learning to do a basic knit (stich).  According to this non-fiction book, "Knitting", I first learned the different yarn types.  A few different types are cotton, mohair, wool, alpaca, nylon, acrylic, and polyester (Turner 6).  For this specific project, I used acrylic yarn.  Secondly I learned all about different yarn weights.  There are lots of different yarn weights such as, "super-fine, fine, light, medium, bulky, and super-bulky," (Turner 6).  For this knitting experience I used medium.  Next I learned about different types of needles.  There are lots of different types such as wood, metal, bamboo, and plastic, (Turner 10).  I will be using bamboo needles.  Also there are lots of different types of shapes for needles.  I will be using the straight needles, since I am a beginner, but the others are double-pointed and circular.  Also I will be using some extra supplies that I may need like scissors.  

 

 

 Yay!!! Now it's time to make a slip knot!

Now that I got all of the things that I need to begin knitting, I can start.  From the book, it says the following, "Basic Techniques: A knitted fabric is made up of many stitches.  In this chapter, you will learn the basics: how to get your first row of stitches on the needle as well as how to knit."  (Turner 11).  This is what I am going to be focusing on in this blog post.  First I will be learning how to make a slipknot.  Well what is a slipknot?  A slipknot is "your very first stitch," (Turner 14).  To make a slipknot, I followed the very clear instructions that were listed in the book, "Start about 10 inches in from the end of your yarn, make a loop.  Pull the working yarn (the yarn coming from the ball) behind the loop as shown.  Insert the needle underneath the working yarn and pull it up through the loop.  Pull the ends of the yarn so that the slipknot sits snugly on the needle,"  (Turner 14).  These instructions were very easy to follow and I made a slip knot myself with yarn and a needle.

Well what's next?
Casting on is next.  According to the nonfiction book, "Knitting", "Casting on is what you do to get a foundation row of stitches on you needle so that you can start to knit," (Turner 15).  There were many types of methods of casting on shown in the book such as the backward-loop cast-on, the long-tail cast-on, the knit cast-on, the cable cast-on, and the provisional cast-on, (Turner 17-20).  I experimented with all of the methods, but found that the knit cast-on was the easiest to do and would be good for this particular project.  "The knit cast-on produces an elegant elastic edge, so it's good for most anything..." (Turner 18).  The instructions say to, "Put a slipknot on your needle.  Holding this needle in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand, insert the right needle into the stitch from front to back, as if to knit.  Wrap the working yarn around the tip of the right needle and pull up a loop, as when knitting a stitch.  Do not slip the stitch off the needle.  Transfer the new stitch to the left needle by inserting the left needle into the stitch then sliding the right needle out.  Pull the working yarn to tighten.  Repeat steps 1-4, placing each new stitch to the right of the previously cast-on stitch until you have the desired number of stitches on the left needle," (Turner 18).  I followed this exactly, and now I know how to cast on!  I'm almost done with mastering the basics of knitting, just need to know how to do a basic row of stitches first!  My progress is below. 

Time to Knit!!!
So according to the book "Knitting", "It's a good idea to start with a small number of stitches (10-15) on your needles.  You will want to count your stitches after every row to make sure you haven't dropped or added any accidentally," (Turner 24).  The method shown in the book to knit is called the English Method.  A few instructions that come from the book is to hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left hand and hold the working needle in your right hand and then create an X with both of your needles with the right needle behind the left needle.  Then holding the crossed needles bring the yarn around the right needle from back to front and then bring it down between the two needles.   After that pull the right needle toward the front, bringing the new loop of yarn you just wrapped around it through the stitch on the needle and slip the old stitch off the left needle.  This is the 1st stich.  The book then says to repeat these steps until the there is no more stitches that can happen until going to the next row, (Turner 24-25).  I followed these steps very closely and created my first row of stitches.  I then went on to create two more rows of stitches.  My progress is as follows.

So am I done?
Let's look at my goals for this blog-post.  They were to master the basics of knitting by casting-on and doing the basic knit.   I successfully did this!  This book told me the steps of how to cast-on and how to a basic knit (stich) and now I know how to do a slip-knot, a basic stitch, a cast-on, and I completed my first 3 rows!  Now you may be asking, 'Ok so how does this help you with your life'.  Which this is part of the project.  This helps me with my life, because now that I know and have mastered the basics of knitting, I can make a scarf or anything else that I want to.  This is going to impact my life, because thanks to the book "Knitting" I will be making a scarf for my mom for Christmas.  I won't have to take time and effort and money trying to think of the perfect gift to buy at the store, because a knit scarf will be genuine and not cost near as much money as a present I could buy.  This has always been a passion of mine, creating art, and now that I know how to knit, I will take up knitting, and instead of wasting my money on gifts that don't really count from a store, I can make my family and friends meaningful gifts in which they will treasure.


A question for any fellow knitting-bloggers out there:
Have you found an easy way to cast-off? (Since I think I may struggle with this).


Also do you think that purling or the basic stich is harder?  I personally like purling better, but I was wondering what any readers thought and liked better. 


What should you take away from reading this?
You should take away that although knitting, or anything can be a struggle, you should just try and do it anyway, because it could change your life (no matter how small of a change, it will still impact your life). 
Also the argument that I am trying to express in this post, is that you should take up a hobby that you have always wanted to do, because it may be hard at first, but the end result will be rewarding. 


MLA CITATION
Turner, Sharon. Knitting: Teach Yourself Visually. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Pub., 2007. Print.








Dated: 11/30/15