Anyone can learn to solo on the guitar! Even if you re a novice, as long as you know your basic chords, you can start playing melodies and improvising lead parts. Marcy Marxer s user-friendly method brings all the notes, frets and strings into clear focus, giving you an invaluable roadmap to the guitar fingerboard. Marcy has successfully taught this foolproof method at guitar camps and workshops across the country. She provides both practical exercises and theoretical knowledge to demystify the guitar for learning players. Starting with warm-up exercises to isolate and strengthen your fingers, you ll learn to play with proper hand position and learn to build pick accuracy and speed. Marcy then shows how to play scales horizontally (up the neck) and vertically (across the strings), and provides easy ways to find the notes anywhere on the guitar neck.

PHP 5 Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach supplies you with complete code for all of the common coding problems you are likely to face when using PHP in your day-to-day work. The book begins with an in-depth discussion of PHP 5 object-oriented techniques and methodology, and gets you up to speed on OOP with PHP: where and where not to use it, and how to use it.
This invaluable guide includes over 200 recipes and covers numerous topics: math, arrays, automation, security, graphics, regular expressions, web basics, HTML forms, database access, date and time, variables and functions, and internationalization and localization. Help yourself achieve a winning edge with this one-of-a-kind cookbook

You ll learn how to construct experiments that identify opportunities for optimization, interpret the results, and take effective action. You ll also find powerful insights into microbenchmarking including how to avoid common mistakes that can mislead you into writing poorly performing software. Then, building on this foundation, you ll walk through optimizing the Java HotSpot VM, standard and multitiered applications; Web applications, and more.

In this fourth DVD of a series, Terryl Whitlatch demonstrates how to create a monstrous villain, the Toad-Ogre, as well as other assorted creature characters suitable for film, animation and video games. This is a first-hand look at how creatures are designed in the entertainment industry, with a concise step-by-step analysis from the first rough sketches to the final designs and sculptural maquette. Not only does Terryl share her techniques and tools, including complete drawing and colorization demonstrations, but she also discusses in depth the vital interrelationship between the design of the creatures and the story and script. Terryl discusses what it's like to work with an art director and with other artists in a professional art department setting, and how the team functions together to create the best possible designs.

In this third DVD of a series, Terryl Whitlatch demonstrates how to create an aquatic equine based on horse anatomy. Starting with a detailed study of an ordinary horse and ending with several fully rendered illustrations, she shares her techniques and tools pencils, markers, and tracing paper as well as a throrough exploration of animal anatomy. Relax as she guides you through the intricacies of leg and hoof structure, as well as the sensitive head, powerful muscles, and noble spirit all essentials for designing a believable but imaginary steed. From there she covers how to create a mount powerful enough to carry a hero of yore, and then goes on to design an exotic, literal sea horse a mare that is at home both on land and in the ocean as well as its reptilian rider. Throughout the DVD, she explores different poses and drawing studies of both horse creatures, giving you insights into her development and thought processes.

In this second DVD of a series, Terryl Whitlatch demonstrates how to create a vicious avian alien based on an actual exotic bird the Greater Indian Hornbill. Starting with rough thumbnails and ending with a fully rendered illustration, she shares her techniques and tools pencils, markers and tracing paper as well as a thorough exploration of animal anatomy. Relax as she steers you through the intricacies of wing structure and feather arrangements all essentials for designing a believable feathered flying creature. She also covers how to create an illusion of white in the color version of the "White Fright", complete with prey, and discusses how the environment, habits and lifestyle of this creature affect the way it looks. Throughout the DVD, she explores materials, texture and story concepts, giving you insight into her development and thought processes.