The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #136682   Message #3123814
Posted By: Mooh
28-Mar-11 - 11:12 PM
Thread Name: No such thing as a B-sharp
Subject: RE: No such thing as a B-sharp
Instructors run the risk of having their lessons taken out of context. I routinely say something to the effect of "Yes, there is such a thing as a B#, but for now, while you're still playing in C, G, D, F, you don't need to worry about it." followed by a quick description of when a B# may happen (if I think the student will get it). Or, "If you're naming the piano keys with basic note names, then you'd only call a C B# in certain circumstances." Etc. An instructor should be careful not to say something as definite as "there's no such thing" if he really has no such knowledge. The problem with those who have no such knowledge is they don't know they have no such knowledge.

Just today I had a private music student swear to me that his high school guitar class teacher taught the class that a C/G chord was a C major and G major chord combined. I hope the teacher was misquoted, but I wrote a definition/description of the chord for the student anyway. It's not the first such report, and not likely the last, so I try to be careful to debunk this nonsense when I hear it.

Peace, Mooh.