A Brief History of the Guitar

Alan Stinson

Alan Stinson recently completed a construction apprenticeship at JobTrain Construction Fundamentals Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program in Redwood City, CA. He’s a fitness enthusiast and lover of art. When he’s not at the gym in Redwood City, CA, Alan Stinson plays the guitar, which he has mastered for over a decade.

The guitar’s earliest use is traceable to the guitarra latina, a four-stringed instrument prevalent in 16th century Spain. However, it wasn’t until the 20th century that the guitar got recognition as its own musical instrument. The lute mainly inspired the development of the present-day guitar. This instrument is a chordophone whose strings run along a distinct pole and are parallel to its pear-shaped soundboard.

The Egyptians originally devised the lute, who transferred it to the Greeks, the Greeks to the Romans. From the Romans, it went on to become the most commonly played instrument of European music in the Renaissance era. At the close of the Renaissance era, the lute had evolved from a four-stringed instrument to a chordophone of 20-30 strings. However, this innovation met public rejection, soon the lute was replaced by the four-stringed Baroque guitar and developed into a six-stringed instrument by the late 1700s.

Antonio de Torres Jurado invented the first modern guitar in the mid-1800s, about the same time when Christian Frederick Martin invented the flat-top acoustic guitar. It wasn’t until 1932 was the first electric guitar developed by a group of engineers and musicians at the National Guitar Corporation.

The Foundations of 12-Bar Guitar Blues Playing

Alan Stinson

Alan Stinson is a Redwood City, CA resident who has job training in construction and has worked in the medical and retail delivery sectors. Passionate about music, Alan Stinson enjoys playing guitar in a variety of styles in Redwood City, CA.

One of the foundational genres of American guitar music is the blues, which has a classic 12-bar form defined by a basic I-IV-V chord progression. This harmonic structure takes its roots from African American church music and differs from standard tonal music in utilizing dominant 7th chords for color, rather than as functional harmonies.

The 12-bar blues form is an extended pattern that repeats after 12 chords, with the final bars called the “turnaround” and starting the chorus again. There are numerous variations within this form, from single chord substitutions to minor variations in which minor 7th chords take the place of I7 and IV7 chords. With the turnaround progression also different, a classic example of the minor 12 bar is “The Thrill Is Gone” by B.B. King.

Rhythmically, the blues tend to have a shuffle feel that involves eighth notes played “long-short,” in triplets. Pioneered by boogie-woogie pianists and added to the blues guitar arsenal by Robert Johnson, this adds a syncopated, propulsive flavor to the sound. With the advent of electric guitars and amplification in the late 1940s, single note motifs began to take root in the playing of John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, and Buddy Guy. Today, most blues music combines shuffle with single motifs, with exceptions being jazz-blues in the style of T-Bone Walker, which involves the use of fully articulated chords.

Wet-on-Wet Techniques for Watercoloring

Alan Stinson

Based in Redwood City, CA, Alan Stinson has a customer-focused background in areas such as inventory management and retail delivery. A music enthusiast who enjoys playing the guitar, Alan Stinson also has a passion for creating works of art in Redwood City, CA.

One unique method of generating vibrant works of art involves watercolors and use of a wet-on-wet technique. This technique employs a wet painting surface in tandem with wet colors and is ideal for background washes, skies, and landscapes that have a flowing contour.

However, there is an element of unpredictability to the wet-on-wet style, as the watercolor’s form will be determined to a large degree by the movement of water as it dries. This technique has an advantage when looking to add texture to an already colored-in shape within a composition, as the unpredictability is contained within a specific area.

A variation of this technique involves starting a wet-on-wet watercolor wash with one color and then next to it adding another hue or a more intense version of the original color. The two colors will blend and create an intriguing gradient that fluidly connects two distinct tones.

New Inflammation Index Ranks Various Food Types

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A resident of Redwood City, CA, Alan Stinson has completed training in construction and has a background in retail and medical supply delivery. Having shed 70 pounds over the past few years, Alan Stinson combines regular workouts in Redwood City, CA with a healthy diet.

To achieve a healthy diet, paying closer attention to the types of food consumed is necessary. For many years, several health agencies have been studying how certain foods groups affect our well-being. For example, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Alabama developed a new index that measures foods in terms of the levels of inflammation they cause.

Published in the Journal of Nutrition, the inflammation index was created by analyzing data encompassing 30,000 people of diverse backgrounds and with four lifestyle characteristics. Nineteen food groups consumed by these people, who shared food habits as part of a Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study (REGARDS) study, were cross-referenced.

The result was a numerical score assigned to 109 different basic foods, with negative values associated with low inflammation and positive scores moving toward greater inflammation. On the low end were tomatoes (-0.78), berries and apples (-0.65), and poultry (-0.45). With fish and red meat hovering around zero, high inflammation scores were associated with added sugars (0.56), processed meats (0.68), starchy vegetables (0.72) and refined grains (0.72).

What these results seem to reinforce is that the same types of foods associated with inflammation are also those that pose a threat to overall health, when consumed too much.

How Does Art Improve Mood?

Alan Stinson, a recent graduate of the JobTrain Construction Fundamentals Pre-Apprentice Training Program in Redwood City, CA, has held several positions throughout his career. Throughout these changes in his professional life, Alan Stinson of Redwood City, CA has maintained a passion and talent for art. For him, art has always been a source of happiness.

Numerous studies have found a correlation between creating art and boosting mood and happiness. This is likely due to art’s ability to distract the brain. Many people have about 60,000 thoughts every day, but art is capable of distracting people from these thoughts. When creating art, people must pay close attention to their environment and the detail of their work, thus leaving little room in the mind to get caught up in negative thoughts and concerns about the day. As a result, people who enjoy art are often less stressed.

Aside from relieving stress, creating art promotes creative thinking because it allows people to come up with unique solutions to various problems. Out-of-the-box thinking promotes the growth of new neurons in the brain and allows individuals to enjoy more creative thoughts in other areas of their lives. This growth prevents brain cell death and is one of the reasons why art and art therapy is effective at delaying cognitive decline among adults who are over the age of 70.

Finally, art improves self-esteem among artists. No matter what type of art someone completes, the very act of completing it releases dopamine in the brain. This motivates people to continue creating and helps them feel a sense of accomplishment whenever they finish a new piece. Such increases in dopamine are tied to any creative hobby, including sewing, photography, and gardening.

Significance of Diet and Exercise in Weight Loss

 

image of Alan Stinson

Redwood City, CA, resident Alan Stinson has held numerous positions over the years, including as a medical gas technician for Children’s Hospital Boston and, most recently, a trainee with the JobTrain Construction Fundamentals Pre-Apprentice Training Program. Dedicated to living a healthy lifestyle, Alan Stinson of Redwood City, CA has lost 70 pounds in the past few years thanks to his commitment to working out and eating healthy.

When it comes to losing weight, both exercise and a good diet are essential components of anyone’s process. The reason that people need both a good diet and an exercise routine is that it helps them lose and maintain weight. With diet only, fat can be lost. However, as fat burns off, so does bone density and muscle. Exercising keeps the body toned and capable of functioning properly, despite the decrease in the number of calories a person consumes each day.

Further, only a small amount of exercise is necessary for these benefits. People with a good diet are often fine exercising about five to seven times a week. These exercises can also be less than an hour in length and only be of moderate intensity.

In addition to exercise, a good diet is also an important component of anyone’s weight loss plan. This is because people cannot exercise away a bad diet. If they eat poorly, they will likely see poor results when it comes to weight loss. The amount of calories burned by the average person during a 30-minute run is the same as the average calories in two 16-ounce sodas.

Things to Do to Enhance Artistic Talent

Alan Stinson | image

A construction safety professional from Redwood City, CA, Alan Stinson has successfully complied with the rigorous requirements of HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response) certification. He also completed the JobTrain Construction Fundamentals Pre-Apprentice Training Program conducted in 2018. In his leisure time, Alan enjoys creating art.

People with artistic talent do not have to become professional artists to express their creativity. However, artists can do several things to enhance their artistic talent, including:

– Appreciating other people’s artwork.

Looking at exhibits in galleries and museums, poring through art books, and admiring textiles may be sources of inspiration. Artistic appreciation is cultivated simply by looking around.

– Trying new things.

Expressions of art include drawing, painting, sculpting, crafting, acting, singing, and playing musical instruments. Trying new things helps artists find what appeals to them.

– Taking risks and never fearing mistakes.

The most celebrated masterpieces in art were not created in the artists’ first try. To enhance artistic talent, artists must keep trying new things and learning from their mistakes.

– Attending art classes.

Art teachers can teach good techniques and practice methods. Teachers can also be great sources of inspiration and motivation.

– Practicing.

Although artists will never reach perfection, the goal of enhancing artistic talent is achievable by persistent practice.

Tips for Losing Weight with Exercise

Alan Stinson Redwood City CA

A Redwood City, CA, resident starting a career in construction, Alan Stinson enjoys a number of hobbies. In addition to playing guitar, Alan Stinson also stays physically fit with an exercise and diet plan that helped him lose 70 pounds.

Many people are in pursuit of the best type of workout to lose weight. Experts say that the best routine is any exercise that you will do consistently.

You do not need to buy trendy workout equipment or join expensive gyms as long as you choose and stick with a physical fitness routine that works for you. To see results, perform your preferred exercise at least 30 minutes per day, five days a week.

While any regular exercise is beneficial, you will see faster weight loss if you choose a high-intensity workout that elevates your heart rate for at least 15 to 20 minutes. In addition to cardiovascular workouts, such as cycling, walking, and climbing stairs, add weight training to your exercise routine to build muscle mass. Lifting weights at least two times per week builds a faster metabolism that helps you to burn fat even when you are resting.

Exercise and Fitness Recommendations from the CDCP

Alan Stinson image

Redwood City, CA resident Alan Stinson holds a HAZWOPER certification, which stands for hazardous waste operations and emergency response. He has also trained under the JobTrain Construction Fundamentals Pre-Apprentice Training Program, which was conducted in Redwood City, CA. Alan Stinson is a fitness enthusiast, whose greatest accomplishment was losing 70 pounds in three years.

Regular exercise still remains the most important thing anyone can do to keep fit. Some short term benefits one can get out of regular exercise are controlled appetite, an elevated mood, and improved sleep. Long term benefits of regular exercise, on the other hand, include reduced risk of diabetes, stroke, heart disease, dementia, and many forms of cancer.

As the government’s primary health protection agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) has recommended a simple but effective regimen for regular exercise and fitness.

Every week, adults should take at least 150 minutes of mild to moderate aerobic exercise such as brisk walking. It may be replaced with 75-minutes of rigorous exercise such as running. If one chooses a combination of both exercise types, CDCP recommends breaking down the exercise into smaller sessions of at least 10 minutes each.

Moreover, CDCP suggests that the major muscle groups – the arms, shoulders, chest, back, abdomen, hips, and legs – undergo strength training at least two days each week. The suggested strength training exercises include using resistance bands and lifting weights.

Sixty minutes of physical activity each day, focused primarily on aerobic exercise, is recommended for children. At least three days each week, strength training and vigorous exercise such as gymnastics are also recommended for children.

How a Healthy Diet Impacts Fitness and Health

Alan Stinson Redwood City

Alan Stinson trained under the JobTrain Construction Fundamentals Pre-Apprentice Training Program at Redwood City, CA, where he learned about the fundamentals of construction, including the use of basic construction tools and materials. A respected member of the Redwood City, CA community, Alan Stinson is dedicated to fitness and health. He works out regularly and focuses on eating a healthy diet.

One’s health is almost always the result of diet and lifestyle. No one can have a healthy lifestyle without eating nutritious food. The long-term benefits of a combination of healthy nutrition and physical exercise include reduced risk of chronic disease, a healthy weight, and overall wellness and health.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) reported that the epidemic of obesity in America is largely the effect of unhealthy eating habits. Nearly one-third of adult Americans are obese, while 12.5 million children and adolescents from the ages of 2 to 19 are also obese. Even for Americans at healthy weights, DHHS said that poor diet has resulted in major health risks and premature death. Chronic diseases directly related to poor diet include high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer. According to DHHS, making smart food choices is one of the main ways one can prevent these diseases.

The connection between a healthy diet and overall health and wellness cannot be ignored. The body gets the needed nutrients to remain healthy, strong, fit, and active by eating natural and nutritious food. Making small but consistent positive changes in eating habits can go a long way toward achieving optimal health.