Dick... I know I'm right, so what you say doesn't matter a jot!! ;o)

Whilst I agree that there are good teachers and bad teachers, it is arrogant and insulting to sound off in such a way when you have merely a difference of opinion to express and wish to score points at someone else's expense - which, may I say, you are not exactly unknown for doing around these parts. It's not the first time you've tried to 'push my buttons', and I doubt it will be the last.

Now, if you haven't something to say which is of some immediate use to our OP, please butt out gracefully and leave those of us who are genuinely trying to help to do so.

I swapped teaching to be a sound engineer, and I find both jobs have one thing in common... twonks who know your job better than you do... but seldom really do. A teaching certificate is a legal document... an indication that the holder has achieved a measurable level of education to a required standard. It means the holder isn't just having a go at teaching (those who can, do, those who can't, teach), but is properly trained.

Admittedly, there is an intangible quality that some really inspirational teachers have that other mere mortals do not possess, but to cast aspersions on the teaching certificate could be considered libellous...


Don - right on the button!! It applies equally to all skills, be they musical, driving a car, flying an aeroplane... and we know how disastrous poor technique would be to the latter two!

Talking of right hand technique, I've always taught my pupils to put their hand in a position as if they are jolding an imaginary tangerine, and to pluck the strings as if tightening up a wing nut. This avoids the problem of thumb and fingers clashing, and is exactly how respected classical players such as Segovia, Bream and Williams play. Nobody dare question their technique...

Interestingly, I was once talking to a harp teacher who was intrigued that, although I'd never played the harp, I was attempting to pluck the strings correctly. I explained about the wing nut thing and guitar students, and she was delighted - it hadn't occurred to her to use that analogy, and vowed to add it to her armoury immediately!!

Unfortunately there are lots of people out there with faulty technique who believe that it must be okay because they are doing it. However, those who teach the correct technique do so because many painstaking hours of research have been done, and we wish to share the fruits of our labours with those willing to take advantage of it.