There are many different picking techniques that people use such as alternate picking, hybrid picking, sweep picking etc. Economy picking on the other hand is often overlooked. Australian guitarist Frank Gambale is probably more known for using this technique than anyone else. It takes some time to get used to it, if you come from a strictly alternate picking background. Follow the steps below an you will become an economy picking master.

Step 1. Pick a 3-note-per-string scale shape

You need a 3-note-per-string scale shape to practice economy picking effectively. Choose the one you like and go to the next step.

Step 2. Use two consecutive pick strokes of the same direction when you change strings

The basic idea of economy picking is that you use the regular alternate picking until you have to change strings. If you are ascending the basic 3-note-per-string scale shape the picking would look like this: Down, Up, Down, Down, Up, Down etc. You have to remember to sweep the last note of the three so that you can start playing the next string with a down-stroke as well. The same goes for the descending pattern. You start playing each string with an up-stroke and remember to sweep the last note of the string.

Step 3. You have to be aware of the amount of notes being played to change direction

This is where it gets a little bit tricky. If you want to change the direction of your lines, you have to be aware of how many notes you play per string. The basic rule is, if you want to move in the same direction, you use an odd number of notes. If you want to change the direction, you use an even amount of notes. There has been some criticism that this approach can not be applied to every situation but it does not bother me to be honest.

Although this technique might not be for everyone I still urge you to try it and see if you like it. The beauty of economy picking is that it automatically forces you to think out of the box. You will create original sounding licks in no time with this technique. Some of the cliche alternate picking licks are actually impossible to play using economy picking and that is a big plus in my opinion. You will be more inventive, if you give this technique a try. Remember to start with simple ideas at first and gradually increase the level of complexity as you improve.

Begin to learn how to stop ejaculation from ruining your sex life by learning and practicing this carefully crafted exercise and before you know it, you will have your partner screaming for more, and be able to deliver the goods.

After you have learned this exercise you will;

• Know your sexual arousal levels and triggers better than you do now
• Feel more confident between the sheets with your partner
• Be on the right path to knowing how to stop ejaculation problems in the very near future

So let’s get started on the exercise…

LIBRA Technique– Your personal scale of 1 to 10 – LIBRA, as in the Zodiac sign (the “scales”)

What I mean by this is that every man has a scale or a changing degree of sexual arousal, stimulation, and eventual climax.

Let’s say that “1” is where your penis is totally flaccid, no erection in sight, and you are not turned on. A “5” could be where your penis is fully erect, you’re sexually aroused mentally and physically to a high level.

A “5” is roughly where a man is on the scale while having penetrative sex with their partner, or perhaps receiving oral sex from their partner.

The exact scale differs with every man, but the basic principles and stages remain the same. But with practice during masturbation, you will begin to learn your own scale

It will take practice to start working out your scale in your head, but with time and patience, it will become second nature to you.

Then you can look forward to the following benefits;

• Easily last longer in bed with your partner within a matter of days
• Constantly know how close you are to climaxing, and know when to back off
• Be in control of your sexual drives and arousal levels better than ever before

Now you know how to stop ejaculation problems by learning and mastering exercises such as this one, you are ready to move onto the next level.

Learning to play lead guitar is one of the most thrilling and best feelings for a guitarist. Have you ever listened to your favourite band or artist and then dashed off to your guitar and tried to play that same solo? How about playing your very own solo? However it is not easy to do at first as there are eleven skills that you need to acquire. All you need is an electric guitar and an amplifier and I shall show you the rest.

1. Learn the notes on your guitar

Firstly, make sure that you know the notes of all six strings. If possible try to visualize the notes on your guitar fret board. Try to do many as you can. After all this is what your guitar solos are based on.

2. Learn your Scales

The first and essential thing you need to be able to do in learning to play lead guitar is to play the scales in the correct key. These are the minor & major pentatonic scales and also the major scale. These scales are used widely in guitar solos. Learn each different scale and play these at different keys. Once you have played these through try playing them in reverse.

3. Use of chords & arpeggios

Another important aspect in learning to play lead guitar is the use of chords. These are so important because the chords contain the essential ingredients such as the essential notes of the key that you are playing in. Try to blend the chords by using rhythm playing with single notes of the scale. This is a little difficult to do but make sure you learn the chords first. Make use of arpeggios, these are all the notes contained in a chord played separately and in sequence, in other words a broken chord is played.

4. Always use Alternate picking when learning to play lead guitar

When learning to play lead guitar you should pick the strings in a specific way. Pick down and then pick up then down and up again repeatedly. Do this all the time as this improves the speed of your soloing technique. Do the same with chord playing using a down stroke followed by an up stroke do the same again.

5. Bends, slides and vibrato playing

Numerous techniques are used to spice up the guitar solo and appears a lot more pleasing to the ear. Make sure you use bends, slides, pull-offs and vibrato in your lead guitar playing. Most guitars use tremolo arms to vibrate the strings to rapidly alter the pitch of the sound. This is the same as vibrato playing but using your index finger. So make sure you get used to these techniques when learning to play lead guitar.

6. Distortion and effect pedals

A great way of spicing up your guitar solos when learning to play lead guitar is to add a few effect pedals to your gear. Distortion and gain is an essential one in guitar lead playing as it adds meat to the overall sound. Some other effect pedals are chorus and flanger, which are used widely by Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd. Two more great pedals are delay and reverb which sound as though you are playing live as they give out an echo effect.

7. String damping is used when learning to play lead guitar

String damping is when you mute the string or strings with your fretting fingers and play the note. This gives out a click sounding effect and sounds quite cool in between loud notes. Again, Dave Gilmour uses this very effectively. Another one is palm muting, this is when you mute the strings to a variable degree with your picking hand which enables you to strum a silent chord. This is used a lot when playing power chords.

8. Harmonics is used when learning to play lead guitar

Harmonics is a great way to add some great sound to your lead guitar playing. Pinch harmonics are played by picking a note and then immediately follow this by making contact with the string and the flesh of your thumb. Also string harmonics is an alternative. This is where you gently touch and play the note on any of the 6 strings at either the 3rd, 6th or 12th fret then quickly release.

9. Use of Pickups

Good use of pickups is another important factor when learning to play lead guitar as this is what makes the sound. Guitars usually have two versions of pickups, three single coil pickups or two single coils and one humbucker pickup. The humbucker pickup is more suitable for lead guitar soloing as it gives a dirtier and meaty sound.

10. Tone and feel

One of the most important factors in lead guitar soloing is the tone and feel of your own personal playing. When playing try to play through your own ears and what sounds good to you. Try and get the most out of each note that you play by making it sound sweet and tasty. Add silence between notes as this says just as much as a note being played. Playing and sounding good does not mean that you can play 5 or 6 notes per second or shredding but quite the opposite. It is not all about speed. Play from your heart. David Gilmour and Slash are great examples of this sort of calibre.

11. Importantly, practice when learning to play lead guitar

This is probably the most important factor when learning to play lead guitar. Without practice you will get nowhere. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Make sure you practice around 30 minutes per day and set yourself a practice schedule and divide the tasks mentioned above and allocate them to different days. As long as you get this right I assure you will become a proper lead guitar player.

Let me start by showing you what chords correspond to each tone of a major scale:

1 tone – Major

2 tone – minor

3 tone – minor

4 tone – Major

5 tone – Major (dominant)

6 tone – minor

7 tone – Half Diminished

To understand the chart above, you must understand that each tone of a major scale has a chord that goes along with it. For example, the following is a C major scale:

(C — D — E — F — G — A — B — C)

Each tone above has a matching chord. Simply add the endings of the chart above to the scale as shown below:

C MAJOR

D MINOR

E MINOR

F MAJOR

G MAJOR / DOM

A MINOR

B HALF-DIMINISHED

To further understand progressions, let us number each chord:

1 = C Major

2 = D minor

3 = E minor

4 = F Major

5 = G dominant

6 = A minor

7 = B half – diminished

8 = C Major

Now, to create a 2-5-1 chord progression (or any numbered chord progression), simply take the 2, 5, and 1 chord out of the entire series of chords above. That is, we would not use the 3,4, 6, or 7th chord.

The 2 chord is D minor; the 5 chord is G dominant; and the 1 chord is C Major.

Here is the most basic 2-5-1 chord progression:

Dmin — Gdom — Cmaj

min = minor

dom = dominant

Maj = major

D minor chord = (D) + (F) + (A)

G dominant chord = (G) + (B) + (D) + (F)

C Major chord = (C) + (E) + (G)

Example: To play a D minor chord simply play all three of the notes shown above at the same time (D+F+A)

Progressions are just a way to get the harmony to support the melody. In any key if your melody sticks to the key you are in:

I chord will harmonize three notes, V chord will harmonize two additional notes and the IV chord will harmonize the remaining two notes. So the I IV V chords will harmonize every note in a given melody providing it stays in key.

You can replace the 2 chord for the 4 chord. So now we get the 2 5 1. You can expand the one chord if you are sitting on it for a while and can play different bass notes under to help create motion. That is where we get the 1 3 6 2 5 1.

The 6 chord and the 3 chord fill in for the 1 chord. And the 7 fills in for the 5 chord. The 6 chord can also lead to the 4 chord. All this may seem confusing but it all starts with the one chord, the 5 chord and the 4r chord.

If you just use these three chords you can play with most songs.

When you get more advance you can use the 2 5 1 as a little intro to each new chord you will play. So to introduce the one chord you play 2 5 and then 1. When you want to go to the four chord, you introduce it by playing a 2 5 1 in the key of the 4 chord.

So, if you were in the key of C and you want to go to the F, you introduce the F by playing G min7, C7 and Fmaj (2 5 1)

So, now you have it! 2 5 1 are derived from 4 5 1 and they have over time become embellishments and static chords to rest on to support the melody. For more educational music resources visit my website or stop by my blog!

There are FOUR basic types of seventh chords: Major 7, Minor 7, Dominant 7 and Diminished 7. This article explains the construction and function of Major 7 and minor 7 chords.

Major 7th Chords

Formula: 1 3 5 7– This means that you use the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th notes of the major scale. (EXAMPLE: C E G B) (NOTATION: CM7 or Cmaj7) This is NOT the chord you play when someone says “C7”. That is a whole different animal. Basically, this chord is constructed by starting the MAJOR TRIAD and adding the SEVENTH note in the scale.

Function: The chord-functions of the major seventh chord are two: It can function as a I chord or tonic chord built on the root of the current key. It may also function as a IV chord (also called the sub-dominant. The IV chord is used to provide a temporary “resting point” and tends to want to go back to the I chord.

To fully understand chord functions, you need to be familiar with diatonic chord progressions and key signatures. I will later give you an excellent source of information about both chord progressions and key signatures.

For example, in the key of C Major, the I chord would be C Major 7(C E G B) and the IV chord would be F Major 7 (F A C E). What about the key of G? The I chord is G Major 7 (G B D F#) and the IV chord is C Major 7(C E G B)

Minor Seventh Chords

Formula: 1 b3 5 b7 — This means that you use the 1st, flatted 3rd, 5th, and flatted 7th notes in the major scale. (EXAMPLE: C Eb G Bb) (NOTATION: Cm7 or C mi 7).

Let’s try another one–how about Eb minor 7? Did you say Eb Gb Bb Db? Then you are exactly right!

Function: This chord functions as a ii, a iii, or a vi chord. These three chords all have a tendency to want to go to a chord a FOURTH HIGHER. For example, in the key of C, “Dm7” (ii chord) would go up a fourth to “G7” (V chord) which then would go back to “C” (I chord). This well-known chord progression is called a”ii V I” progression. In the key of G major, the iii chord, Bm7 would want to go up a 4th to Em7–the vi chord, which then want to go up a 4th to Am7, –the ii chord, which in turn would tend to go up a 4th to D7–the V chord, which would then go back to G, the I chord and we would have a “iii vi ii V I” progression. Are you starting to get the picture?

If you know anything about guitar music theory you know that building chords from the major scale produces the following chord sequence:

1. I major

2. ii minor

3. iii minor

4. IV major

5. V major

6. vi minor

7. vii minor (flat five)

But songs with major two chords are fairly common on guitar. The songs listed below are just a few examples:

“That’ll Be The Day” Buddy Holly – Key of A but includes a B major 2 chord.

“Hey Good Looking” Hank Williams – Key of C but includes a D major 2 chord.

“Patience” Guns and Roses – Key of G (gtr. tuned down 1/2 step to Eb) but includes an A major 2 chord.

“Out of My Head” Fastball – Key of E but includes an F# major 2 chord.

A major 2 chord is actually a key change and stems from the music theory behind a functioning dominant seven chord. A dominant seven chord (which can be referred to as simply 7) is a major chord with a flat seven interval. This occurs naturally on the fifth scale degree in a major scale. The dominant seven 5 chord has a bit of tension that leads to and resolves on 1 (the ‘tonic’ in a major scale). For example, in the key of G a D7 chord leads to and resolves on G. D is said to be the ‘dominant’ of G major. In fact, D can lead to G whether or not the guitar chord actually has the seventh interval in it.

“Hey Good Looking” by Hank Williams is in the key of C and normally has a D minor chord, but the song uses a D major instead which creates a strong pull to G. When playing this song on guitar you’re in the key of C but you’re borrowing the dominant from the key of G in order to produce the dominant pull to and resolution on G. Get it? This is said to be a ‘secondary dominant’ chord and is a composition technique that can be used in any key. So the song examples I used can be explained like this:

“That’ll Be The Day” B major is the dominant of and leads to E.

“Hey Good Looking” D major is the dominant of and leads to G.

“Patience” A major is the dominant of and leads to D.

“Out of My Head” F# major is the dominant of and leads to B.

You can create secondary dominant movement for any chord in a key. Just remember that it’s a type of key change so the scale you play over it with should follow. This is important when learning music theory for guitar

To do a titration, we typically will build a titration kit, and what this consists of is everything we need to make a titration, and do one with. To start off with you’re going to need to get some distilled water. The reason you want it to be distilled is because water has 0 pH, it’s neutral in other words with the pH. Kay, so you need some distilled water. You’re going to need some isopropyl alcohol. It’s important that it’s isopropyl and not methyl alcohol. I like to get as pure as I can. This is about 91% isopropyl alcohol, from the little local grocery store. I’m going to need a jar or a jug that’s sealable that can hold a liter of water, because this is what I’m going to make, and put, my titration solution in so that I can reuse it multiple times.

It’s important that if you put it in a jar that may be looking like water, that you mark it with a warning so that no one ever drinks out of it because this is poisonous, what we are going to make. You’re also going to need some containers to do your titration in. These are just simple little cups with milliliter markings on the side, if hit your local grocery store you can find some of these as well, usually in the kitchen isle. Then you’re also going to need a container with graduations up to a full liter because this is what we’re going to use to mix our titration solution in. You’re going to need a scale that’s accurate to.01 of a gram. This scale is called a gem scale. We use it jewelry to measure karats and stuff like that. It works quite well as well. But basically any scale will be a digital or a balance scale that can measure in accuracy to.01 of a gram.

You’re also going to need some syringes that have milliliter markings on them. You can go into a grocery store over at the pharmacy isle and pick some of these up as well. I have an assortment of syringes for doing several things but these go up to five milliliters, and then I have these little bulbs that allow me to get extremely accurate with how many drops of titration solution is put in to see just where I’m at. You’re also going need a pH indicator. This is phenolphaylene. It is a one percent solution of phenolphaylene, and it is what will indicate pH when I get over about 8.5, 8ish or so. It basically is going to tell us when we’ve neutralized all the acid, so we’ll be using this.

I have a little funnel that I like to have around that I can make my solution up with. I also have some safety gloves. It’s important to wear a safety guard when you’re doing this because you are going to be playing with some chemicals, particularly the catalyst either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. You’re also going to need some catalyst. In particular this is potassium hydroxide.

Whatever you plan on making your biodiesel with, whether it be sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, that needs to be the same chemical you use when you make up your titration solution. You can do the math to do the conversions, but you just get much more reliable titrations if you use the same chemical. That’s basically what makes up a basic titration kit. Titration kits can be had on the internet from various sources.

You can go into Walmart and build one up. Expect to pay a little bit for shipping because they have to send chemicals in them. Phenolphaylene can also be ordered online from various different places. You can get it at chemical stores. A good scale you can find on eBay or different things like that. So, that’s what you need to do a basic titration.

These are 10 appraisal methods as follows:

1. Graphic rating scales

The Rating Scale is a form on which the manager simply checks off the employee’s level of performance.

This is the oldest and most widely method used for performance appraisal.

2. Essay Evaluation

This method asked managers / supervisors to describe strengths and weaknesses of an employee’s behavior. Essay evaluation is a non-quantitative technique. This method usually use with the graphic rating scale method.

3. Behaviorally anchored rating scales.

This method used to describe a performance rating that focused on specific behaviors or sets as indicators of effective or ineffective performance. It is a combination of the rating scale and critical incident techniques of employee performance evaluation.

4. Performance ranking method

Ranking is a performance appraisal method that is used to evaluate employee performance from best to worst. Manager will compare an employee to another employee, rather than comparing each one to a standard measurement.

5. Critical incident method

The critical incidents for performance appraisal is a method in which the manager writes down positive and negative performance behavior of employees throughout the performance period.

6. Weighted checklist

This method describe a performance appraisal method where rater familiar with the jobs being evaluated prepared a large list of descriptive statements about effective and ineffective behavior on jobs.

7. Paired comparison analysis

Paired comparison analysis is a good way of weighing up the relative importance of options.

A range of plausible options is listed. Each option is compared against each of the other options. The results are tallied and the option with the highest score is the preferred option.

8. Behavioral Observation Scales

Behavioral Observation Scales is frequency rating of critical incidents that worker has performed.

9. 360 degree performance appraisal

360 Degree Feedback is a system or process in which employees receive confidential, anonymous feedback from the people who work around them.

10. Forced ranking (forced distribution).

Forced ranking is a method of performance appraisal to rank employee but in order of forced distribution.

For example, the distribution requested with 10 or 20 percent in the top category, 70 or 80 percent in the middle, and 10 percent in the bottom.

We all do it to some extent and to a lesser degree it’s pretty harmless, but when self deception is more extreme it can be disastrous, especially in relationships.

Just about any woman can relate to one of the most common ways in which we deceive ourselves. We’ve all encountered the weight-gain of a few pounds and it usually plays out something like this:

Our jeans fit a little tight and we tell ourselves it’s water-weight (even when it’s not that time of the month). As the days pass and the weight is still there we tell ourselves our jeans shrunk or the manufacturers are making sizes differently than they used to. Sound familiar? We can come up with any number of excuses and they are all self deceiving so we don’t have to change our behavior and we can continue to believe we are thin and eat what we want.

In reality, we have gained a few pounds and if we don’t face the truth about it they can quickly add up to even more. For a reality check what do we do? We get on the scale because the scale doesn’t lie; it tells us what we’ve been avoiding for the last week or two. All along we knew the scale was there yet didn’t get on it because we were afraid of the truth!

This is an example of harmless self deceiving behavior because eventually we accepted responsibility and faced the truth. We knew the scale wouldn’t let us continue our denial and it didn’t. Now we had the truth and knew we needed to do something about it to fix it and that it would also take a little work on our part.

So what happens when this doesn’t work? Either the person keeps avoiding that scale or further deceives themselves into believing that the scale is broken and either way they most likely will continue to gain weight. It’s more comforting to think something’s wrong with the scale than something being wrong with them and if there’s not a problem with them then they don’t need to make an effort to fix it, right? As long as it’s the scale, or the jeans, or the manufacturers at fault then they don’t have to look at themselves or make any effort to change.

When self deception reaches an unhealthy state a person is unwilling to look at themselves for who they really are. They have talked themselves into believing their own truth, which represents the person they want to be and want others to believe they are.

We know that people make justifications and rationalizations for their behavior all the time and in small doses this usually isn’t harmful to ourselves or others, like gaining a few pounds and then finally facing it and doing something about it. When it’s more severe it can lead to the end of a self deceiver’s closest relationships because at some point the other person will be the “scale” as only someone who is close enough, knows them well and cares for them can and will be, especially when they are directly affected.

When the person in denial won’t accept the truth from the one closest to them then the “scale” becomes flawed and they can continue their self deception. In most cases, the closest person is the spouse or significant other and if you are that person, be very careful. Being intimately close to a self deceiver can cause a lot of pain when they choose to preserve their self-image at the expense of the relationship and your well being.

Personally I have been the “scale” more than once in a relationship because I want my relationships to be authentic as opposed to contrived and superficial. Although most people would also say this is what they want in a relationship, when they do face a challenge to grow by their partner they resist and try to keep things on a more surface level – or they look for someone else who won’t challenge their self-image.

There are people who will be enablers to self deceivers – the ones who won’t tell you that you look fat in your jeans when you do. On a deeper level it can cause much more harm than letting you walk around not looking your best. You know who you are; you’d rather not risk offending the person so you lie; that’s right, you lie. Your relationship with the person is so delicate that you can’t be honest with them and to keep it intact you must reflect back to them the image they wish to see or you will be discarded from their life. If someone can’t handle a little constructive criticism from a person they are close to then that is a good sign they are not emotionally healthy and could benefit from a reality check.

Unfortunately for the rest of us who wish to live authentically, the enablers perpetuate the problem of self deceptive behavior.

A perfect example of this is with an alcoholic, who are masters at deceiving themselves and others and need enablers to continue their destructive behavior. Alcoholic’s become so good at deceiving themselves they can also fool those around them. You know the saying, “it’s not really a lie if you believe it to be true.”? As long as the alcoholic has at least one person telling them they are not one, he will choose to believe what he wants to believe which is always the glossed-over and easier to swallow version of himself – one without a problem or the task of some self-evaluation and making an effort to change. If that same person has everyone in his life telling him he has a problem it becomes much harder to avoid the truth. The result is rehab and hopefully a healthier life; a result that benefits everyone around him since we know alcoholics don’t just hurt themselves, they hurt those close to them as well.

Although the pattern is easier to see with alcoholism, it’s the same with any severe self deceiving behavior and the repercussions for those who are closest are also the same. They are the ones that get hurt the most when a person in denial projects the pain of dealing with their own shortcomings onto the most available target and makes them their scapegoat.

Sometimes when the truth-teller reaches out to family members or friends for help they can become the victims of a “shoot-the-messenger” reaction for being the bearer of bad news. Enablers can also be close to the self-deceiver but have been successfully deceived or are in denial themselves and can turn on you for suggesting anything might be wrong or that their loved one has a problem. They don’t want to be any closer to the truth than the one with the problem and if you represent the “ugly” truth about them there is no place for you in a dysfunctional enabler-offender relationship.

A self-deceiver will continue the cycle of casting out anyone that gets close enough and cares enough to be honest. Meanwhile no help is sought, no progress is made, the offending person gets worse and continues to hurt people they are close to while oblivious to the impact they’ve had on others. The enablers keep enabling and neither has to take responsibility for their actions or feel the pain of their own destructive behavior. If you are unable to express your thoughts and feelings in order to preserve your relationship with a self deceiver, you are enabling the behavior and are causing more harm than good and hurting more people than you know, including yourself.

If you’re in a relationship and you find yourself assigning labels, laying blame, or attacking your partner take a good long look in the mirror. Your happiness is solely your responsibility not that of your partner. When you feel an emotion it doesn’t mean it’s your partner that made you feel that way, which is what most people think. Instead our emotions are personal and attached to our own unique past experiences. Our beliefs and responses are conditioned by these events and trigger the emotions we feel. By becoming more self aware you can learn to accept responsibility for your feelings and actions instead of blaming your partner.

When we enter a relationship we’ve chosen that person because we were drawn to them for a reason. Usually it’s a quality in them that we want to be close to because it’s a quality we ourselves either don’t posses or need to develop. We chose that person knowing on some level that they could help us grow but many times when faced with the challenge to do that in a relationship, people resist because they feel that by making the change they are admitting they were inadequate to begin with. Although that’s not really the case, for many people it is impossible to consider that they should grow as a person and in the relationship by their partner’s influence, but that’s exactly why they chose them. A relationship is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage mutual growth.

Someone who lives in denial and deceives themselves into believing that they are the image they present to others around them instead of the person that’s reflected back to them through the eyes of the one closest to them is eventually going to end that relationship. Although this person will most likely continue to seek out relationships with people that will offer challenges for him to grow, as long as he is a self deceiver he will never find one that lasts – unless it’s with someone who will never challenge his self image; the enabler. This relationship will always be fragile though since the focus is on preserving the self image of the deceiver instead of maintaining the quality of the relationship. Without a solid foundation of mutual respect, trust and love both people will feel unfulfilled and want more.

Those who are afraid to grow and become more self aware miss the opportunity to have and share a real and meaningful connection with someone. For those of us who love or have loved a self deceiver we also lose because we have invested in a relationship with someone we care about that will never encourage or inspire our growth but stifle it. Whether you are an enabler or the “scale”, a relationship with a self-deceiver will never be what you want it to be; a good one.

When I was asked how to avoid mistakes in estimating and take-off, I asked myself what defines a mistake?

Mistakes to me are items such as Scale, Elevation, Drawing, Omission, and Scope of Work errors.

All of these can be avoided by turning your estimating and take-off’s into a structured and organized process. If you are doing Estimates at 2 AM, on software you don’t understand, for a site you have no knowledge of; you will make a “Mistake” eventually.

How do we avoid these common mistakes by organization?

SCALE: Back when Draftsmen used an actual Scale to make the Print these types of errors were not as common. Since the widespread use of CAD and PDF’s we have been subjected to the introduction of error on many levels. At creation of the Drawing it can be an inattentive or inexperienced Engineer. When replication of the Drawing is by an equally inattentive or inexperienced office clerk or Estimator the improper use of Scale has become the most common mistake I have seen.

Avoiding Scale errors requires 3 things, Verification, Verification and Verification.

As mentioned before this error can be made at any level. From the creation of the file to the printing or onscreen take-off, the simple failure to verify scale is a major error.

Sometimes it’s a more insidious error such as an old plotter that reproduces correctly on one axis and incorrectly on the other or an incorrect scale displayed on the page! The only way to confirm is to verify and verify to confirm.

Before moving on it is important to mention improper use of scale. In other words can you be accurate at 1″=100? If you are using a digitizer to measure, the average accuracy is about 1/20th of an inch. That’s 5 FEET on a 100 scale drawing. Can the drawing be blown up to 1″=50 or even 1″=30 and still fit on your digitizer? If so then do yourself a favor, make a record set that is enlarged and confirmed and then use it.

Elevation: Typically a Large numerical error will show up in even a casual check of a computer take-off. The most common elevation mistake in surveying is 1 foot. An isolated error of 1 foot is insignificant on a major take-off. A 1 foot error over a large area can be devastating, causing the import or export of large amounts of material. The best way to confirm the existing topo and the quality of the layout is to use your EW cut/fill image and check the first stakes out in the field. Ask the Engineer to give you a Building corners or Catch Basins with the elevation and cut fill to Finish grade. Take a picture of this and all other stakes before stripping the topsoil! By comparing this with the EW take-off you will at least have a leg to stand on when requesting a change order. Resolve this mistake before proceeding or be willing to live with it.

Drawing: I have already touched on Scale and Numerical Errors on Drawings. Lets look at the error’s such as the Building that isn’t shown, the plan’s that call out Plastic pipe when the spec’s require Concrete pipe, or the use of an outdated topo drawing when the site has undergone significant changes.

A complete review of the specs may save your Company. Boring logs if not included should be requested. If you use the wrong material on a job and get it in the ground you may be subject to reduced payment at the least and removal and replacement with Spec. materials at the worst!

Site visit’s will reduce your liability and also give you in-site into traffic patterns at the site and weight restrictions on roads nearby. Google Earth or Microsoft Virtual Earth are great if the pictures are up to date but are you willing to bet the farm on them?

Omission: Nothing gives you that sick feeling in your stomach like realizing you forgot something in a bid. Maybe it was something like the office trailer but it could be Compaction of fills or another major Item!

Using a preformatted template or at least a checklist of major items helps reduce this error. Try to build the job in your head and remember, Men and Equipment cost money. The next time you forget to allow for a Tie-in to existing utilities or the hardware to lower a water line around a Sewer line remember, Penny’s make Dollars and Minutes make Hours.

Scope of Work: Understanding your responsibilities on a job is vital to the successful execution of the project. Improper assignment of responsibility for tasks can lead to in-efficiency in execution, (ever wait for the power company to move a pole?)

Check and confirm with other contractors you are bidding in conjunction with. EXCLUSIONS or what you are not responsible for are at least as important as what you are doing!

There are five mistakes that I’ve seen all too often. I have no funny stories to tell about them because mistakes are rarely funny.