| How to Make Nails Grow Faster Posted: 09 Jun 2020 05:00 PM PDT You might dream of a beautiful set of healthy, natural fingernails, but you may not be sure how to get your nails to grow fast enough to fulfill your every wish. While you can't make your nails grow inhumanly fast, there are things you can do to boost nail health and make them grow as fast as possible! [Edit]Strengthening Nails through Lifestyle - Strengthen your nails with a biotin supplement. Take a daily biotin supplement, which you can find at larger retailers, pharmacies, and health food stores. Regular use of biotin can strengthen your nails and make them less likely to split or break.[1]
- There is no current safe daily limit for how much biotin you can take. You should still avoid taking large doses unless you're under the supervision of a doctor.
- You can also take a collagen supplement to help strengthen your nails.[2]
- Eat foods high in vitamin B7. Biotin is another name for vitamin B7. Incorporate foods into your diet that are high in this vitamin, which may boost the effect of your biotin supplements and make your nails stronger. Include any of the following choices:[3]
- Barley
- Corn
- Egg yolks
- Milk
- Soy
- Avocado
- Broccoli
- Cheese
- Fish, chicken, and pork
- Limit exposure to water. Expose your nails to water only when absolutely necessary, such as when you are showering or washing your hands. Wear gloves when you're washing dishes, doing chores, or exposing your hands to other liquids. Limiting your nails' exposure to water can keep them moisturized and minimize the risk that they break.[4]
- Avoid harsh detergents and chemicals. Limit how much you expose your nails to household cleaners and detergents.[5] Use a non-acetone nail polish remover to get rid of old polish.[6] Harsh cleansers and chemicals can dry out your nails and protect your hands from strong detergents and other chemicals as you go about your day.
- Wear rubber gloves when you're washing the dishes or cleaning.
- Move to a warmer climate. People who live in areas with mild winters and hot summers have fast-growing nails. Take more vacations in warmer locales such as Florida, the Caribbean, Greece, or Bali if you're not ready to give up your life in the northern hemisphere for the sake of nail growth.[7]
- Protect your hands when it's cold outside to keep your nails from getting brittle and give them the chance to grow long.
- Get plenty of sun, even in the winter, since the sun helps your body create the vitamin D your nails need to grow faster.
[Edit]Performing Regular Nail Maintenance - Shape your nails with a nail file regularly. Use a fine-grit file and file each of your nails in one direction once per week.[8] You should also file your nails anytime they break peel or chip. Shape them into an oval, which helps them stay strong.[9]
- Avoid shaping your nails into points, which makes them more likely to break.
- Moisturize your nails daily. Rub a heavier, oil-based moisturizer onto your nails and cuticles every day. Moisturizing regularly can keep your nails from cracking, peeling, and becoming brittle, which may cause nails to break and appear like they're not growing.[10]
- Try a rich moisturizer specifically formulated for hands, nails, and cuticles. You can also get a cuticle oil to moisturize your cuticles and the nail bed.[11]
- Keep your nails healthy by using cuticle oil to moisturize your cuticles.[12]
- Stop biting your nails. Resist the temptation to nibble on your fingernails, even if they are brittle. Leaving your nails alone gives them a chance to grow and can make them appear to get longer faster. Some ways to stop biting your nails include:[13]
- Clipping broken nails with nail scissors instead of biting them off.
- Applying a bitter-tasting nail polish to your nails.
- Replacing nail-biting with a good habit such as playing with a stress ball.
- Avoiding things that trigger you to bite your nails such as boredom or stress.
- Swipe on a clear polish. Get a simple clear or even colored nail polish. Paint one layer on your nails and reapply as necessary. Putting on a layer of nail polish can provide a protective shield for your nails that strengthens them and prevents breaks.[14]
- If you wear gel polish, make sure to remove it by soaking your nails in acetone. Don't pick at your nails, as you can damage the surface of your nails.[15]
- Wearing nail polish to help strengthen your nails, as well as to help you to avoid biting them. Be careful not to bite the polished nail, as it could make you sick.
- To keep your nails healthy and beautiful, have a manicure done twice a week, either by a professional or at home.[16]
- See a dermatologist or your doctor if your nails are consistently thin, weak, and brittle. They may suggest a treatment to strengthen your nails over time.
[Edit]Warnings - Recognize that diet, painting garlic on your nails, and selenium supplements won't help your nails grow faster.[17]
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Attract Pigeons Posted: 09 Jun 2020 09:00 AM PDT Pigeons are a common sight in cities and parks, and feeding them can be a fun experience. If you're near a city or around rocky cliffs where wild pigeons roam, you can even attract them to your yard. It's often as simple as putting some of their favorite foods outside. Making improvements to your yard, such as by adding a water source and well-pruned bushes, also helps. Keep in mind that feeding pigeons is illegal in some areas. If you're able to attract them, you can enjoy watching these docile birds stay busy during the day. [Edit]Feeding Pigeons - Select seeds and grains that pigeons normally eat in the wild. You can't go wrong with cracked corn and wheat. Some other foods pigeons eat include millet, sunflower seeds, dried peas, and sorghum. Pigeons are also well-known for picking up food left behind by people, such as bread crumbs, fries, and anything else that looks like it might be tasty. They sometimes eat fruit and bugs, but they mostly prefer seeds and grain when they can get it.[1]
- The food doesn't have to be cooked at all. Pigeons eat raw grains and seeds.
- People food doesn't offer any nutritional value to pigeons, so avoid it if you can. Many people enjoy feeding them crumbled bread, for instance, which works but isn't the best choice if you want to keep birds healthy.
- To get a good mix of food, shop online or stop by your local pet store. Get a bag of dove food. Doves are technically pigeons, so it will have the right seeds and grains in it.
- Choose an open platform or tray feeder that pigeons can perch on. Pigeons are bigger birds, so they can't use small feeders. Platform feeders are just open boxes. Try using one with wide side ledges for pigeons to stand on while they reach for the food.[2]
- You can use other types of feeders, like hopper or tube feeders, as long as they are accessible with sides for pigeons to perch on.
- Pigeons are also more than happy to eat from the ground as long as no one disturbs them. If you're away from home, scatter some food to draw them in.
- Hang the feeder low to the ground near plants and trees. Bird feeders can be hung from a wide variety of places, so you could hook yours to nearby tree branches, your home's gutters, poles, and other things. Position it so it's about from the ground to keep other animals out. Leave the feeder out in the open. If it's within range of some bushes or trees, pigeons will have a place to hide from other animals, but they don't go into heavily-wooded areas.[3]
- Select a spot that is fairly protected from the wind so the feeder doesn't get blown over.
- Another option is to place the feeder on the ground. Put it on something waterproof, like concrete, if the ground is wet. Keep an eye on the feeder and bring it inside when you're done with it so it doesn't attract other animals.
- Sit quietly at a distance to avoid scaring approaching pigeons. Stay as far back as you can without losing sight of the food. Although city and park pigeons are very accustomed to people, wild ones are a little skittish. Once they get more accustomed to your feeder, you can move closer. Stay as still as possible to avoid scaring feeding pigeons while they are getting used to your presence.[4]
- If you're going to a park, the pigeons there most likely have been around people for a while. You can sit on a bench and they will probably come up close to you when you spread a little food around.
- Feed pigeons around the same time every day to attract more. Ideally, feed them in the morning and evening. That is when they are most likely to be flying around in search of food. If a pigeon spots the food, it may be a little hesitant about approaching it at first. If you keep placing the food there, the pigeon will come to expect it and eventually approach it.[5]
- For example, try feeding them from 8:00 to 10:00 AM and 5:30 to 7:00 PM. However, pigeons can be spotted all day long, especially if you live near a city.
- Although many pigeons have adapted to people, wild ones are still a little skittish. Be patient! You're bound to draw one in with your feeder.
[Edit]Drawing Pigeons to Your Yard - Sweep up hulls and other debris after pigeons are done feeding. Whenever you leave birdseed out, the shells end up scattered underneath the feeder. Clean them up as soon as possible with a brush and dustpan. Remove bird feces from concrete and other solid surfaces as well by using a plastic scraper. You can then tidy up by mixing of dish soap into of warm water and mopping.[6]
- Uneaten seeds and hulls attract rodents and can lead to weeds in your yard, so eliminate them at least once a week.
- Pigeons don't mind eating seeds off the ground, but they may stay away if they have to dig through hulls.
- Set up a shallow birdbath with fresh water. Try using a standing birdbath with wide side ledges for the pigeons to stand on. Place it at least away from your home and other places cats could hide. If you can, keep it out in the open but close to nearby bushes or trees. Keep it filled with clean tap water.[7]
- Pigeons are more likely to visit places with an accessible source of water. That includes creeks, streams, ponds, and water features.
- Plan on washing out birdbaths 2 to 3 times a week. Refill them with fresh water.
- Hang a nesting shelf in your yard to keep pigeons around. A pair of pigeons may settle in and stick around to hatch their eggs. Place the nest out in the open somewhere high. You could hang it from the eaves of your home, for instance. Many types of pigeons nest during the winter, but there are plenty of others that nest at different times of the year.[8]
- Regular birdhouses won't work for pigeons. They are too big to fit inside. Shelves are open, making them the better choice.
- You won't have to fill the shelf with any sort of nesting material unless you're in an area that doesn't have many bushes, trees, or grass. If nesting material is hard to find, leave out grass clippings, twigs, and pine needles for the birds to use.
- Plant some shrubs, bushes, or trees if there aren't any nearby. You could also stack branches and twigs into a brush pile left out in the open. Pigeons don't go into areas that are packed with plants, but they like yards with a few hiding spots scattered around. If these spots are close to food and water, they will be more likely to stop by or even stay. In addition, the material from any plants nearby can be used to build nests.[9]
- Prune your trees and bushes to keep them accessible. Eliminate tangled branches, or else pigeons won't be too interested in visiting those spots.
- Pigeons generally aren't that picky about where they nest, so you don't need a ton of greenery to draw them into your yard. Less is often more with them.
- If you feed one pigeon, they will often come back with friends. To avoid having them become dependent on you, try feeding them only about a handful of seeds at a time, especially if you're away from home.[10]
- Do your best to discourage predators like hawks and cats from coming into your yard. Use scent repellents, for instance, and keep pet cats indoors.[11]
- Prevent pigeons from flying into windows by keeping the blinds closed or by hanging colorful decorations, like decals or bird tape.[12]
[Edit]Warnings - Many areas consider pigeons to be a nuisance and have rules against feeding them. Check the laws in your area to avoid getting into trouble.
- Only feed pigeons food that you know they eat. Don't feed them bread with mold, and remember to give bread in small pieces.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Feeding Pigeons - Seeds and grain
- Planter or tray feeder
- Hanging hook
[Edit]Drawing Pigeons to Your Yard - Broom
- Dustpan
- Plastic scraper
- Birdbath or alternative water container
- Nesting shelf
- Thick shrubs and bushes
- Pruning shears
[Edit]References |
| How to Improve Your Piano Playing Skills Posted: 09 Jun 2020 01:00 AM PDT It doesn't matter if you're just starting out or play the piano professionally — everyone has room to improve their piano playing skills. You may not want to do a lot of the "work" that goes into learning the instrument if you only want to play for fun, but building those fundamentals will enable you to play more of the pieces you enjoy with less struggle. Learning to sight-read music and mastering the proper technique not only makes it easier for you to pick up new songs but also ensures you'll be able to enjoy the instrument for many years to come.[1] [Edit]Managing Your Practice Time - Create a consistent practice schedule. The amount of time you play and the number of practice sessions you build into a week depends in part on your age, attention span, and seriousness with learning to play the instrument. However, the important thing is to be consistent with your practice times so you develop a habit of playing the piano.[2]
- For example, if you have weekly lessons with a teacher, you may want to practice for an hour 6 days a week, then schedule a 30-minute practice session before your lesson each week.
- On the other hand, if you're just learning piano on your own for fun, you might decide to practice 30 minutes a day for 3 days a week.
- Younger children typically learn more with shorter practice times. If you have issues with focus or attention deficit, you may find you get more out of shorter practice times per day as well. If you ultimately want to practice more, simply schedule several shorter sessions throughout the day. For example, you might have one 15-minute session in the morning, one 15-minute session in the afternoon or early evening, and then another 15-minute session at night.
- Start each practice session with a warm-up piece. Basic scales are a good way to warm up for your piano lesson. You might also look for etudes, which are classical pieces written for practice (the word "étude" is French for "study"). Many of these short pieces are actually fun to play, and are designed to help warm up your fingers and get you ready to play more complex pieces.[3]
- If you've been playing for a while, you might also use an easier song that you've already mastered to warm up. Starting your practice off by playing something familiar that you're already good at will give you a nice confidence boost going into your practice.
- Break up pieces into short-term goals. If you're working on a shorter, simpler song, you may be able to master it in one session. However, once you progress to longer, more complicated pieces, you may find that you struggle if you try to learn them all at once. Start with manageable bites of the piece, then put those pieces together. Making measurable progress will increase your confidence and help you learn more efficiently.[4]
- For example, if a piece is 8 pages of sheet music, you might set a goal to learn one page each practice session. When you've learned the last page, you should be able to play the entire song from beginning to end.
- If you run into a particularly troublesome passage that you struggle with, you might need to break the piece down even further. Take it a measure at a time, then play the whole line, then add the next line, and so on.
- Use a metronome to control your tempo. When you encounter a new song, start by playing it much slower than its natural speed. This will enable you to get the notes right the first time through. Once you've played it through slowly a few times with no errors, gradually increase the tempo until you're playing the song at its natural speed.[5]
- This practice method helps you avoid those recurring errors that become engrained after you try to play a song too many times at a faster speed. If you find that no matter how many times you play a song, you always seem to miss a particular note, it may be that you've been practicing it too fast. Slow it down and focus on that tricky passage until you've corrected the muscle memory that causes that finger to shoot for the wrong note.
- Eliminate distractions during practice time. Choose a relatively quiet place to practice where you're not likely to be interrupted and silence all notifications on your electronic devices so you won't be tempted to check them. If you need a break, take 5 minutes to stand up and stretch or walk around the room, then continue with your practice.[6]
- If you share your home with others, let them know when you're going to be practicing each day and make sure they understand that you're not to be disturbed during that time. If there's a door you can close to shut yourself off from the rest of the household, do so — that will allow everyone else to carry on their normal activities without worrying that they're distracting you.
- Choose songs you enjoy playing. If you have a piano teacher, they no doubt assign specific pieces for you to learn. However, that doesn't mean you can't add a piece or two you want to learn to your practice time.[7]
- Almost any popular song you can think of has a piano adaptation, even if there's no piano in the original song. Many of these songs have multiple versions, so you can learn the song whether you're at a beginning, intermediate, or advanced level. For example, if you like the music from the movie "Frozen," you can buy sheet music and learn to play it.
- If you're playing a song you love, you may be tempted to run over your practice time so you can keep practicing it. However, it's better if you avoid doing this. If you maintain discipline and stop at your scheduled time, you'll retain that excitement to get back to the piece at the next practice session.
- Try songs of different genres and styles to help find your favorite style of piano play. For example, if you are studying classical piano, you might want to try some jazz or pop pieces.
[Edit]Building Your Sight-Reading Skills - Learn the musical alphabet and the staff. Music is no less a language than the language you speak. If you want to become fluent in the language of music, start with the musical alphabet and practice it until you know it as well as you know the alphabet of your spoken language.[8]
- Simple flashcards are good to drill yourself on each of the notes. You may be able to buy them online, or you can make them pretty easily yourself with some construction paper and markers.
- Make sure you understand all the basic notations on the musical staff as well. Flashcards can also help you to memorize these.
- Memorize common key signatures. Key signatures are essentially shortcuts that tell you what notes to play. If you recognize a key signature, you'll automatically know what sharps and flats are coming your way.[9]
- You can drill yourself on key signatures using flashcards, the same way as you learned the musical alphabet.
- To connect the key signature to the sound, try playing or humming the scale in that key. Practicing scales in each key will also help you develop muscle memory, so that when you see that key signature, your fingers will automatically know which notes to play.
- Try transcribing a song as you listen to it. Transcribing a song by ear not only helps you become more fluent in the language of music but also helps you train your ear. Start with a relatively slow song, then progress to faster songs.[10]
- At first, choose songs where the piano is the only instrument being played. Play a few bars, then pause the song and attempt to write what you heard on a piece of blank staff paper.
- When you've transcribed a whole song, sit down at your piano with your sheet music and play what you wrote. Highlight notes or passages that you got wrong, then go back and listen again. Keep going until you get it right.
- Identify guide notes to help you quickly understand other notes. Guide notes, such as Middle C, are notes that you can immediately pick out from any piece of music. If you see your guide notes while glancing at a sheet of music, they can help you identify the other notes based on those notes' relation to the guide notes.[11]
- Having a few guide notes can be extremely helpful if you have a complex piece of music that spans several octaves.
- Looking for guide notes also allows you to get a sense of the song before playing it, even if you don't have particularly strong sight-reading skills. You've already got those markers laid out, and know that the other notes will rise or fall around those markers.
- Familiarize yourself with different time signatures. The song's time signature is notated at the beginning and then again whenever it changes. In simple classical songs, the time signature typically won't change. However, you'll encounter this more frequently with jazz and pop music.[12]
- Memorize the rhythm of the different time signatures, so if you see something in 4/4 or 2/4 time, you automatically know how the notes flow. Practice tapping out the rhythm on a tabletop or on the side of your piano.
- Choose pieces you're not familiar with to test your skills. If you've played a song a dozen times, you may think you're sight-reading when, in reality, you're relying at least in part on familiarity and muscle memory. Look for a song you've never seen or heard before and read the sheet music.[13]
- Look over the music before you sit down to play. Hum it softly as you read, or imagine it being played in your head. Then play it on the piano and see how close your reading was to the actual sound.
- Keep in mind it can take some time to get to the point where you can read a piece of sheet music as you would read a book. Take your time and practice a little each day, as you did when you were learning to read language.
[Edit]Developing Your Technique - Check the position of your piano bench. Sitting either too close or too far away from the piano can ruin your technique and make it much more difficult to play. Likewise, poor posture can limit your movement and limit your ability to play harder pieces without discomfort.[14]
- Sit on the edge of the piano bench and move it either forward or backward until your elbows are slightly in front of your shoulders when your hands are on the keys.
- If you have a curved spine or related disability, you may not be able to achieve the same positioning as an able-bodied person without pain. Adapt the technique as best as you can and focus on minimizing discomfort while maximizing your ability to play the instrument.
- Make sure your wrists extend straight from your arms, rather than bending. Bending your wrists can cause muscle tension and strain that could eventually lead to overuse injuries.
- Memorize pieces early so you can focus on technique. If you memorize a piano piece at the same time you're learning it, you won't have to worry about reading the sheet music or thinking about the notes. Instead, you can focus on your body position and the way you play the notes.[15]
- After you've memorized a piece, you can start to really feel the music. Even without the sheet music, you'll develop the intuitive ability to know when to pedal, when to play loudly or softly, and how to emphasize particular phrases in the music.
- You can also work on your tempo and rhythm more easily when you're not having to think about which notes to play.
- Identify your technical weaknesses. Even the most experienced professional piano players have weaknesses. Instead of trying to work around them, find ways to challenge them and improve those areas until they are no longer weaknesses that limit you.
- For example, if your left hand is weaker or slower compared to your right, do strengthening and dexterity exercises that focus on your left hand. Bring your left hand up to the same level as your right and then you can continue strengthening both hands.
- If particular movements give you the most trouble, practice them over and over until the movement becomes second nature.
- Choose pieces that challenge your weaknesses in particular and encourage you to step up, rather than avoiding pieces that rely heavily on the skills you need to work on. While you may find it difficult at first, these pieces will help you improve your playing skills.
- Work on your hand shape while away from the piano. Many beginners play the piano with flat fingers, which can hinder your ability to play more complex pieces later on. Once you've developed this habit, it can be hard to get rid of. However, if you practice curling your fingers on a regular basis when you aren't at the piano, your fingers will learn to fall into this position naturally.[16]
- Hold a ball in the palm of your hand and curl your fingers around it to mimic the shape you should be making when you play the piano. You can also squeeze a stress ball, which helps strengthen all the tiny muscles in your hands and fingers.
- If you regularly type, try holding your hand in the correct piano-playing position while you're typing. This will help get your hands in the habit of making that shape.
- Use hand and finger exercises to build muscle and dexterity. Exercises that condition the muscles in your hands and forearms will improve your piano playing skills, particularly your ability to move your fingers more quickly. Many piano players start with Hanon exercises to build dexterity and improve technique.
- To start, you can download 20 different Hanon exercises for free at https://www.hanon-online.com/. However, keep in mind that while Hanon exercises can be great for beginners, they do have limitations and won't help you acquire many piano techniques that can improve your playing.
- Exercises away from the piano that are designed to strengthen your hands and forearms will also help your piano playing. For example, you might look for hand and forearm exercises designed for rock climbers.
- The piano is an instrument best-suited to long fingers and large hands. However, having a less-than-ideal hand size or shape does not mean that you can't become adept at the instrument. There are plenty of different fingering patterns you can use.
- If you find yourself battling to improve and making little to no progress, have a piano technician come out and assess your instrument. The problem may be that the instrument needs an upgrade that could greatly improve your playing speed and proficiency.[17]
- Watching and listening to performances from your favorite pianists can inspire you and help you discover new techniques.[18]
- Check your piano if there are anything wrong with the sound. If there is, call a piano tuner to help you.
[Edit]References |
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