Playing the Piano - "Pitfalls" to Avoid When Studying Piano for the First Time!

Playing the Piano - "Pitfalls" to Avoid When Studying Piano for the First Time!
For the 18+ years old adult, studying the piano for the
first time in their life, I believe you should avoid three
"pitfalls" to assure realistic progress. These pitfalls
are unscrupulous online vendors, bogus review sites and
well-intentioned piano instructors that don't have innate
rhythmic coordination. They don't and can't play with feel!

Too often, deceitful online merchants that offer 15+
"bundled" DVDs, guaranteeing the success of the piano
aspirant, mesmerize adults seeking online piano
instruction, through their storefront image.

The problem with purchasing "zillions" of DVDs is that the
adult student spends more time operating their DVD player
as opposed to using that energy in the application of
scales, arpeggios and harmonic studies. If learning the
piano was as easy as watching a DVD, everybody would play
the piano well!

Now understand, video references are helpful, BUT you don't
need a video for each and every concept when clear and
concise written instruction is sufficient. This is why I
"pepper" my eBooks (electronic book) with short video
clips, for additional clarification.

95% of all Play Piano Review Sites Are a JOKE!

They're jokes because they are not owned by professional
music educators or performers. Super Affiliates promote
all types of sites: "How to Train Your Dog..." "How to Play
Golf... " "How to Play Guitar... just to name a few.

These SMART GUYS are professional marketers. They have
"big pockets," as such, they spend thousands of dollars
daily in Pay for Click Advertisements (PPC), hoping that
someone will click on their consumer product ad! These are
called "sponsored ads." Perhaps these ads are surrounding
this article now!

So please be intelligent in your research. As my father
use to tell me: "Believe none of what you read, and half of
what you see!" But you can trust what you're reading here.
I've been providing online piano instruction for well over
6 years, and I've seen online piano programs "come and go!"
So be careful, watch out for the "Smart Guy" reviews.
They're SMART business people that know how to sell
product, but they don't have the expertise in music
education to guide your study of piano credibly and
effectively.

Lastly, the most important pitfall to avoid is the
selection of your piano teacher or online piano instruction
program.

Read this very carefully... All adults (18+ years old) must
be taught differently than a grade school-aged student.
The teaching methods are different. Only an instructor
that has the history of studying piano as a child, up to
their adulthood, understands this fact.

Can you imagine trying to learn to ride a bike at 18 years
of age... trying to find the "sense of balance;" not to
mention other inhibitions and fears associate to adulthood?

Now imagine trying to rid yourself of those impediments
along with inferior piano instruction. Your chances of
playing the piano and creating the music you desire, is
almost in vain. You'll be frustrated and give up. IT'S
NOT YOUR FAULT! You assumed the instructor would provide
the needed learning tools and strategies to achieve your
playing goals.

Remember, everybody that teaches piano, can't play with
feel - that's right! "They don't have rhythm!" Their
sound is too VANILLA! Don't believe me... just visit:
www.YouTube.com

The Good News!

Here's the truth... the study of piano is about RHYTHM!
Just because someone is "degreed" in music, doesn't
necessarily mean they can keep a beat!

My students have achieved success. So it can be done with
the proper instruction and students' desire to discipline
themselves to adhere to a consistent practice routine that
is in concert with their lifestyles!

In summary, I am reminded of Duke Ellington's classic
standard, "It Don't Mean a Thing, If it Ain't Got That
Swing!"

To your success,

Ron Worthy

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Ron Worthy is a Music Educator, Songwriter and Performer.
He provides online piano instruction. To learn more
"tricks of the trade," you are invited to visit:
http://www.MrRonsMusic.com and
http://www.PlayPianoTonight.com

Switch Your Digital Camera To Manual: Three Good Reasons.

Switch Your Digital Camera To Manual: Three Good Reasons.
New photographers taking up digital photography often seem
to follow the same path and hit the same snags. They buy
the best digital camera they can afford (possibly their
first digital SLR), after lots of research and discussion
with camera salesmen. They promise themselves that they
will really learn how to use the features of the camera and
start taking some great photos, not just snapshots. After
all, it doesn't cost anything to practice and you can
delete your mistakes, so how can you fail?

Then they try to read the manual.

After a brave effort of trying to wade through pages of
poorly written jargon, most people find the task too
demanding. They switch the camera to automatic, and that is
where it stays.

Does this sound like you? Don't worry, you are not alone.
But it is worth perservering, because taking great photos
is immensely satisfying, and allows you to get the most out
of your digital camera investment. Perhaps you are just
going about it the wrong way.

Why do I feel it is so important to use the manual settings
on your digital camera? Because your camera does not always
know how you want your photo to look. Let's take a look at
three examples.

Example #1. Often you can make your subject really stand
out by shooting it in the sun, with the background in the
shade. This is a great technique for flowers, people,
wildlife...all types of subjects. However, with two
different levels of light in the one picture, it can be
tricky to get the exposure just right. If you leave the
camera on automatic, it might set the exposure for the
background, leaving the sunlit subject badly overexposed.
So you get a perfectly exposed background (which you don't
care about) and a burnt-out subject.

Example #2. Some subjects can only be taken in very low
levels of light. Sunsets and rainforests are two simple
examples that come to mind. In these situations, the light
is only a fraction of normal daylight brightness. With your
camera on automatic, it could set a shutter speed so slow,
your photos will be a complete blur. Of course you can
counter this by using a tripod, but in my experience people
who rely on automatic settings usually don't keep track of
what their camera is doing.

Example #3. Action photos are often spoiled by the wrong
shutter speed. Whether you want to freeze a moving subject
(kids at a school sports carnival) or slow the speed to
create a motion effect (waterfalls), your camera does not
know how you want your picture to look. When you know how
to set your own shutter speeds, and balance them with the
correct aperture and ISO settings, you will get the result
you want almost every time.

Learning the essential skills of photography is not as
difficult as it seems. The mistake people make is to rely
on their camera manual to tell them everything, which is
not really what it is designed to do. Your manual is there
to tell you how to adjust the settings for your camera, but
it is not so good at explaining what the settings are for.
So it will tell you how to operate your camera, but not how
to be a better photographer.

A much better approach is to find a good, basic beginner's
guide that explains the fundamentals of good photography.
There are plenty of books, ebooks and workshops available.
Don't get too involved at first. It may seem that there are
a million things to learn, but you don't need to go that
far. If you can understand aperture, shutter speed, depth
of field and ISO, you will know almost everything you need.

After that, it all comes down to patience and practice.
With the right approach, and less reliance on a
poorly-written manual, your skills will improve in no time.
Like I said at the beginning, it doesn't cost anything to
practice and you can delete your mistakes, so how can you
fail?

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Andrew Goodall believes that with a small amount of
guidance, anyone can become a better photographer, no
matter what sort of camera they have. Andrew's ebook
"Photography in Plain English" is a perfect place to start.
Check it out at http://www.naturesimage.com.au and while
you are there, sign up to the online newsletter for even
more tips...it's free!

Are Cartoonists Masochists? And Why You Should Copy.

Are Cartoonists Masochists? And Why You Should Copy.
Well, no actually. However there is a point to the
question. Cartooning is generally a solitary occupation.
Whilst you may well be a very social gregarious person. And
that is a good quality for a cartoonist as you will draw
inspiration from many everyday things you see and do. It is
a fact that you need to draw your cartoons for yourself.

It's an old adage but we all know the one "You can please
all of the people some of the time....." etc. and you
certainly won't please everyone with your efforts, so don't
try. Draw your cartoons to please yourself, and if you've
got it right, you will please (read entertain) most others.
Getting back to the masochist thing, you will find that you
are spending a lot, if not most, of your time in your
studio, work area, wherever you do your stuff. Hunched over
your drawing board, working and re-working your cartoons.
Probably with an editor impatiently firing dealines at you.

So, you are in effect in self-imposed solitary confinement.
In which case don't be afraid to make your cell as
comfortable as possible. It's nice to have a window with a
nice view. OK, that doesn't work for everyone if you are
easily distracted, but then maybe you just aren't commited
enough if your mind wanders that easy. Have a coffee
machine so you don't need to leave the room. Music works
for me, and depending on my mood, or what I'm trying to
work on, can help enormously. Really whatever works for
you, but there's nothing wrong with being comfortable.

As to copying, well it's a given that most cartoonists, if
not all, start out by copying the work of a cartoonist that
they admire. There's absolutely nothing wrong in that. It's
a great way to learn tecnique, lettering, shading, etc.
When you are just starting out grab afew newspapers,
comics, or whatever. Find something you like the look of
and start copying. It's amazing how quickly things start to
come together. Before you know it you are drawing great
looking cartoons of your own. Just remember, as soon as you
have the mechanics of drawing cartoons down, stop copying
and develop your own style. Imitation may be the sincerest
form of flattery, but plagiarism is something else. Have
your own characters and style.

As a final word in this article remember that cartoonists
draw what they know, and if you are in tune with what's
going on around you, and take notes as you go (best advice
I was ever given, you have an idea write it down then,
guarantee you'll forget it otherwise before you get home)
you'll be a great cartoonist. And don't worry if you are
of, shall we say, mature years, wishing to take up this
great career. It's afact that most well known cartoonists
had a few years under their belt when they began. There's
no substitute for experience, I don't know of many 20 year
old newspaper/magazine cartoonists.

Whatever you do, practise as much as you can, and remember
the words of Winston Churchill when he was asked the secret
of success. He stood up, went to the dias, said "Never,
never, never, never, never, never, never, give up". And sat
down.

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Chris Haycock is an information publisher, one of whose
hobbies is cartooning. For more information on cartooning,
including details of a very special insiders course on
cartooning, go to http://www.cartoonsforfunandprofit.com