Guitar Hacks How to Jazz Up Scales Start Improvising [Videos]

Guitar Hacks How to Jazz Up Scales Start Improvising [Videos] Suzy S. Many beginner musicians want to learn to improvise on the guitar, but just don’t know how to start. In this guest post, Greg O’Rourke from fretdojo.com teaches you three easy tricks that will supercharge your guitar scales and bring more life to your solos. Have you ever tried to improvise on the guitar and it sounds like you’re just running scales up and down the fretboard? Look: Regardless of what style you want to improvise in, only knowing the scales isn’t enough. Here’s the deal: To sound like a convincing improviser, you need to learn the vocabulary of the style you want to play meaning the particular patterns and approaches that give a style of music its unique sound. Which is what this article is all about. By the end of this post, you’re going to learn three easy jazz tricks to transform any boring old guitar scale into a hip, jazzy-sounding pattern that will supercharge your soloing. Let’s get into it! The Basic Idea The approach I’m going to show you is to: Look at the finger patterns on each string of a guitar scale, then Substitute them with finger patterns commonly used in jazz. For this lesson were going to use the ol’ faithful C major scale. Lets use the well-known pattern commonly played in the 7th position on the fretboard (for those of you who know the CAGED system, this would be the E pattern of C Major): Listen Play: Guitar Improvisation Exercise 1 Audio: If you arent familiar with this guitar scale pattern yet, practice playing bits and pieces of it over the backing track to get familiar, as the video below demonstrates: Video Example: Backing Track: As you can see, if you improvise just by going up and down guitar scales it sounds like, well… just like scales going up and down. Boring! Let’s see what we can do to jazz this sucker up Step 1: Substitute the ‘134’ Pattern Look at the notes that sit on the 3rd string for this guitar scale: As you can see, this string uses fingers 1, 3, and 4, hence a ‘134’ pattern. Hmmm lets try something. Replace this finger pattern with a ‘4123’ pattern instead: To get used to the idea of replacing the finger pattern, play the simple exercise below. Listen Play: Guitar Improvisation Exercise 2 Audio: Heres the trick. Now, whenever you play the 3rd string as you improvise, replace the ‘134’ pattern with the new ‘4123’ pattern. Video Example: Go on try it! Here’s the backing track once again: Backing Track: Hang on: Notice how this can be used on other strings of this C major scale as well Eureka! The 4th string also has this ‘134’ pattern. Do the same finger pattern replacement on this string too. Listen Play: Guitar Improvisation Exercise  3 Audio: I want you to practice soloing over the backing track once again. This time, whenever you hit the 4th string or the 3rd string, play the pattern ‘4123’. Backing Track: Great you’re sounding a whole lot jazzier already! Lets have a look at how we can mess with the other strings to get more of that jazzy sound into our soloing. Step 2: Substitute the ‘124’ pattern Here’s the finger pattern on the 1st string in this C Major scale: As you can see, the 1st string has a ‘124’ finger pattern. It’s time to soup up this finger pattern too. Can we use the ‘4123’ pattern (the one you used on the 3rd and 4th string) here? No, you can’t the final note (the ‘3’)   will be a note that is not in C Major, which will sound bad. For this approach to work, we need a pattern that will finish on a scale note. So, we’ll need a different pattern. Let me think… How about this one: Looks good this new ‘43241’ pattern ends up on a scale note (the ‘1’). This ‘43241’ pattern is one of the most commonly used vocabulary ideas in jazz, and its easy to play too. To get familiar with this new pattern, play this exercise on the 1st string: Listen Play: Guitar Improvisation Exercise 4 Audio: Improvise with the backing track in a similar way to what you did on the 3rd and 4th string. This time, whenever you play the 1st string replace the ‘124’ pattern with the ‘43241’ pattern. Video Example: While youre at it, make it more interesting by experimenting with different rhythms and accents each time you play the pattern. Backing Track: This ‘43241’ pattern works really well on the 5th and 6th strings too, as they also have a ‘124’ pattern in this C Major guitar scale. Ill show you what I mean: Listen Play: Guitar Improvisation Exercise 5 Audio: Step 3: Enclosures Great, so we have now jazzed up every string of this guitar scale Or have we? Hang on it looks like one string hasn’t been covered yet: the 2nd string. The problem with the 2nd string in this C Major guitar scale pattern is that there are only two notes on the string. Doh! We cant play the other two patterns you’ve learned so far, as they were for three notes, not two. Don’t sweat! There is a solution. We’re going to use enclosures to surround (or ‘enclose’) each of these two-note scales. I know what you’re thinking: “What’s an enclosure??” I knew you were going to ask that. Let me explain. Enclosures are one of the most commonly used devices found in jazz solos. They give a great chromatic sound and are characteristic of jazz bebop in particular. Enclosures are useful as they can be added to any note in any guitar scale. Heres an example of an enclosure: Listen Play: Guitar Improvisation Exercise  6 Audio: In this next exercise, you’re going to apply an enclosure to each of the two notes found on the 2nd string of the C Major guitar scale pattern: Listen Play: Guitar Improvisation Exercise 7 Audio: Now try to improvise on the backing track with enclosures on these notes whenever you hit the 2nd string: Video Example: Backing Track: Note: You can do enclosures on any note of the scale, not just these two scale notes on the second string try it and see! Step 4: Combining it All Together Fantastic! We have now jazzified every string of C Major guitar scale. Your final challenge awaits… Have a go at playing the substituted finger pattern for each string one after the other, going from the 1st string to the 6th string: 1st string: 43241 2nd string: enclosures 3rd string: 4123 4th string: 4123 5th string: 43241 6th string: 43241 Listen Play: Guitar Improvisation Exercise  8 Audio: Now improvise on the backing track by adding the relevant pattern for each string here and there as you solo. Video Example: Backing Track: A couple of things to be aware of as you improvise on the guitar: If you do the new jazzy patterns too much, it will sound too “spicy.” Just add them here and there and it will sound totally hip. The challenge here is to remember what pattern goes with which string in the guitar scale. Be careful as you’ll find it won’t sound very good if you mix them up by mistake. Huzzah! Just by adding some simple finger patterns, you know have an interesting, jazzy foundation for your guitar solos. Summary You can apply this technique to any guitar scale: Whenever you have a ‘134’ pattern on a string, replace it with ‘4123’. Whenever you have a ‘124’ pattern on a string, replace it with ‘43241’. Whenever you have only 2 notes on a string, use enclosures around each note. So there you have it: three simple finger patterns that you can apply to any guitar scale, to instantly get that jazzy sound. The question is… What guitar scales do YOU have under your fingers to jazz up? Let me help you out. Download a free copy of my Essential Guitar Scale Patterns PDF eBook, and youll learn  the most important guitar scale shapes that you need to know for any style of music. I would also like to give a  shout-out to Matt Warnock at  mattwarnockguitar.com,  whom I credit first showing me these innovative ideas for scale patterns. He’s a great teacher and has a ton of resources about jazz guitar improvisation on his site. I wish you well in your guitar practice. Happy soloing! Ready to learn more? Find a local or online guitar teacher, or check out our live, online group classes for guitar! Post Author: Greg O’Rourke Greg O’Rourke is a professional Australian jazz guitarist and holds a Bachelor of Music (Hons) with the Australian National University. He’s also the owner of fretdojo.com, which offers detailed lessons and eBooks on how to master jazz guitar.

Good and Efficient Teachers For Your Better Grades With Ease and Less Time Duration

Good and Efficient Teachers For Your Better Grades With Ease and Less Time Duration When we were in school, we used to dislike it the most and our imagination would land us up to a new place where there won’t be any discipline, there won’t be any boundaries and no rules have to be followed. In short we would come to a place which is named as college. With this term almost each of us has a weird view that a place where you can do anything and everything, and this is because of our movies in which college is shown as a place of time pass apart from being a place of learning. But we face reality when we reach at that place and when we are clueless as what to be next. College is also a place of learning, but very few of young students understand that as they feel it to be a place of playing. It is also as important as the schooling part. Here each student comes by choice and not by default. College also helps a lot in shaping our future. Here you come to make you life more focused and get a new direction towards your education career. In college a student have to study only few particular subjects and no every subject like in schools. These subjects are vast and this high level of concentration can only help them to cope up with the subject. The college goers also need good tuition teachers who will help them to do better in studies and also come up with flying grades. Private tuitions are considered as very old dated way of gaining knowledge as private tutors have become very professional and only provide you with study materials as they do not have time to make anyone explain it or help them to understand. Whereas, after the advent of online tutors, things has been drastically changed. The online teachers are a great way through which you can get into the depth of ay subject and can get the best help from it. The work of online teachers is to bring in the best to their students and to help the students to attain lot of good grades with their teaching process. Mathematics is an interesting subject and also a very tough subject according to me. The subject can land you to a good place if you can understand the importance of it. Very few students take the initiative to know the subject deeper by making it one of the important subjects after school or by keeping it as the main subject in college days. To get a good tutor is like a dream come true for such subjects. But with online tutors help the problem of getting good teacher comes to an end. All the teachers that are present at the institute of the e-learning courses are very dynamic and also has good amount of knowledge. This helps them to give out the best to their students and also students can be benefitted largely to a great extent. Some important features of online tutoring Today with the advent of technology many such web portals have increased in which the efficient teachers are only appointed so that the service provided by them is well up to the mark and so that the students can also be benefitted with such great services. The benefits or say the advantages of these online classes are high and this makes them much more interesting and attractive for any student. The teachers are very qualified and have massive knowledge about the subject. They have been dealing with the subject for pretty long period. They know every nook and corner of the subject and thus they present the subject in such a manner that it looks interesting for any student to gain curiosity in it. They are appointed after passing certain exams and after getting good grades in it. Students are highly benefitted with the kind of help that these teachers provide them. An efficient teacher helps in making the subject easy for us. If you are a weak student regarding the subject then the teacher frames up a good and a structured plan through which the course will be completed and through which the student will be able to get lot of help as well. When we reach in college we are pretty grown up ones and thus sharing our problems and or weaknesses with the subject feels like an insult to us. If such is the case then online teacher can only help you out. The online teachers do not have any other student beside one as it is completely a one-on-one process and this makes the student come out of their own shy zone and take help from the teacher unlimitedly. The use of making the student get lot of help is possible when you have good teacher by your side. A good institute provides you with good knowledge and also with good teaching help. The charges of some of the good institutes are pretty high and thus the affordability of parents cannot be concluded. The use of good institutes is such that without good payment you cannot have good teachers. But in some cases the situation is not so. There are very few institutes in which the price or charges are very less and so it can help the students and their parents in many ways. TutorPace is all about good teaching With proper guidance and good follow ups you can easily come across good marks and gain depth in the subject as well.  Online college grade math tutoring  is a part of the service that the online learning institutes provide. With efficient teachers, home atmosphere and fewer charges it helps in being one of the best institute for learning. TutorPace, reputed institutes that charges less and provides you with certain great facilities that can help you with good learning and higher grades as well. so, for more details you can check into the site of TutorPace and get to know more about it.

What Does It Mean to Be a Well-Rounded Student

What Does It Mean to Be a “Well-Rounded” Student Well-rounded is a term that pops up heavily in conversations around college prep and applications. From these conversations, its easy to formulate the idea that the well-rounded student is class valedictorian, star-player on the basketball team, and local newspaper internas well as prom king or queen. This is a myth; there are many different kinds of well-rounded students. Depending on your interests and skills, heres what it means to be a well-rounded student: Academics You dont have to take all AP courses your senior year in order to be considered well-rounded. While youll definitely want to do well in terms of grades and have a strong course load to show for, take advantage of flexible requirements or elective courses to widen the breadth of your education. If youre interested in math and science, you might try a creative writing course or woodworking course to throw into the mix. If you like writing, you might want to learn anatomy as a bonus to understand how systems in the body work. Its also not a bad idea to further develop interests in a focused way: so if youre into literature, consider taking journalism, business writing, philosophy, and/or political science. Consider asking your guidance counselor for more ideas, as he or she can be a great point person for advice. Extracurricular activities If you like sports, greatbut if not, dont worry about not participating in athletics. You might want to join band or orchestra instead. Check out the theater program, too. Think outside the box; for example, you dont have to be solely interested in acting to be part of a playthere are stage crew members, directors, prop-makers, and members of the pit orchestra as well. Consider more traditional school activities like student government, but also seek out smaller groups that might speak to your interests like the school newspaper, Best Buddies, or chess club. If you dont see what youre interested in, consider grabbing a few friends and starting a club that does fit your interests. Dont forget that you can also pursue interests outside of school like cooking, blogging, DIY projects, designing clothes, and the list goes on and on. [RELATED: How to Choose Your Extracurricular Activities] Community involvement Getting involved in your community is a great way to become a more well-rounded student. One way to do this is to find an internship or part-time job. If youre able and want to, consider looking for an internship that is related to your academic interestsbut you might also look for an unrelated job that would further develop your leadership and teamwork skills. Community involvement doesnt mean you have to get paid: try volunteer opportunities in your town like urban gardening, coaching elementary school sports, or helping build houses. Check out your schools career center or guidance office for short-term programs that might take you to another town or country. Finally, consider language or cultural exchange programs as well. Personal backgrounds and experiences Your own particular background and experiences can also play an important part in making you a well-rounded statement. When choosing your college admissions essay topic, for example, consider your cultural background. Where are your parents and extended family from? What kind of experiences did you have growing up? Did you travel a lot or get to know one place really well? How do you see your identity and what kinds of identities and groups do you relate to? All of these experiences help shape who you are as a student and a person. Being a well-rounded student looks different for everyoneremember that theres no right way to be well-rounded. If youre looking for different opportunities to try out, ask friends, family members, teachers, and academic advisors for suggestions. Youll probably get even more ideas than you have time for!

4 Reasons Why Every Singer Should Own a Keyboard

4 Reasons Why Every Singer Should Own a Keyboard Suzy S. When youre learning how to sing, having the right tools  is essential. Among those should definitely be a keyboard or piano continue reading to find out why in this guest post by St. Augustine, FL teacher  Heather L... Ive met singers over the years coming from all sorts of backgrounds and with all sorts of ideas of what being a singer really means and what tools it takes to stay good. Opera singers, rappers, folk singer-songwriters and everyone in between have crossed my path. I can say with certainty that the most successful of them owned keyboards. That doesnt mean that all of them studied or even played the piano. It simply means that they had easy access to a keyboard where they lived or created music. As a teacher, Ive encountered quite a few students who wish to take voice lessons with me, but have no piano knowledge or background at all. I almost always end up teaching a bit of basic piano fundamentals in these lessons. It is virtually impossible, except for those rare few singers who possess absolute pitch (formerly called perfect pitch), to learn and practice singing at home without using the keys. Now, some will say that a guitar or a harmonica works just fine, and for some, it does. But the piano has some distinct advantages over most other modern instruments in terms of ease of sound production, being an aid to both sight reading and songwriting, relative ease of maintenance and tuning, and being a great warm-up buddy. Here are the specific reasons that having a keyboard or piano is so great to have around as youre learning how to sing. 1. Ease of tone production Compared to other instruments, like the trumpet or the clarinet and even the harmonica, the piano is easy to create sound with. The sound is created simply with a heavy arm. A little muscle and joint warm-up is all you need to prepare to play. Theres no need to work tirelessly on creating a clear, pure tone. Its there at your disposal, which is perfect when all that you need is a starting pitch. 2. Aiding music reading and songwriting Music theory can be seen so much more clearly and in such a more linear fashion using a keyboard. Notes that are adjacent, or as I like to describe to my students, right next door to each other, in written music are also adjacent to each other on the piano. This helps to make learning sung music easier. In a similar way, that same set up facilitates writing music with both melodies and chords, something almost impossible on the guitar. Having a keyboard is the easiest way for a singer to deepen his or her theory knowledge. 3. Relative ease of maintenance and tuning As opposed to a guitar, for example, which sometimes needs daily tuning and monthly string changes, pianos need a yearly or twice-yearly tuning. Keyboards will sometimes need an electronic calibration, but thats very occasional. Plus, either one will get its own spot in your home. Unless youre gigging out and taking your keyboard in a case, then theres no need for daily storage like there is with a guitar. 4. Being a great warm-up buddy The keys are a tangible, simple group of notes are your fingertips, a very useful tool when it comes to warming up and exercising the voice at home and backstage. Sure, singers can get by with their voices alone, but it can be tough, especially if youre studying a particular book of vocalises or sight singing melodies. Youll need that tangible, simple group of notes on the keyboard. These are the best, albeit not all, reasons to own a keyboard as youre learning how to sing. Singers will find its user-friendly nature makes it the ultimate companion instrument to the voice. I want to thank Dave Isaacs of Music News Nashville for his insight into this topic. Please read more at his blog. Heather L. teaches singing, piano, acting, and more in St. Augustine, FL, as well as through online lessons. She is  a graduate of the prestigious Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, and has performed with the New York and Royal Philharmonics, the New Jersey and Virginia Symphonies, the American Boy Choir, and the internationally renowned opera star Andrea Bocelli. Learn more about Heather 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 Photo  by  taymtaym

The Best Asian Food Blogs

The Best Asian Food Blogs 5 Asian Cooking Bloggers You Should Be Following ChaptersChina Sichuan FoodThe Woks of LifeMy Korean KitchenJust One CookbookNo RecipesAre you a fan of Asian food or would you like to learn how to cook but don’t know where to look?Do you have friends coming over to try your Peking duck or are you just sick of the restaurants in your town?There are plenty of blogs around the internet where you can learn to make chicken curry, sushi, crispy prawns, caramelised pork, or even Vietnamese bo bun like a professional chef.We’ve chosen some of our favourite blogs for you. While some deal with Asian cooking in general, others are more specialised and deal with the food from a given country in Asia. There’s a large selection of recipes as well as tips and tricks for how to cook better Asian food.After you’ve read a few of these blogs, you should be able to prepare a few Asian dishes to impress your friends. Whether you want to eat shrimp with a bit of spice, crunchy spring rolls, pad Thai, sticky rice, green curry, sweet and sour pork , or just some noodle soup, whatever the dish, you're bound to find something in these blogs. GiovanniCooking Teacher 4.83 (12) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HalimaCooking Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HakimCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors VincenzoCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GinellaCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArronCooking Teacher 5.00 (2) £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoshuaCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlickCooking Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsChina Sichuan FoodWhile this is a blog on Chinese food and eating culture, there’s a particular focus on the Sichuan province (also known as Szechuan), which is famous for its spicy food. Don't worry if you don't like the taste of spice, there are plenty of other delicious recipes, too.If you can't make i t to Sichuan province, you can take your taste buds there. (Source: Playon0209)You can also find out more about the techniques used to cook, how to make a hot pot broth or vegetable noodle soup, or just the herbs you should be using.In addition to all the recipes available on the site, you can also check out the “pantry” to learn more about the ingredients used in the dishes you’ll be making. Whether you’re using coconut milk, sesame oil, soy sauce, crab, bamboo shoots, fish sauce, oyster sauce, spring onion, hoisin sauce, nuts, honey, or caramel, you can learn about what you should be picking up at your local Asian supermarket.There are also videos available. These are great for watching on a tablet on your kitchen bench while you’re making something. They’re all available on the blog’s YouTube channel, which you can get to via the blog or just by searching on YouTube itself. With each video you watch and meal you make, you’ll get a little closer to mastering Chines e cooking.The Woks of LifeAside from a brilliant name, this blog includes post from a family talking about travelling and cooking.A wok is a good idea for anyone wanting to cook Asian cuisine. (Source: Bellessence0)There are so many recipes on the site that they’ve had to separate them into different categories including:Chinese New Year RecipesChinese Bakery RecipesChinese Dim Sum RecipesChinese Vegetarian RecipesYou’ll find stuff like:Plenty of Chinese recipes as well as western dishes with a Chinese twist. If this sounds beyond your skill level, don’t worry, there are also plenty of “quick and easy recipes” for those needing to gain a bit of confidence in their cooking before moving on to fusion cuisine. They’ve also got a whole section dedicated to recipes for vegetarians.Fancy an eggplant string bean stir-fry? Who wouldn’t?There are plenty of “how to” articles, too. These cover techniques for preparing food that you’ll need to master if you want to fully ben efit from all their great recipes. There’s an article on how to make chili oil, which is great for those who enjoy the spicier side of Chinese cooking, especially Sichuan dishes.There are articles on the ingredients you’ll be using for your dishes and how to get the most out of them.Got a load of beef and garlic in the house?  Have look and see if there's anything that takes your fancy!If the prospect of eating delicious international dishes has you yearning to travel, don’t forget that this site also includes articles on travelling (often while also cooking!).We’re recommending this blog because it’s one of the more heartfelt sites on the internet. You can tell the whole family enjoys contributing to the site and their approach is more personal than some of the flashier websites you’ll come across during your search for Asian cuisine.Find out more about cooking tutorials around the UK. GiovanniCooking Teacher 4.83 (12) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Hali maCooking Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HakimCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors VincenzoCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GinellaCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArronCooking Teacher 5.00 (2) £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoshuaCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlickCooking Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsMy Korean KitchenInterested in cooking Korean food rather than Chinese?Then this is the blog for you. Love meat? Even better!In addition to Korean cuisine, there’s also plenty of recipes fusing Korean techniques and ingredients with western dishes. There’s bound to be something for even the pickiest eaters.Korea is home to some beautiful sights as well as some delicious dishes. (Source: Gwons)The recipes come with step-by-step photos that make each step easier to follow. If this isn’t enough, then don’t worry! There’s also a YouTube channel with video recipes for you to follow. No more takeout for you!The blog’s author, Sue, started the blog to help people living in Korea learn more about the country’s food and culture. However, most of her readers turned to be living outside of Korea and she had to shift her focus. It’s a good thing she did as now you can access this fantastic award-winning blog!The site’s easy to navigate and recipes are organised into useful groups such as appetizers, side dishes, desserts, drinks, and by main ingredient.Just One CookbookThis Japanese blog and cookbook is great for anyone interested in the food from the Land of the Rising Sun. There’s far more to Japanese food than sushi, after all. The blog’s author, Nami, started the blog to make a record of and share her favourite Japanese recipes with her friends and help them cook Japanese food. The goal was that by the end, she’d have one cookbook to pass on to her children.  Since then, Just One Cookbook has turned into more than just a simple cookbook.One of the best things about the site is how the recipes are organised. You can pick a recipe based on how much time you have to cook it, whether you want a starter, main course, or dessert, or the main ingredients used. Additionally, you can find meals based on dietary requirements and sections with healthy, gluten free, vegetarian, or vegan recipes.Like the other blogs on this list, Just One Cookbook also has a YouTube channel where you can watch video recipes.If you’re really feeling adventurous, why not give the “Surprise Me!” button a click and see what it suggests?No RecipesDespite what the name suggests, this is a great site for those looking for recipes. No Recipes was founded by Marc Matsumoto to help people of all levels create amazing Japanese dishes. However, Marc prefers to cook without using recipes and hopes his readers will do the same.So how does he do this?By educat ing readers on different techniques and ingredients used so that they can cook instinctively without the need for instructions. Don’t leave just yet, though. The site actually includes over 1,000 different recipes.Throw away your cookbook, you won't be needing it! (Source: RitaE)The more recipes you follow, the less you’ll need them, though.  The recipes on the site are not only excellently explained, the accompanying photography is bound to whet your appetite long before you’ve finished preparing it.Since Marc is a TV chef, you won’t be surprised that his blog also has a YouTube channel with a few videos. However, there aren’t as many videos on his channel as you can find on some of the other blogs we’ve mentioned.Of course, this isn't an exhaustive list and there are plenty more great Asian cooking blogs around the web for almost every style of food.In short:Asian food is rich and varied. In terms of finding information about it, you’re spoilt for choice when it come s to blogs on it. In any case, whether you’re making a simple chicken noodle soup, tasty stir-fry noodles, or caramelised pork, it shouldn’t be hard to find useful recipes and tips and tricks on how to correctly prepare the food. We could be on for days with all the great blogs (we didn't include any about Thailand, for one!) so if none of these are for you, don't give up!There are plenty of blogs by people of Asian heritage who speak English and English speakers living in Asian countries so you’ll not have to worry about the language barrier. If you’re looking for information about cooking Japanese food, look for a blog by a Japanese person living in the UK or another English-speaking country, for example.Since food and culture go together, you can learn a lot about a country by learning about its food. The more you learn about Asian food, the better you'll understand the menu at the next restaurant you go to.Find cooking classes near me on Superprof.Cooking classes LondonC ooking classes GlasgowCooking classes ManchesterDiscover why Asian cooking is different from Western cooking.Easy Asian recipesAsian cooking with a WokChinese recipes

Start Off - Phrasal Verb of the Day

Start Off - Phrasal Verb of the Day Todays phrasal verb of the day is: Start OffInfinitive form: Start OffPresent Tense: Start Off/ Starts Offing form: Starting OffPast tense: Started OffPast Participle: Started OffStart Off can be a separable or inseparable English phrasal verb. It can be used in four different ways:When an event or activity begins or when you start an event or activity by doing something to get things started [separable]1. The audience went wild as Justin Bieber starts the concert off by showing his abs.2. Rumor has it that the principal is starting the event off with a dance number. This ought to be an interesting one!When something or someone starts a certain way in the beginning, but noticeable changes can be seen [inseparable]1. Their relationship started off really well, but got really bad in the end.2.  The movie starts off well, but now it has become quite boring that I want to stop watching it.When someone begins a career, life, or existence [inseparable]1. Did you know that Tom Welling, the guy who played superman, started off a career as a construction worker before he became an actor?2. Our manager himself started off as a salesperson. He got promoted two years later.When you begin a journey [inseparable]1. The mountaineers had to start off early so they could reach the mountains peak by noon.2. We have to start off early for our road trip. I promised the folks well get there before 10 A.M.Exercises: Write your answers in comments and we will correct them.Fill in the gaps from the video above:Complete the sentences below with the correct form of Start Off.1. The members usually ____ the ceremony ____ by singing the National Anthem.2.  Kelly said that they _____the program ___ late so everyone still has a chance to catch up.3. The event is usually _____ ____ by fireworks.4. Ms. Anderson _____ ____ as an assistant in this school, now she is at the top.5. If you wanna make it there on time for the party, then I suggest you leave now.  Trust me, youd want to leave now and ____ ___ early.Change the example sentences above to negative sentences (or positive, if the sentence is already negative). Then change them to questions.

Is It ADHD or Autism

Is It ADHD or Autism April is Autism Awareness Month and organizations are spreading the word about the importance of autism screening, evaluation, and intervention. For parents of kids with ADHD who struggle with social interactions, the notices and flyers popping up in pediatrician offices, schools, and on social media can prompt questions about whether their childs difficulties may sound more like autism symptoms than ADHD symptoms. Autism Spectrum Disorder, commonly known as autism, is not a singular disorder but rather a spectrum of symptoms and impairments. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the diagnostic guidebook published by the American Psychiatric Association, autism spectrum disorders are characterized by difficulties with communication and interactions with other people, as well as restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. These problems are severe enough that they interfere with an individuals ability to function at school, work, or in other areas of their life (a comprehensive list of autism symptoms can be found here: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/autism-spectrum-disorder/index.shtml). Kids with more severe forms of autism are highly impaired and may develop little (if any) language and interact only minimally with those around them. Kids on the higher functioning end of the autism spectrum may have fully developed language abilities and can communicate with others, but overall, they struggle in their interpersonal relationships. There is a certain degree of overlap between ADHD symptoms and autism symptoms, including social difficulties and challenges related to executive functioning. However, there are some key differences as well. Communication Skills. Many kids with ADHD struggle with their communication skills. They may talk too much or say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and they may even have difficulty picking up on subtle social cues. Children with autism have these same challenges but experience them to an even greater degree. In addition to missing subtler social cues, they often fail to notice obvious changes in facial expression, body language, or tone of voice. Theory of Mind. Every parent at some point finds themselves asking their child, How do you think that other boy or girl feels about what just happened? When a child responds to this question he or she is engaging a unique cognitive skill referred to as Theory of Mind. This skill provides the ability to put ourselves in another persons shoes and see the world from their perspective. Often kids with ADHD need a bit more prompting or guidance to engage in Theory of Mind thinking. When it comes to kids with autism, their Theory of Mind abilities are often so impaired that even with assistance they are not able to truly think about things from another persons perspective. As a result, they have trouble understanding why people do the things they do and fail to understand the intentions and feelings of others. This can lead to feelings of confusion and frustration on the part of the child with autism, and the perception by others that he or she is insensitive or rigid in his or her thinkin g. Social reciprocity. Interactions with family members and friends involve a natural give and take. Someone asks you a question, you respond, and maybe ask a question back or mention something that you think the other person might find interesting. Social interactions also involve inviting others into our world by sharing things we are interested in, or in the case of children, showing others a favorite toy or object. Kids with ADHD may struggle with some of the back and forth aspects of social interactions, but overall, they are interested in sharing their world with others. Kids with autism display very limited social reciprocity. They struggle to make eye contact, rarely point out interesting things that they want to show to the people around them, rarely share, and often dont respond when asked to engage. Distinguishing between autism spectrum disorders and ADHD isnt always straight forward. If you are wondering if some of your childs social challenges may be due to more than ADHD, then reach out to your childs pediatrician. They can help you locate a specialist in your area who can clarify your childs diagnostic picture and recommend targeted interventions that can help. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

9 tips for an awesome profile picture

9 tips for an awesome profile picture When completing your Teach Away profile, remember that first impressions count. The first thing that any school will see from you is your Teach Away profile picture. While it's true they will also see your resume and application details, your application will ultimatelybe linked to that picture. At Teach Away, we see thousands of profile pictures, and while many are great, some are definitely not what you want your future employer to see. Below are some suggestions that will help you pick an appropriate photo, and give your prospectiveschool the best first impression possible. 1. Use a photo.This seems simple, but some applicants forget to upload a photo in the first place. This is a mistake, as it is the easiest way to make your profile recognizable and unique. 2. Look professional.Again, back to first impressions â€" you do not need to wear a suit, but you want to present the image of a professional teacher. Dress appropriately and avoid using a picture that shows you drinking alcohol, for example. 3. Be culturally sensitive.When applying forteaching jobs through Teach Away, you need to take intoaccount the fact thatmany of our schools are in more conservative parts of the world. Be aware of the taboos in some of the countries you are applying to. 4. Oneprofile, oneperson.Candidates often submit pictures with their friends, family or a group of their students. It is great to see that you are well liked. However, in these pictures it is often very hard to see who the candidate is which essentially defeats the purpose. 5. A picture of you â€" not the things you like.The purpose of your profile picture is identification. 6. Lighting.Make sure you are clearly visible! 7. Location.A staggering number of candidates submit photos where they are sitting in a car with their seatbelt on. Truly, a remarkable amount of teachers choose this location. I assure you, it is not a particularly flattering environment â€" not to mention the risk to public safety. 8. Do not edit the background or use Photoshop.Simplicity is a virtue. 9. Smile.Professionalism is key, but you also want to show some warmth. A profile picture is mainly used for identification, however, it is also an opportunity to manage your first impression. Give it some thought, follow these simple tips and make a positive, professional and lasting impression. Good luck with your application! Upload your profile picture complete your profile now