Weekly Journal 15

         Oopsies. For some reason I thought that Journal 14 was the final one.
This week for twenty percent time I am finalizing my presentation. Being that I present on Monday, I need to be as ready as I can be as possible. With that being said, I am going to practice and rehearse as much as I can over the weekend. Due to the SAT's on Saturday, my instructor and I have had to make other arrangements and hopefully it will all work out. I am very nervous.
I am still unsure of whether or not I should bring my guitar in to class or make a video/audio. Reason being because I have a soft case for my guitar and my bus is always packed and I would hate for it to get destroyed. I will have to see.
I hope that by the end of this weekend, I will finally get the hang of playing the song. If only I had rhythm... oh well! One must make do and I will try my best.
Can't wait!

Weekly Journal 14

         This is my last twenty percent time journal. I am genuinely a little sad just because the entire idea of twenty percent time gave me a chance and the motivation to step out of my comfort zone and learn something new. This past week on twenty percent time I began preparing my presentation. I plan to show the little that I am now able to do on Monday when it is my turn to present in front of the class. I can now tune a guitar using an app as aid, and I am able to maintain rhythm for a little bit (30 seconds or so which is a big deal for me) while playing about 3 chords. I will not be presenting the entire song. Only the beginning because to be honest, that's as far as I went. Of course I touched on the rest of the song and have played through it, but I do not feel confident enough yet to perform the entire song in front of everyone knowing that it is not even relatively decent.
Okay, so I have no rhythm. I've learned that and have accepted that. However, just because twenty percent time is over, does not mean that I will not continue learning how to play the guitar. In fact, having no rhythm is what is motivating me to step out of my comfort zone, believe in myself, and try to push through this difficult task.
With the little time that I have left, I plan to give it my all and prepare a good presentation for Monday.
See you all then!

Weekly Journal 13

         Oh boy. Presentations begin in two weeks and I present on the first day. I am not ready. Unfortunately, I think I took on more than I can handle because I did not take into consideration all of my other school work that would prevent me from being able to work on my project throughout the week. I have found that once a week will not cut it. My goal has changed. My new goal is to finish learning the first song that I have been learning. It is a rather "easy" song according to most, but I cannot help that I lack rhythm (which is why I find it so difficult). This week I did not have twenty percent time in class due to field day. I did, however, continue practicing the song.
It's depressing, actually - to have done this for a relatively longish time and not having mastered yet or at least become average. However, I cannot let this discourage me. Although it may not be much, I still have some time left and I plan on using it wisely. From here on out, I will only practice the song.

Weekly Journal 12

         I am pleased to say that I finally got to play this weekend! For starters, I successfully tuned my guitar all by myself! I was very happy with myself. The main thing we practiced was the first song that I have been trying to learn for the longest time. This is taking me long because I have absolutely no sense of rhythm and that is finally becoming more and more clear to me. Although this is taking me a while, I can't complain. I am happy with playing the guitar and even after twenty percent time is over I plan to continue learn and hopefully one day I'll be pretty decent. I found that I over think everything, which is the main reason why I have trouble moving forward with the song. However, I am determined to keep going. I can't wait for next week where I plan on practicing more and maybe learning a few extra things on the side.

Weekly Journal 11

         And once again, life gets in the way of my guitar lesson scheduled for Saturday. Unfortunately, I had to spend all day Saturday cleaning up the mess left by the construction workers who are working on my house. A session was unable to be rescheduled considering that today (Sunday) was Mother's Day. Due to such events, I was unable to practice the song and I was simply left looking at tips on how to tune my guitar and reading chord charts. I really hope that next week will be much better. That's it for this week and next week I hope to actually practice my first song and make a significant improvement.

Weekly Journal 10

         This week for twenty percent time, I began my class time session with looking for useful diagrams/charts for certain chords. As a beginner, I should be learning how to play the guitar from the very beginning (reading/learning the chords -- becoming familiar with them) and for one session I did, but now I barely remember how to get to a certain chord. However, being that I am supposed to have a finished product by the end of this semester, I cannot spend too much time on this phase in the project. Therefore, I decided it'd be easier and a huge time saver if I simply looked up chord charts. I found this amazing website: http://www.pluckandplayguitar.com/extended-guitar-chord-chart.html
with this very useful chart http://www.pluckandplayguitar.com/support-files/extended-guitar-chord-chart.pdf
that has the basic chords and then some. On Saturday, I met with my instructor for less time than usual and simply practiced the song a little more. Next week I plan on working on the first song A LOT more because this is taking FOREVER and I am very impatient.

Weekly Journal 9

         Finally! This week for my twenty percent time project I practiced quite a bit. To start, my instructor and I began our session by picking up where we left off - practicing the first song. I am very happy to say that I am finally becoming more and more comfortable with it. I slowly felt myself picking it up faster and it felt great. I'm not saying I have it down already, but I am a little better than before and I couldn't be happier. After doing that for a bit, my instructor told me that due to time, he would simply introduce me to the next song that I am going to learn. I'm a little scared to learn it being that it looks very complicated, but I'm still excited. I will not mention the name of the song until I begin to learn it, but I am SLIGHTLY looking forward to it ( o_o ). After that, my instructor began teaching me bar chords. One word: ouch. Bar chords are those that require your entire finger to be holding down more than one string. It hurts just holding down one string, now imagine more. Not only did the pain interfere, but also my fingers alone. when trying to hold down one chord with my second finger and another chord with my third finger, the finger that was doing the bar chord kept raising up. Needless to say, that didn't go very well. However, I did have fun so I don't mind too much. This week I feel like I did very well and I'm very excited to keep learning. Next week I plan on working on the first song more and practice doing bar chords.

Weekly Journal 8

         I am very upset with how my twenty percent time went this week. My instructor got sick and had to cancel our session scheduled for Saturday afternoon, therefore I was unable to practice the song that we have been working on and the fact that I have not gotten that far into the song makes me very uneasy. However, simply because I did not practice does not mean that I did not do anything. Instead, I watched the following videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvjH32NjMj8, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rny9D9ROBb4, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlZUkNIf118, and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiRwVvv-mQs. I watched all four videos in hope that it would help me with my BIGGEST problem: transitioning. Transitioning is the main component that is keeping me from progressing in the song and it is very frustrating. I can't wait to test out these new methods with my instructor next Saturday and I hope that I can get far in the song because I am very impatient. Next week I plan on working on the song, and watching more videos on transitioning (tricks, methods) and tuning.

Weekly Journal 7

          I regret to inform you all that I have not had the opportunity to work on my twenty percent time project. I got back Saturday night and since then I have had piles of work thrown at me. However, I already have a session scheduled for Saturday and I'm really hoping to get a lot done to makeup for the time lost. Also, before that, on Thursday during twenty percent time in class I plan on looking up videos, tips, anything to help me really. I can't wait to get back to this!

Weekly Journal 6

         Hola! I will be off to Mexico tomorrow morning and with that being said, things have been pretty hectic therefore not allowing me to work on my twenty percent time project. However, I did try to squeeze at least 5 minutes into this short and crazy week. Today, I watched the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAdJ6em4_Kc
once again. Unfortunately, with all of the packing and planning still left to do, I am unable to keep working on this project. Also, I will have no access to the internet, meaning that I will not be able to look up any helpful tools while I am gone.
I hope that when I come back, I can get right to it and makeup for the time that will be lost.

Weekly Journal 5

         This week for my twenty percent time project, I did not spend as much time working on learning the song as I had hoped for. In class, I tried looking at the chords online, but struggled a little because the chords are for the more complicated way of learning how to play the song. As everyone knows, Relay for Life was on Friday night and ran through Saturday morning and due to the 12 hours of staying awake at school, I slept like a rock the entire morning on Saturday. Then in the evening, I had a Quinceañera to go to, therefore, I could not work much on my project all of Saturday either - the days on which I usually do. However, because my instructor, who is a close friend of mine, was also going to attend Relay for Life, I convinced him of bringing his guitar that way we could get a little practice in. I did not play much, and I did not get far, but it was fun. 

Another unfortunate thing is that I do not think that I will get much work done this week either being that I will be leaving for Mexico Thursday morning and will not have WiFi while I am gone. 

I hope to find time before I leave, and if so, my plan will be to keep working on my song and hopefully make more progress. 

Weekly Journal 4

     This week I have not made as much progress as I had hoped for. On Thursday during twenty percent time in class, I decided to try and find a video on YouTube of someone teaching how to play the song Good Riddance by Green Day in the way that I am learning it. The way that I am being taught how to play this song is relatively easier and after 5 or 6 videos, I finally found one where the person is teaching it how I am learning how to play it. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAdJ6em4_Kc
After watching the video about 3 or 4 times, I recognized the pattern that the girl was describing about having to do the G chord in the following way: down, down, up, up, down, up. Also, today, Saturday, my instructor finally told me that when I get to chord D, I have to do the following pattern: down, up, down, up, then go back to G and start down. He taught me this pattern as I was practicing the song and I must say, I am becoming a bit more comfortable with the first two notes - does not sound like much but for me, a person who has trouble with rhythm and hand-eye coordination, it is pretty nice. I found that when I got a little frustrated, I began to get a better hang of it so maybe I just need to get frustrated a little more haha. Unfortunately, the next two weeks are going to be tough to get a practice in because I have an event to attend to on Saturday and the following week I leave for Mexico on Thursday, therefore my only definite time to work on this will be during twenty percent time in class on Friday. However, I will try my hardest to find time over the week before I leave to work on the song. Until next time!

Weekly Journal 3

         This week I did not get much time to work on my twenty percent time project. With tests, homework, and SAT's today, I simply was not able to get around to my project. However, I did work on it a little today. Today, I worked more on my first song and learned the E minor in the song that comes after D and I must say, I am having a really tough time. I have always struggled with using my hands for simple tasks, and now, I am presented with my most challenging one - transitioning chords. It is a struggle for me, but I know that with practice and time, I will make it. Also, I had a bit of trouble tuning my guitar today, which was upsetting for me because I thought I almost got the hang of it. What else to do but try harder, right? Therefore, next week I plan on working more on my song and at least try to become able to transition smoothly from G to C and then to D. 

Weekly Journal 2

This week I worked a lot on my twenty percent time project. On March 5th, I tried tuning my own guitar without the help of my instructor. This was a very difficult task because it was my first time trying to tune it on my own and because I do not know what sounds right and what does not. I tried tuning my guitar with the “PitchLab” app; this app allows you to see the status of each string. When I finished tuning my guitar, I felt as though the sound was not as beautiful as it is meant to be. Therefore, I left it for the time being and decided that would be one of the first things that I ask my instructor about on Saturday. On March 6th, I read online at http://guitar.about.com/od/beginners/ss/how_tune_guitar.htm#step-heading about how to properly tune a guitar. This was not of much help and I realized that it is not enough simply reading about how to do it. To help me, I tried looking at a diagram of the headstock and of the neck of the guitar at the same time. Finally, on March 7th, my instructor taught me how to properly tune a guitar using the PitchLab app and now I have no problem tuning my guitar - except, I am a little afraid of breaking it. I also learned how to find notes on the neck of the guitar meaning I learned whole step and half step, along with why each note is what it is. For me, learning why something is the way it is, is very important because only then will it sink in. My instructor also briefly touched upon the topic of the roots of chords, therefore I now have some knowledge about that. Today I also continued working on the song, Time of Your Life by Green Day - the first song that I plan on mastering. While practicing the song, I practiced transitioning and I am slightly better than I was last week. Learning everything that I have went over this week is very important because they will serve as a basis for everything that I will be doing in the near future. I think that I have done very well this week and I could not be more excited! Next week, I will continue working on the song and see where that takes me!

Weekly Journal 1

I began my second twenty percent time project a week earlier than most. On February 21, I began by learning the basic mechanics of how to play the guitar. For example, I practiced finger placement and rhythm control. I also learned how to read a chord chart. I learned the following notes: E minor, E, G3, C3, and D. I am currently struggling with learning how to play the D note and I am also struggling a bit with the transitioning of note to note. It is important to learn all of these things because they are the basics to learning how to play the guitar and I mean, everyone has to start from somewhere, right? I will use this all again every time I play the guitar! I also noticed a pattern or two when counting the strings and frets- simply the order that they go in. Today, on February 28, I BOUGHT MY OWN GUITAR! I could not be more excited! I went with my mom and my friend who is teaching me, to Guitar Center and both a beautiful acoustic guitar. Also today, I practiced the D note along with the C and E note. I believe that these past two weeks have been very productive for me and I feel that I have done pretty well! Next, I will continue practicing the same notes, and perhaps even learn how to transition between them in a more smooth way.

Second Twenty Percent Time Proposal

For a long time now I have been longing to do something more than simply studying and watching television. In fact, I have been wanting to play an instrument that I feel will bring me nothing but joy and laughter. It is for this particular reason that for the second semester of twenty percent time I wish to learn how to play the guitar. The guitar is a classic and it is something that I have secretly always wanted to learn. My goal would be to learn the basics of the guitar and to be able to at least play two songs.   

I would achieve my goal by watching videos at least 2-3 times a week and practicing whenever I can. In order to be successful, I need to learn each chord, how to read a few basic notes and get used to particular hand techniques. I would need help from one of my friends that has agreed to meet with me at least once every week. I would also get help from videos online. I will face many difficulties while trying to learn how to play the guitar due to the fact that the last time I tried learning how to play an instrument, it did not work out so well. What will be particularly difficult about learning how to play will be learning how to finger. For some bizarre reason, it has always been a challenge for me to use my hands to do anything. For example, it takes me longer than the average person to get a hold of the very simply rhythm that goes on when clapping with a crowd. Also from a previous experience playing the clarinet, I simply seem to struggle a great deal whenever my hands are involved. Overall, I believe that this entire 20% Time project will definitely be a challenging one. I can work on this in class every week by watching videos, taking notes, and learning how to read music. Outside of class, which is where this project will mainly take place, I will be putting my knowledge to the test and actually practice with my friend. I can't wait to start this twenty percent time project because it is both something new and engaging!

Weekly Journal 14

January 18, 2015

This week on January 15, 2014, I began my twenty percent time by beginning to work on my presentation for midterms. I have decided to use a powerpoint presentation to display my project. I then reviewed the first seven out of fifteen basic sign language phrases. Then, on January 14th, I began my session by going over the alphabet and  the fifteen basic phrases. Constantly reviewing the alphabet and phrases is important because the more I practice them, the more likely I am to remember them a time from now. This is not a skill that I wish to forget because I feel as though it could come in handy some day. This week there were no patterns due to the fact that I did not learn anything new. I believe that this week I have done well with reviewing and getting a head start on putting together my presentation. Finally, I plan to finish off this project with reviewing everything that I have learning and finalizing my presentation that way I will be ready to present in class. This project has served as a valuable experience for me and I am most glad that I could finally learn something that interests me.

Weekly Journal 13

January 11, 2015

This week on January 9, 2015, I focused on the fifteen basic phrases I have learned over the past two weeks. For whatever reason, I still have a hard time trying to sign “Why are you learning sign language?” Generally speaking, I have trouble using my hands for things like this. For example, I cannot clap at the same time as a large crowd because my hands simply do not allow me to do so. As hard as it is to explain my slight problem, I feel as though this has something to do with me not being able to follow the man in the video when he is signing this particular question. For this reason, I spent a lot of my time trying to learn this question in ASL. The importance of this question is quite significant. I am learning ASL because I am fascinated by the different ways that people can communicated amongst themselves, especially through sign language. Perhaps someone else feels the same and I would very much like to know why they learned or are in the process of learning ASL. I could ask this question to practically anyone I meet who knows ASL. This week I did not notice any patterns during my twenty percent time session. This week I believe that I have done okay, although I would have liked to do more. Next, I will try to review everything that I have learned in ASL.

Weekly Journal 12

January 5, 2015

This week on January 5, 2015, I began my twenty percent time by reviewing the eight phrases I learned on December 22, 2014. I did not have time this week or over the break to work on reviewing a chunk of the basic words, however I do plan on working on that later this week. After reviewing the first eight phrases, I learned the last seven phrases: “Is this yours?” “Where is he/she?” “Are you married?” “Do you go to school?” “Nice to meet you.” “Do you understand me?” and “Why are you learning sign language?” As with the first eight, learning these final seven phrases is very important due to the fact that they are solid conversation starters. I could use any of these fifteen phrases when speaking to a deaf-mute. A new pattern that I noticed this week was when I was learning how to sign, “Nice to meet you” it joined two fingers together to communicate the action of meeting. This shows how sign language incorporates different everyday signs that people who can speak and hear do even when they do not realize that they are doing it. On an unrelated note, I believe that the hardest phrase was the final one, “Why are you learning sign language?” This question has a lot of hand movements and it is quite confusing, this is one that I will surely have to review very often. This week I believe that I have done okay. I could have done more, however time simply slipped away from me. Next, I hope to review all fifteen phrases and if time permits, find and learn more phrases online.

Weekly Journal 11

December 22, 2014

This week on December 22, 2014, I began my twenty percent time by reviewing the words from prior lists starting from “day” all the way to “pain”. After, I began to practice signing common phrases used in ASL. I learned eight out of fifteen phrases this week: “What is your name?” “Are you deaf?” “Can you hear me?” “What city do you live in?” “Where do you work?” “How old are you?” “Are you hungry?” and “Do you like to cook?” I learned two different versions of “What is your name?” and of “What city do you live in?” Beginning to practice and learn these eight common phrases is very important because I can use them if I ever come to meet a person who cannot hear. Although these questions may seem quite simple, they have the potential of going a long way in a conversation. As a beginner, I am only learning conversation starters for now and see where I can go from there. A pattern that I noticed this week is that for certain phrases, theres more than one way of communicating to another person what you want to say. Also, I noticed that when you are signing something in ASL, it will not be word for word. Each of the eight phrases do not have literal, word-for-word signings. For example, “What is your name?” is actually just signed as “You name?” I believe that this week I have done well and I was much more excited about it (more than usual) because I was and still am, making the little that I have learned into something greater. Next week I plan to continue revieweing the first 100 basic words in ASL and finish learning the fifteen phrases found on this website: https://www.udemy.com/blog/sign-language-phrases/