Locks 'n Keys

How To Play Piano Chords By Ear

Having been in the music industry for well over 30 years, I have met many “play by ear pianists” who have great talent, however who’s relationship with their piano sadly originated in the wrong fashion. They discarded a golden rule in learning how to play piano chords by ear and as a result had been restricting their own piano playing skill. Overeager to learn to play piano chords they quickly learned the progression of three primary piano chords related to a specific pitched key, normally that of the key of C, and hampered by ignorance with regard to basic fundamentals, they lack ability to proceed beyond that point. Generally not in favor of learning sheet music notation “play by ear” musicians often fall victim to the said practice. Yes, there is indeed a right way and a wrong way of going about learning how to play piano/ chords by ear. A person who is serious in becoming a skillful pianist should strive from the very beginning to learn to play the piano in all twelve different pitched keys, as well as becoming familiar with the progression of at least twelve different piano chords in each pitched key. Yes, it is indeed possible, however, only by commitment and lots of practice, meaning that the student determines his/her own success. Contrary to the pianist capable of playing from sheet music notation, the play by ear pianist, totally dependentable on his/her auditive perception, needs to be suitably equipped for the task of playing the piano. It can be compared with driving a motor vehicle. In order to get the engine to start and perform its duties, there needs to be fuel in the tank. Likewise, a piano requires fuel in order to perform at its maximum efficiency. Well. . . not exactly the same type that one would use to fill up your car’s tank. The fuel I am talking about in this case is better known as: piano chords. Yes, metaphorically spoken, piano chords are the fuel required by the piano in order to fire on all its cylinders. Once the driver has started the vehicle, he steers it into motion and he submits to his senses detecting as to when to switch to which gear and he enjoys a pleasant journey. The same principle applies to playing piano chords by ear. Acquaintance with the basic fundamentals of western music, enables one to start off at the right point and to submit to one’s senses detecting as to when to switch to which chord and lets you enjoy a pleasant music journey. Question: How should one start learning to play piano chords by ear? Answer: Start off by familiarizing yourself with the layout of the piano keyboard. Tips:*Set yourself a long-term goal as to what you want to achieve. *Break up your long-term goal into a specific number of daily goals. *Endeavor not to deviate from this goal. Learning the piano keyboard: *Learn the names and arrangement of the 7 natural notes/keys of the C major scale e. g. ascending: C-D-E-F-G-A-B and descending: B-A-G-F-E-D-C *Use masking tape and a marker to label each key with its note name. Once you are familiar with the note names the masking tape can be peeled off without leaving residue. *Learn the repeating octaves e. g. C-D-E-F-G-A-B-[C] or: E-F-G-A-B-C-D-[E] etc. – ascending and descending. *Learn the names and the functions of the 5 modifiers (black keys) ? sharps/ascending and flats/ descending. Sorry I don’t know how to format the “sharp” and “flat” symbols so that it shows up here. *Start each practice session by running your fingers over several octaves, ascending and descending, every time covering a full Chromatic scale. *Practice frequently! Be on the lookout for more tips on how to learn to play piano chords by ear. Good luck!

Make Your New Home Secure

The excitement of moving into a new home may cause many necessary steps to be overlooked when it comes to preserving you and your family’s safety. Never consider yourself completely moved in until you have done the following:

- Change all locks and inspect doors

You don’t know who has copies of your keys. The former owners may swear that they were the only ones to hold copies, but who knows? Someone could have made copies without their knowledge. Many respectable people have less than respectable friends and acquaintances who may have taken advantage of their trust. Change the locks or at least have them re-keyed so that you don’t have to wonder who may have access to your home.

This is also the best time to make sure that your doors are all in good working order. Make sure they are up to withstanding a determined assault from someone who has decided that they’re getting through that door. Nothing can keep someone out indefinitely; you are looking for doors that will make it hard for a criminal to get into your house without alerting you or your neighbors.

- Introduce yourselves to your neighbors

People are more likely to look out for the property and possessions of friends and friendly acquaintances. Get to know your neighbors as soon as possible to establish friendly relations with them. You may have introduced yourself when you were first home hunting; now is the time to cement neighborly bonds. Invite your neighbors over for a housewarming barbecue or dinner.

- Repair, replace or install security features

All lights should be in good working order, concealing shrubbery trimmed back, fence repaired or replaced, doors checked for fitting, and security systems installed. Do a walk through and note things that someone bent on entering your home uninvited might use to gain entry. Think like a home invader. Few ideas are ridiculous ? home invasions have happened down large chimneys, via trees and large shrubs.

- Inspect windows and glass doors

Do a thorough check of all windows and make sure that they are installed with good locking mechanisms. You may want to go so far as to replace your windows with tougher glass if they are single panes. Some people find they sleep easier with attractive metal grillwork over windows on the lower floors; if that is your choice, choose a manufacturer and installation that treats the grillwork as a home security addition as well as decoration.

Sliding glass doors can be a security nightmare if not properly housed and fitted with locks. Make sure that there are strong locks and anti-lift devices installed. Glass doors that serve as an entrance to the house should have tempered glass and strong housings. Consult a security specialist if you have concerns about glass doors and home security.

Although you’ve got your mind on moving and getting your family settled in their new home, home security should be a priority. Some time spent making your new home secure will be well worth it, not only for the safety of you, your family and your possessions, but also for the safety of your neighborhood and community by establishing a friendly network among neighbors.

Tips on Beating Stress

Your body knows instinctively that stress ? physical response to a psychological overload ? hurts. And it’s not only the mega doses of angst that goes along with death, divorce, unemployment and job change that take a toll, but the everyday stress of traffic gridlock, appliance breakdowns, family fights and late dinners with over cooked vegetables lead to stress related health problems ranging from hives to increased risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and brain tumor.

There are ways to beat stress, but you have to put your organizational skills to work and learn how to relax despite it all.

Eliminating the Morning Rush

The night before, know what you’re going to wear tomorrow and check everything for spots, missing buttons. Fill up the car with fuel

Put the coffee on and set the timer so that when you wake up in the morning, the java’s ready and you can savor that first steaming cup without waiting.

Get up early. This gives you time to exercise, walk the dog, pack a lunch or just take some quiet time for yourself.

Set the clocks ahead 5 ? 10 minutes, then forget about it. You’ll worry less about getting off on time.

Post reminders on the bathroom mirror or refrigerator so that you don’t forget things like your lunch sack, gym bag, appointment book or briefcase.

Survival Tactics to Get Through the Day

Take breaks. Take 15 minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon. Get up, walk around, stretch. If you stand on your feet all day, sit down, read the newspaper and enjoy a glass of cold water or fruit juice.

Walk at lunchtime. Like other aerobic exercise, it’s a great stress reliever. Walking a mile or two with a buddy makes it go faster and gives you both a chance to talk things out.

Don’t try to do too much at once. When things pile up, take them one step at a time. Before you know it, work projects will no longer seem overwhelming.

Have duplicates made of any items you’d be lost without ? like your car keys, eyeglasses, list of important phone numbers. Anyone who has ever locked their keys in the car will appreciate this tip.

Get a cordless phone and take it with you when working in the garage, the yard, or your suntan.

Take a walkman ? and your favorite tapes along when you expect a long wait in the doctor’s or dentist’s office.

Be creative when dealing with stressful people. If you can’t avoid them, try to maintain control in all encounters. Don’t let time wasters sit down in your office or they may never get up. Direct the conversation to keep them from getting off on tangents.

Approach everything with a sense of humor. Even when things go wrong there’s a humorous side. Share a joke with a co-worker; make a funny face at someone. Laugh at yourself.

Learn to say ‘no’ and ‘I’ll get back to you’. If someone insists on an answer, tell him or her you need some time. Or just say no, if you don’t want to consider a request for a favor or a social invitation.

Winding Down in the Evening

Invest in an answering machine and refuse to answer the phone when you’re eating or busy. An answering machine lets you screen calls.

Make exercise a part of your life. Working out is the best stress reliever. Lift weights, get on the stationary bike, jump rope, go for a run.

Don’t drink or eat in excess. Too much wine or beer will make you groggy and drain your energy. You’ll fall asleep earlier but will probably wake up in the middle of the night. Late dining packs on the calories and causes a stuffed, uncomfortable feeling or indigestion, which interferes with restful sleep.

Indulge yourself for at least an hour every night. Read a good book, watch a DVD, soak in the Jacuzzi. Devote time to a favorite hobby.

Focus on the positive. Avoid the nightly television news. It’s usually loaded with negatives, causing sensitive people to lie awake, worrying about things they have no control over. Think about the pleasant things that happened during the day. Drift off to sleep while listening to a relaxation tape or classical music.

Allow yourself to make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect and what seems like a disaster today will hardly be remembered next week. By next month it will be forgotten. If you offend someone, swallow your pride and say, ‘I’m sorry’.

Keys of Forex Swing Trading

Swing trading is an easy to learn and implement method for the new Forex traders, as it provides opportunities to earn big.

The object behind swing trading is to watch and grab the responses of the Forex trends that lasts for long.

It has abundance of trade opportunity to trade and it gives instant idea about the correctness of your decision. It is an easy method from the traders’ psychological end, because the traders have stop levels, bit losses and returns earned instantly.

The success of swing trading depends on the ability to spot valid support and resistance levels on the Forex charts. The tactful implementation of the price momentum indicators in order to transact indicators in sequence with moves in price momentum helps to get successful swing trading.

The swing traders always trade with the confirmation of the price momentum signals to twist up away from the support and resistance areas and execute the trading according to the signals.

Merits: It is easy to learn, fun to trade, it holds lots of trading opportunity, profitable and psychologically easy. Always keep in mind that you do not just trade with hope or guess and it’s good practice to use price action.

Thus, four keys to be successful in Forex swing trading are spot support and resistance areas, analyze the price momentum, signal selection and stop reverse on breakouts to take quick profits.

This trading style applies the formula of hit and run while making positions in the Forex trade.

In this trader should take the profits soon that means before the testing of next support and resistance levels.

Use a Keylogger to Get Back a Stolen pc

A long and incredible story, I get back my stolen computer by a keylogger!

I have 2 devices in my house, one is used for my work, and the other mac laptop is in my children’s room. Taking into account their online safety, I think parental control is necessary. At last, I got a trial of one type of mac keylogger. It can record all keystrokes typed on any application and capture the desktop screenshots, then secretly send the logs to my email. So checking emails becomes a routine.

It was a normal day. After I finish the task, I opened my email and checked the new information as usual. It was an email from the Mac parental control software. The email showed clearly the websites visited, chatting messages and netgame screenshots. When I read the message of my 12-year-old girl, I smelled something. She was talking with a guy every late night during the past November. Am I too paranoid? I love my children and I would like to take any measure to protect them. I must be clear about the overall situation. But I was in the trial period and only 3 days left. After so nice a trial experience, I bought the keylogger service without hesitation, so I could get continued emails from the software.

However, it never rains but it pours. The next day, a thief came when we were out. Loss was huge including 2 computers, one digital camera and bucks. I called the police, and they brushed me off. Obviously they had handled so many such cases. In these days, home burglary is on the rise. As to the thief, there was no clue. I never expect that I can get back my stolen computer one day.

Two days after the burglary case, my office computer hinted me getting a new email when I was bargaining with my client. The data in the email really astonished me! A guy swanked his big affair and loot to another. It was the thief! He must be using the computer which I had installed parental control software that sent his information without his knowing. I consulted the software manufacture, asking about if I could receive the logged keys and screenshots by email as before, thanks god they replied me timely that I could start receiving the emails with the screenshoots and logged keys again without having my computer back if the computer is connected to Internet. In the next days, I received some emails uninterruptedly, then I handed over this evidence to the police. The anxiously waiting days were so long, but the burglars eventually get caught and arrested. I got back of my property.

That’s all the surprised accident, I must appreciate the software after service and their sound quality products. Owning to them, I can minimize my loss as well as catch the criminal. However, it’s not the end. Kids online safety still bother me. I need to rely on the parental control software for helping me keep an eye on my children .

I’m telling you this story, maybe it makes you a sense of keylogger. If yours is PC, installing a remote spy software could be beneficial some day.