The wheel of life technique is a famous coaching tool. Many coaches know off the technique but don’t always know what question to ask the client. This article is design to help coaches get the most out of The Wheel of Life Exercise.

Ask the client to draw a circle and to add several spokes to the wheel that represents all the important elements of their life (this techniques can be used on just one aspect of their life IE Career, Relationships, Health, etc) these can be both positive and negative.

Tell your client:

1. On each spoke of the wheel, label it with an area of your life; career, family, relationships, etc

2. You can record anything on your spokes, we have added an example, but it is for you to record what you feel is important in your life. Often people record what they consider are their roles; mother/father, team member, friend, leader or areas they would like to improve; education, job prospects, relationships

3. If needed add extra spokes to the wheel, many people have between 6-12 spokes

4. Draw a line on each spoke and label this between 1 and 10 – this will be your scale

5. Take each spoke in turn and take a few seconds to think about this area of your life and on a scale between 1 and 10, with 1 being the lowest (worst) and 10 being the highest (best) “how happy are you with this area of your life?” “what number would you scale this area of your life between 1 and 10?”

6. Add your score to the spoke and ask yourself the questions below for each individual spoke; many people find it useful to record their answers on the wheel

7. “Have you ever been higher than the number you have recorded?”

8. “What was different when you were higher up the scale?”

9. “What was actually happening when you were higher up the scale?”

10. “Have you ever been lower than the number you have recorded?”

11. “What did you do to move up the scale?”

12. “What have you learnt from previously being lower on the scale?”

13. “What number on the scale do you want to be?”

14. “What actions can you take to start moving up the scale?”

15. “If you moved up the scale, what will be happening to tell you that you have arrived at that number?”

16. “What would need to happen for you to move up one point on the scale by this time next week?”

17. “What might affect you moving up the scale?”

18. “What can you do the overcome this obstacle – how can you prepare?”

The internet is empowering more and more entrepreneurs to launch online businesses. Be it an e-commerce store that sells products or an internet business that offers services to customers, mails and shipments are part of everyday operations. In fact, for e-commerce stores, business reputation rides on the speed and quality of shipping. With postage meters, also called postage machines, business owners can save both time and money in this critical task.

Postage meters allow business owners to directly print accurate postage onto package labels and envelopes without the need to go to post offices to get them weighed and franked. They calculate the exact postage based on weight, destination, and type of mail. What’s more, you can also track the amount spent on postage. Business productivity is also boosted as the time saved is utilized in more profitable tasks such as business development.

How do postage meters help small businesses?

Postage machines are a great help to small businesses that are already short of time and money, not to mention personnel to make frequent trips to the post office. Some of the main advantages of using them are:

Convenient metering: With postage machines, businesses can print and pay postage right at the office. You don’t have to stand in long queues at the post office to get consignments weighed and stamped. You only need to make the trip to send the consignments or get them picked up from your office.

Easy management of all types of mails: They can handle most type of mails – Parcel Post, Priority, Domestic First-Class, Express, International First-Class, International parcel post etc. As it is easy to print directly on envelopes, bulk mails can be stamped accurately and quickly.

Cost savings: They always stamp packages with precise postage unlike the situation at post offices where exact postage is not available all the time. Packages are weighed on a scale on the postage meter and postage is calculated accordingly.

What are the disadvantages of postage meters?

Though postage meters offer many advantages, you also have some challenges to deal with. Some of these are:

Lease contract fees: Usage, rates, and distribution of these machines is managed by the country’s postal service. Postage machines cannot be purchased and have to be taken on lease for long-term usage. Leasing fee can range from $20 to $500 every month based on the model.

Changing postage rates: Postage rates can be changed by the postal service and this needs to be reflected in the postage machhines also. While latest digital meters can be updated electronically, lower cost models need to be updated manually by the leasing company.

Government restrictions on repair: The government does not allow troubleshooting and repair of postage meters by any personnel except the authorized leaser. This can cause delays and the business has to fall back on conventional mailing till the meters becomes functional again.

The convenience of owning a postage machine, reduction in operational costs, and time savings from their greatly outweigh its disadvantages. Postage meters bring professionalism into official mails and shipments and allow business owners to invest more time and money to business growth and other money making initiatives.

Dumpsters

A dumpster is basically a garbage bin which is mainly used in industries, residences, construction sites and other public places.Dumpsters are used to stock-up waste materials which are then taken away by local trash trucks. These dumpsters are generally located on the grounds of schools, offices, hospitals, industrial areas, public parks, society buildings and often on the roads. The dumpsters are also used for the recycling of the waste, with some dumpsters recycling plastic, glass or paper. Most of the time, cranes are used to empty the garbage from the dumpster into the garbage trucks. Dumpster divingis very common in some parts of the world where a person dives into a dumpster to find articles to use from the trash that are worth money. This may include searching for plastic bags, pieces of metal or other waste material that can be still be used or recycled.

Sometimes people will even find something extremely valuable, but this is rare. You know what they say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Dumpsters come in different dimensions, from small scale dumpsters, medium scale dumpsters and large scale dumpsters. Small scale dumpsters are useful to place in a small area and their small size allows them to be easily moved from one place to other. It has the capacity to hold ten to fifteen cubic yards of junk material. These are very small sized trash bins and are typically located in residential areas and compounds of small business units. The medium sized dumpsters are the most popular. These accommodate twenty to thirty cubic yards of debris. These are equally suited for the residential and small scale business purposes. However a thirty yard open dumpster is suitable for the industrial and construction sites as well. Finally comes the large scale dumpsters which have the capacity of storing about forty yards of waste material. Now we can look at roll-off containers.

Roll-off containers

Roll-off dumpsters or sometimes referred to as Roll-off containers on the other hand are rectangular shaped containers which are carried on the back of a truck like a vehicle which stores the waste and transports it for the disposal of the same to the waste grounds. It is open on its top and has wheels which assist the rolling of the dumpster in the right place. Roll offs are generally used in construction sites for either demolition, or a construction or renovation process. The material is than loaded into the roll off until it is full, then the company which rented the unit would pick it up. In most places you need permission to use of roll-off containers unlike dumpsters which do not require any sort of permission. Whether it’s for industrial or for any other purpose, the use of dumpsters and roll-off containers has been very important to many industries.

There is a huge variety of RC cars, trucks, boats, helicopter and planes. But some people don’t really need the excitement of sending a 1:8 scale monster truck over a jump at 50mph. Some people just really like cars, and models of them. For these people, there are diecast models. The models range from basic diecast toys meant for children to completely accurate replicas of some of today’s hottest cars, made with extreme precision and attention to detail. For the serious collector there are some special models as well.

One fun model is the Shelby Mustang GT500 1967 No. 28. This is a 1:18 scale model from Jada that replicates the famous 1967 Shelby Mustang. As any Ford enthusiast knows, 1967 was a good year for Mustangs. The 1967 models still have the original body structure, but were the first model to get some stylistic changes and added safety features. It was also the last year before Ford switched to the 302 V8 engine, which was only built because emissions standards now existed. This particular model has a yellow paint job with black racing stripes, and the car was a worn out finish to replicate a car that has actually been in a race. It is also adorned with sponsorship stickers and a large No. 28. The model sports a high gloss finish and rubber tires.

From Minichamps comes an amazing 1:18 scale model of the white Maserati Tipo 61 that won the 1000km Nürburgring in 1961. This model is made with extremely fine detail and is a opportunity to own a piece of motorsport history. The car’s design was based on a mini-tubular frame concept that allowed for a chassis that was both light weight and stiff. The Tipo 61 was powered by a 2.9-liter 4-cylinder engine putting out 250 hp, and was only one of the many Tipo models produced my Maserati. It was one of only two models to with the 1000km Nürburgring, the other was the Tipo 60 from a year earlier. Minichamps have really outdone themselves on the diecast model and it is truly a thing of beauty. It even has fully functional steering.

No model collection would be complete without a ridiculous Ferrari, and the Eilte Ferrari FXX from Mattel fits the bill nicely. One look at this model and it’ll be hard not to physically need it. The FXX is a brilliant car to cast a model of in the first place. It is the balls-to-the-wall racing car version of the frankly insane Ferrari Enzo. People who buy the real thing are only allowed to drive it on special Ferrari-approved track days, and they pay $1.8 million dollars for the privilege. This car is so special that people who own one aren’t even allowed to drive it. Only 29 have ever been made, plus one special one that was presented to Michael Schumacher by Ferrari. The model itself is incredible, featuring fully functioning steering, details down to the correct brake rotors and pads, and a finely sculpted engine that can be seen through the FXX’s rear windshield.

Ferraris are nice, but those with real class know nothing can substitute for a Bentley. The 1:18 scale 2008 Bentley Continental GT model from Minichamps is the most impressive diecast. The Bentley’s recognizable interior is faithfully reproduced down to every minute detail, and the 13 spoke wheels are stunning. The Bentley Continental GT is Bentley’s 2-door coupe that premiered in 2003. It is essentially a Volkswagen Phaeton with the nicest interior humanly possible and a W12 engine. For those who aren’t aware of the W12, it is essentially two V6 engines bolted together. Why bolt two V6 engines together you ask? Well, when you can afford a Bentley, why not? Oh, and they put two turbochargers on it too. They managed to coax a mind-boggling 552bhp out of this particular engine.

Though mankind has harnessed the wind for centuries to produce energy, interest in this method of power generation has recently intensified as a result of both increases in conventional energy costs and the debate over the extent of humanity’s responsibility for climate change.

Policy-makers and generating companies are considering the extent to which wind power can serve as a viable and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, and are already determining how to encourage wider use at all levels.

Historically farmers and millers were the chief users of wind power – for irrigation and grain milling respectively – and this trend carried on with farmers and others in isolated communities being foremost among the early users of windmills to provide electricity. Recent advances in technology have led to the appearance of large-scale wind farms, and it is these that governments are looking at as a solution to problems with increasing energy prices and climate change. There may be debate as to the extent of human involvement in the latter, but for now most governments are set on reducing reliance on fossil fuels so the issues surrounding wind power must be considered.

Many government initiatives have been designed to facilitate construction of large scale wind power facilities, commonly known as wind farms. Designed to complement or even replace conventional power stations, wind farms supply power to the grid for distribution to domestic and commercial users. The main benefit is the efficiency in power generation gained from economies of scale: a large scale wind farm will be far more effective at producing electricity than a collection of small scale generators. Cost, though, is a brake on the construction of more large scale wind farms, especially at sea. In the present financial climate companies are becoming increasingly wary of investing in projects that will have little chance of seeing a return, or in projects that often run into objections from local groups, for instance land-based wind farms.

Small scale wind power – provided mainly by individual generators for homes and businesses – does not suffer from such opposition, but implementation still has to satisfy local planning authorities. The main problem with it seems to be new research which indicates that due to reduced wind speeds in around concentrations of buildings, wind generators do not provide as much power in cities as in rural areas. However this is disputed, and the potential savings combined with ease of installation and the availability of grants and incentives for the adoption of small scale wind power mean that its future seems brighter than that of larger scale wind power projects.

Indeed, it seems that a proliferation of small wind power generators is the best chance wind power has of providing an alternative to fossil fuels, with generating capacity widely distributed and in the hands of consumers rather than centralised and in the hands of traditional generating companies. It is ironic, but wind power seems to be going full circle, from small-scale local generation through large-scale national projects and back to small scale again, with governments and multinationals having little say in the matter: a true democratisation of energy supply.

People often wonder why the color grading scale starts at D and not at A. The answer to this is actually a very simple one. At one time, the color scale actually did start at A. In addition to starting at A, color systems were also assigned numbers (0, 1, 2,3), Roman Numerals (I, II, III) and even (AA). Classifications such as “gem blue” “fine white” or “blue white” were used as color descriptions. These color grading systems were loosely applied and often times, inaccurate and inconsistent. Early on, when the diamond trade developed, diamond grades were developed by various parties within the trade. These original scales never included the letter D and when the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) created the new scale in 1953, they decided to start fresh with a letter that was not a part of the previous grading system.

The GIA scale is now the official color grading scale and has universal acceptance among laboratories and trades-people. This current scale ranges from D to Z, with D being colorless to Z which is a light yellow or brown. The term color in regards to diamonds actually refers to its lack of color and the less color a diamond has, the rarer and more valuable it is. Brown or yellow diamonds that have more intense color than Z on the grading scale are considered “fancy colors”. These diamonds are graded by a separate system entirely and this same system is typically used for grading colored gemstones like rubies, sapphires, and emeralds.

I often find that I need to fill certain shapes with a regular pattern to indicate their composition. This is especially true of engineering drawings where shapes representing materials of various substances need to be rendered differently, but can also be the case in other diagram types that require shapes to adopt a different appearance according to their content. Luckily, the Professional version of Visio 2007 has a wealth of options available to accommodate these requirements from the Visio Extras stencil. This can be accessed from the Shape button on the Standard toolbar, or from Shapes on the File menu.

To use this facility you first need the shapes that you wish to fill with a pattern to be present on the drawing page, and you also need the specific stencil that contains the fill pattern you wish to use open as well. There are basically six choices here; two Custom Line Pattern stencils, two Custom Pattern Stencils without any scale applied and two scaled Custom Pattern stencils, each one available either in metric or in Imperial units. Applying the scale pattern fills has advantages and disadvantages; if the scale is compatible with your drawing scale, then the result is excellent but if it is not, you may find an oddly mutant pattern filling your shape such as one third of a herringbone pattern. Weird!

To apply a fill pattern to the shape you simply select the shape you want to fill then go to the Format menu and click Fill from the drop down menu. The Fill dialog box opens and from here you can scroll down the list until you can see the additional patterns available. Click on the one you want to apply the fill to the shape, and don’t forget that the Background color, Pattern color and Transparency can also be altered to get the effect you want. And of course, there are the same options available for any Shadow Effects you might want to apply (but remember – less is more!)

Tip: You may find it difficult to see the pattern you have chosen in some circumstances; turning off the Grid from the View menu usually makes this easier, but you might also want to increase the page magnification as well by holding down Shift and Ctrl and clicking with the Left mouse button. Changing the Pattern color often helps too.

Patterns can be overlaid on top of each other, and you can always use the Operations command from the Shape menu to Intersect, Subtract or Fragment the shapes before filling with Custom Patterns.

There are quite a few misconceptions about modes and how they work. Much of the confusion comes from the word “mode” itself, since it implies more of a reference to another scale than an actual scale in its own right. We’ve all heard, or read, and half understood, that modes are based on this or that scale (usually the major scale), and that all you need to do is play from a certain degree (note) up or down the scale one octave to the same note and you get the mode in question. And, of course, when you tried it, you didn’t hear any difference so you gave up!

The problem with this over-simplification (though technically it is true) is that it overlooks the most important aspect of modes and possibly of music itself: context! If you are playing over a C drone or C major chord progression, and your ear hears C major, you can play E Phrygian or F Lydian (two modes “based” on the C major scale) until you’re blue in the face, but you’ll never hear anything but a C major sound (see Ex. 1)! Context is everything: if you play, over that same C drone, a C Lydian or C Phrygian scale (mode) then you definitely will hear a change and a different flavor(see Ex. 2). Sometimes the flavor change is slight and sometimes it’s radical! Ex.1: C Major, E Phrygian, F Lydian over a C drone: The C major sound is unbroken even though E phrygian and F Lydian are being played

Ex 2: C Phrygian, C Mixolydian, and C Lydian over a C drone: You should hear three distinct flavors

Static versus Changing Harmonies

In this article we won’t be dealing with modes in the context of jazz or changing harmonies. We’ll be concentrating on static or “modal” harmonies. This means that even though there may be more than one chord, the harmony, or mode, or key center will stay the same (or in the case of a drone: neutral).

The reason for this is that in non-modal jazz there’s usually a quick succession of chords and changing key centers, and modes in this context just fly by, making it difficult to feel or hear any kind of flavor or get any kind of appreciation of the mode. Plus modes in this traditional jazz context are often just a means of playing the right notes (playing in) or playing “wrong” notes( playing dissonant or purposely playing “wrong” notes) over a given chord.

By taking our time and playing over static modal harmonies, or just a drone, we’ll be able to hear and eventually recognize the different flavors of each mode.

Scale or Mode?

I won’t be making any difference between scale and mode because they are virtually the same thing. For all intents and purposes: any mode is also a scale (sort of like the particle/wave duality of light ); and any scale could be considered a mode of another related scale. For the moment, the goal is to try and simplify things and cut away some of the jargon.

A Few Basics

Ideally, this article’s aim is to be a « no nonsense » approach to modes, without there being too much technical stuff or theory. And while the attempt was made to try and make it as straightforward as possible, there are, of course, a certain number of basic things you probably need to know.

To play the scales (modes) that are given here in E, you need know nothing other than where the notes are found on your instrument. But if you want to transpose them to other keys (something you should learn to do) you’ll need to know something about intervals, or at least know the difference between a half-step and a whole-step. Since the modes we’ll be dealing with are related to the major scale, it’s a good idea to learn how a major scale is constructed, if you don’t already know.

The Formula for a Major Scale is as Follows:

Ascending: Root (any note) + WS + WS + HS + WS + WS + WS + HS (and you should end up an octave above the starting note)

WS = whole-step, HS = half-step (for a guitarist or bassist, HS = 1 fret, WS = 2 frets)

If you follow this formula you’ll get a major scale. A major scale has the following intervals within it (all related to the root):

Between root and second note: Major 2nd

Between root and third note: Major 3rd

Between root and fourth note: Perfect 4th

Between root and fifth note: Perfect 5th

Between root and sixth note: Major 6th

Between root and seventh note: Major 7th

In the key of C Major : C D E F G A B C

In the key of E Major : E F#G# A B C# D# E

When I speak about how each of the modes differs from the major scale I’ll be making reference to these intervals.

Once you understand these intervals and how modes are constructed, you should then be able to transpose these scales, to any other key (tonal center). Or, of course, if you’re a bassist or guitarist you could just take the easy way out and move the fingerings up or down the neck. But this won’t help you in the long run.

Important Points:

The mode examples: Throughout this article I’ve used E as the tonal center. The reasons for doing so are twofold:

1. It’s important to get away from the key of C and the strong associations and confusion of the modes in this Key (especially for keyboardists). We often see the diatonic modes of C major listed one after the other in diagrams. And when we play them in order (starting with C major), we’ve already got the C major sound in our head and so we don’t hear the mode being played, just more of C Major! Therefore the crucial element for each mode, context, is lost.

2. By putting the examples in E, I’m hoping that it will be easier for Guitarists and Bassists to use their low E string as a drone while they play the scales/modes on top of it (It won’t make any difference to keyboardists). This will come in handy when no other drone source is available.

The Progressions: As stated above, everything depends on context, and Rhythm, especially harmonic rhythm (an oft neglected topic) plays a crucial role in musical context. These progressions need to be played in such a way (rhythmically) that there will be no doubt about the tonal center. This doesn’t necessarily mean starting on the I chord (though this is often the case), but you should at all times feel the tonal center (in this case E) and should always hear this tonal center as being the final resting place of the piece/improvisation, even if you choose “not” to end on the I chord (Tonic).

Bass Drone : The chord progressions given here can (and should) all be played with, in this case, an E bass/drone on the bottom. So if, for example, I say in E Lydian, a typical progression is E – F# – E, you should also try it as E – F#/E (F# with an E in the bass) – E. It’s even preferable at this stage to play it like that since it will give you even a stronger feeling for the flavor of the mode, and will give you new ideas for chords with different bass notes other than their roots.

About Chords In a Given Scale/Mode: This is very important because you need to know which chords are native (diatonic) to which mode so you don’t play any chords that are outside the scale. I won’t be going into how these chords are derived for the moment because it involves a little more theory than I have space for in this article. I’ll be dealing with this theme at a latter time. For the moment, try transposing the given chord progression examples into other keys.

Phrygian

In this first part we’ll be dealing with three of the diatonic modes: Phrygian, Lydian, and Mixolydian. “Diatonic” just means that they share the same notes as the Major scale (which can also be considered a mode: Ionian). I suggest taking your time with each mode before jumping on to the next one. Too much information kills information! Once you start to feel comfortable with them you can mix them up and play one after the other to get a feeling for each of them.

I also strongly suggest recording yourself (or someone else) playing the different modes, and see if you can tell which mode is being played back…hearing is crucial!

Phrygian

Phrygian is one of the scales that differs the most from the basic major scale. For the moment you don’t need to know that Phrygia was a kingdom of Anatolia or other interesting historical stuff. It should be mentioned, however, that Phrygian is the third mode (of the major scale; starting on the third scale degree of a major scale). Even though I’ve said it’s necessary to see each mode as a separate entity, it is important to remember that these diatonic modes are related to each other.

The Phrygian mode has the following formula: 1, b2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7, when compared to the starting pitch’s major scale (e.g. E Phrygian compared to E major). It has a minor triad (chord) as its tonic (though cadences will often end on a major chord…, more on that below).

So E Phrygian is: E F G A B C D E (related to C Major)

Compare with E Major: E F# G# A B C# D# E

What you should try to hear, and keep in mind, is that the characteristic note (or interval) of Phrygian is especially the b2 (in this case, F) but also the b7 (D) and b3 (G, which makes it a “minor” mode). Try to get that sound in your ear. The b2 b3 b7 Phrygian flavor is quite easy to recognize. You might say it sounds spanish, or medieval, or gypsy, oriental…whatever! The thing is, you’ve heard this sound before, you recognize it and now you should try to recognize it every time you hear it and therefore see it for what it is: Phrygian.

Play around with the scale until it becomes familiar. Keep a low E drone going as you improvise with it, or try to find melodies. Then try going in and out of it by playing E major for a little while and then E Phrygian. Listen and “feel” how they differ…this is important. You need to get this sound into your ear and your musical vocabulary.

Progressions in E Phrygian

An important thing to note about Phrygian progressions is that they often end (cadence) or start on a major chord/triad. Since this major triad isn’t in the mode itself (b3 becomes natural 3), if you’re soloing you might have to alter that note, and this momentarily gives you another scale (a harmonic minor scale or what some people call a Phrygian dominant scale or Spanish gypsy scale). I won’t go into this scale here, but it’s a nice one to play around with (often heard in flamenco/Spanish style music).

Typical Chords:

Just as there are characteristic notes or intervals in each mode, there are also characteristic chords and chord progressions in each mode. In Phrygian the characteristic chord is, of course, the major flat II (F major chord in E Phrygian) and also the minor flat VII (D minor in E Phrygian). To a lesser extent the major flat III (G major in E Phrygian) and the minor IV (A minor in E Phrygian) are also quite characteristic when used in the same progression.

Some typical progressions in E Phrygian are:

• A min – G – F – E(min or usually Maj)
• E(min or usually Maj) – F(maj7) – E(min or usually Maj)
• Dmin – E(min or usually Maj)

 
Pieces in Phrygian:

• Pink Floyd – “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun”
• The “Ben-Hur Theme” (the melody is in Phrygian while the chords go in and out of Phrygian)
• A lot of Flamenco/spanish music (though, as stated before, the cadences on the major Tonic (I chord) alter the scale and therefore it’s not a pure Phrygian)
• Led Zeppelin – “Kashmir”: The end Progression (G min to A) is a typical Phrygian progression
• Jefferson Airplane – “White Rabbit” (in E Phrygian except for the fleeting Bb chord)
• Björk- “Hunter” (with major Tonic) and “I’ve seen it all”
• Massive Attack – “Future Proof” (with major Tonic)

Lydian

The Lydian scale only differs from a major scale by one note, but this note is so characteristic of Lydian’s flavor that it makes all the difference. This flavor, and difference, comes from the #4. In a major scale the 4th is a perfect 4th from the tonic, and therefore the introduction of the #4, though not radical in itself, gives a new flavor to the scale, transforming it from a normal Major to Lydian.

E Lydian: E F# G# A# B C# D# E (that’s a lot of sharps and is relative to B major)

Compare with E Major: E F# G# A B C# D# E (note the A natural)

As with Phrygian, play around with this mode and try to get it into your ear. It’s interesting and useful to alternate it with E major. You need to hear the difference that the #4 makes. Get a Low E drone happening and alternate between the two. After a while try the E Phrygian too.

Progressions in Lydian:

Progressions in Lydian are also very characteristic of the Lydian sound. Many people have tried describing this sound with words like “airy” “magical” or “wondrous” etc. etc., and all cinema composers have used it to these ends, but the best thing, once again, is to hear it and make the connection for yourself.

Typical Chords

The characteristic chords of Lydian are the ones that contain the #4. These include: the major II chord (F# major in E Lydian) and to a lesser extent the min VII (D# min in E Lydian) and the V maj7 chord (Bmaj7 in E Lydian).

Some Typical Progression in E Lydian:

• E – F# – E (as mentioned above, try keeping the E in the bass over all chords)
• Emaj7 #11 vamp
• E – Bmaj7 – E
• E – D#m(7) – E

Pieces in Lydian:

• “Maria” and many other pieces from “West Side Story”
• Sting – “When we dance”: has a very clear example in the melody of major going to Lydian
• Led Zeppelin – “Dancing Days”: the opening riff is Lydian (After that it’s in Phrygian until the A major chord)
• John Williams – E.T. theme and countless other movie moments and themes
• The Simpsons TV Theme

Mixolydian

Mixolydian is the 5th diatonic mode, and like the Lydian mode, only differs from the Major scale by one note. This note (b7 – D natural in E) is also sufficient to give a strong characteristic flavor to the Mixolydian sound. This Mixolydian sound has a very Renaissance or Celtic flavor to it. This is because it was/is prevalent in these styles. Also Indian music, uses this scale quite often (as it does numerous others) and therefore it’s possible to get an Indian raga type flavor out of it (especially if you omit the 2nd (F# in E) and the 6th (C# in E).

E Mixolydian: E F# G# A B C# D E (related to A major)

Compare with E Major: E F# G# A B C# D# E

Once again, get an E drone going and play around with the scale. Try giving it a celtic or renaissance type rhythm to see if can you hear the connection. The characteristic notes here are the major third (G#) and above all the flat 7 (D).

Typical Chords:

The characteristic chords of Mixolydian are those that include the b7. These are: the flat VII chord (D major in E Mixolydian) and the minor V (B min(7) in E Mixolydian).

Typical progressions in E Mixolydian:

• E – D – E (like before, try keeping an E in the bass at all times)
• E – Bmin(7) – E

Pieces in Mixolydian:

• Holst – “The Planets” – “Jupiter”: The famous theme starting at measure 108
• Simply Red – “Holding Back the Years”
• Countless Renaissance and Celtic Pieces
• Sting – Intro to “I Was Brought To My Senses”
• Beatles – “Tomorrow Never Knows” (not all notes are used so it can be argued that it’s not truly mixolydian)
• Beatles -” Got To Get You Into My Life” (The A section)
• Beatles – “Norwegian Wood” (A section)
• Spinal Tap Movie – “Stonehenge” section: the melody played on the mandolin 😉
• Michael Jackson – “Don’t Stop ’till You Get Enough”
• Jimi Hendrix – “Third Stone from the Sun”: the main melody is in E mixolydian

Conclusion

The modes presented here are just 3 out of the 7 diatonic modes. Two of the other 4 should already be familiar to you. They are: Ionian, which is nothing more or less than the major scale; and Aeolian, which is the minor (natural) scale. This leaves: Dorian, which is very similar to the natural minor scale, and Locrian, which is probably one of the least used scales/modes in music (except maybe to solo over certain chords) .

For the moment, you should concentrate on these three modes, and make sure you learn and hear them well before moving on to other stuff. Just like with other aspects of music, you need to build strong foundations. Learning too many scales at a time will only ensure that you play none well.

Try to remember that every mode has it’s distinctive flavor. And it’s usually just one or two notes (intervals) that create that distinctive flavor. It’s these notes that you should try to recognize. For example, if you listen to Sting’s « when we dance »; at first it just sounds like a basic major-scale sound, but then he sings that #4 and everything just changes. Just that one note gives the whole song a different feel and flavor. And this is important: each mode has a different spice or flavor to it, and they often have an effect on our emotions. Movie composers know that well, and have been using changing modes to play with or heighten our emotions since the beginning of cinema.

If you decide to jump ahead and look at other modes, don’t forget about context! It’s good to know what scale each mode is derived from, but remember that if you’re playing mode X (that is related to or derived from mode Y) that you should be hearing an X tonality (try a drone on X), and not Y. If you’re hearing Y as the tonal center while trying to play mode X, then you’re just wasting your time.

As stated before, listening and recognizing are crucial. Record yourself playing different modes and see if you can tell which one is being played and where the characteristic notes are. Also, a good way of seeing if you have understood something is to try to explain it to others. So go and find someone patient (preferably a musician) and see if you can teach them what you’ve learned.

Kitchen Furniture

There is a huge range of dollhouse kitchen sets available, from a few simple appliances to deluxe, everything-included kitchens. You will definitely want to have a table and chairs in your kitchen if you are not planning to add a separate dining room to your dollhouse. Some of the most fantastic dollhouse accessories belong in the kitchen (such as cookie tins for the cabinets and a gallon of milk for the fridge), so make sure you have room to exhibit them.

Children’s Room and Nursery

Few rooms are as adorable and whimsical as a nursery or children’s room. Nurseries, with their sweet baby furniture, will convert your dollhouse into a tiny home. Depending on how you style it, children’s rooms can be lively or tranquil places, and you will love the children’s toys you can add (miniature picture books, little wagons, and even a doll’s dollhouse.

Modern Dollhouse Furniture

There are many types and styles of dollhouse furniture and one of the newest designs is modern dollhouse furniture. Modern dollhouse furniture is designed post 1960’s and has a distinct look and shape to the furniture style. Modern design has a unique feel to it, and we suggest that if you are interested in this route that you plan your entire dollhouse with modern furniture to keep a certain amount of consistency.

Dollhouse funiture Scales: Half Inch

To make sure you are getting the right sized item, check the scale of the furniture. If the scale is half inch or quarter inch, it will say so in the title; all other items are on a one inch scale.

This item is built on a half inch, or 1:24 inch, scale. This means that half an inch of dollhouse furniture represents a foot of dollhouse furniture. This furniture item, as shown in the title, is built on a half inch (1:24) scale.

A good way to determine which scale to use for your dollhouse is to measure the floor-to-ceiling height of your dollhouse. Heights from 8-12 inches translate to a 1 inch scale. Half inch scales will have heights between 4-6 inches; for a quarter inch scale, there should be 2-3 inches between floor and ceiling.

Outdoor Dollhouse Furniture

Adding some furniture pieces to the outside of your dollhouse brings a lot of charm to the tiny home you are creating. Items such as patio furniture and porch swings distinguish your dollhouse from typical ones, and show the pride in details you take. Also, outdoor items accent the beautiful exterior you worked so hard to create.

Dollhouse Green Furniture

Want to make your furniture pop? Try going green Furnishing your dollhouse is about adding your unique style and creativity, and we suggest that a little green can go a long way to add a bit of flare to your dollhouse. We have found that it is the quirky pieces of furniture that we have loved the most, and green as quirky as it may be can really add to your dollhouse experience.

Dollhouse Furniture: Wicker

Who would have thought that they actually make dollhouse furniture with wicker? Traditional wicker furniture is made from vine, bamboo, or other such material. In much of the same way that it is made traditionally, dollhouse wicker furniture is built with wire or very small wood strips. Wicker adds a modern look and appeal to your dollhouse furniture set and we would recommend that it complements contemporary or traditional dollhouse kits.

If there is a huge demand for your product or service, then you can create a business out of it. But can you scale your business? Some businesses are scalable, meaning they can grow income exponentially. Others are not open to growth, but they generate a reliable income which is not lucrative.

Here’s how to know if your business is scalable:

1. Operating Leverage

Businesses that scale have operating leverages. If your business’s operating costs go up at the same rate as your revenue grows, then your business is not scalable. But, if additional revenues need moderately small additions to operating costs, congratulations – your business is scalable!

2. Your Business Is Scalable If It Can Handle a Sudden Increase

Most service-based companies depend on talented employees and customized solutions, which makes it hard for them to handle a sudden increase in new sales or customers. These businesses can’t handle an increase in demand, so they aren’t easily scalable.

For a technology company, its core product can serve millions of customers because you just need to increase bandwidth and hardware to handle an increased load. This company is scalable as it can deal with a sudden influx in clients.

3. It’s Positioned in a Large Market

If your company is positioned in a large market and it can take market share from others, then it’s scalable. However, if there isn’t a huge demand for your core product, then it means that your company can’t scale even though you have a systematic process of producing the product.

4. Is Your Business Systematized to Run without You?

One reason most small businesses are not scalable is because most can’t operate without the owner. So, the business isn’t scalable because the business owner isn’t scalable. If your company needs you and your effort, it’s not scalable. It’s an incorporated career.

For a business to be scalable, it should be able to operate without the owner. This is good for you because you get more time to work on big projects or start new projects.

5. Can Your Business Produce a Consistent and Predictable Result for Clients?

There’s nothing wrong with running a service-based company. The only problem is that it’s difficult for the business to scale because you need a customized solution for each client. A customized solution can’t offer a predictable and consistent result as it’s not repeatable. So, for your business to scale you need to learn to take what you do and produce a process which can be applied repeatedly to offer a consistent and predictable result to different clients.