Online Guitar Lessons or Private Guitar Instructions: by Kirk Downing

Guitar Lessons - Pre-classroom Blues
This is a common experience all of us - guitarists as well as wanna-be guitarists - have had when we first decided to take guitar lessons: the questions came up in our heads in a flood - who is the best teacher? Which is the best guitar? How much do I shell out for a guitar? Electric or acoustic? Rhythm or bass?
The primary question usually is 'who is going to teach me?', and this is what we will attempt to answer in this article.
Taking Your Guitar Lessons
Broadly, you have two options as far as finding a tutor is concerned. You can search for a teacher in your town or city or you can get on the Internet and search for websites that provide guitar lessons. Each of these approaches has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. You need to weigh these carefully in your mind before making a decision.
Are you good at being instructed? Or do you resent authority? I know at least one person who has a problem with authority! Besides, there is the time factor; when would you be able to find time to visit a teacher for lessons? And these are not the only factors at work. For some people, a very pertinent factor is cost. Usually, it is a combination of these factors at work.
Studies are showing that while taking guitar lessons from a teacher is a good option, more and more people are taking to online learning nowadays.
Which Website Provides the Best Guitar Lessons?
The best website for everyone interested in guitar lessons is a myth; there is no such thing. Expectations may vary, and it is important that the website you choose fulfils your expectations. Another tip: never register with the first website you come across. There may be many better websites than the one you came across first. Browse through a few before deciding on a specific site.
Be clear about why you want to take guitar lessons. Is it purely for fun, or is there a career option element to the whole thing? This question, while being another basic question, is critical because it will help determine which kind of website you want to learn from - one that provides detailed lessons or one that just teaches you the fundamentals and lets you practice them.
In conclusion, you must be clear that there is no compulsion to learning online. Whatever the mode of learning you opt for, it is a choice you will have to make. Online learning, for all intents and purposes, is a trend. Do not choose it if you are not comfortable with it. The bottom line is for you to have an enjoyable learning experience while taking guitar lessons.

A few basic tips to improve your chess game

If you are like me you enjoy playing chess but hate losing more often than you win. For me at least, winning often seemed more of an accident than skill. Well, having many hours of trial and error, studying moves my opponents made, looking at what I was doing, etc. I came up with a few basic ideas on how to improve my playing skills.
In the beginning, there was the middle
The first moves of the game are essential to your strategy. They can also be the hardest to decide. From my experience, I have found that controlling the middle of the board is a good way to start. Whether the game takes place on the left side of the board or the right, taking control of the middle will allow you to be ready and in control of how the game pans out. Put your pieces in the middle, protect them as best you can, and gain a better feeling of control.
Pushing past the defenses
Once the game is a few moves in, it is time to start the push to kill the king. Chasing the king around with a single piece only to put it into a place where it is little use is not a good idea. However, a single piece can be extremely powerful in the right place. Look at the chess board. Divide it in half so your pieces are on one side and your opponent's are on the other. Try to get one of your pieces past that middle line in a place where it is well protected. By getting your piece firmly in your opponent's territory you are hindering how and where they can move, making it easier
The King can be more than a weakness
The King, as you know, is what decides a win or loss in chess. Generally it is a good idea to keep him protected. Placing a few pawns in front of him is a good defense and will buy you more time to take your opponent's King. However, when there are fewer pieces on the board, the king can be used to influence and threaten pieces. Send it past your pawns and and you can influence how your opponent moves his pieces. It is a bit more risky, but can win games.
I can't write an entire book on chess strategies in this article, but hopefully these few basic tips will help you out some. If you do want something longer to teach you how to become a better chess player, go to http://kudu02.bestnet05.hop.clickbank.net/