Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum funny things students say

Oh, that is just wonderful!

Define "DC al Fine"....
7YO student wrote:
Go back to the begging and play until you see the word fine.

cute little blonde 5 year old boy sat down at the piano yesterday for his lesson. He checked his reflection in the glossy cabinetry finish of the piano, ran his fingers through his hair, and said, "Oh I forgot to comb my hair today. Is that O.K.?"

"But isn't B flat major the one with the sharps in it?"

- 11 year old girl

... you mean, it isn't?!?!?

When trying to help a student plan which days to practice, I asked him if he will be in town over Labor Day Weekend. He said "Yes, but I won't be able to practice because I'll be fasting". (He's a nine year old boy.....he was talking about a blood test that he had to get, and would just be fasting overnight). :-)

I figured this out last night:

A# B# Cx D# E# Fx Gx A# (enharmonically). I'd love to see that as a key signature!

It's not unusual to have double flats in the key signature, but I admit I've never seen a double sharp!

I was being cheeky. I do bet that this kind of thing might come up in advanced music during a series of modulations where some of the double sharps would be in there as accidentals.

You've seen key signatures with double flats? I think I've heard of the possibility. ... Hm, I'm wondering if this is in the context of music written for brass, because of the kind of intonation you get on that instrument. In brass, am I right that something like an A# and Bb (not necessarily those notes) might differ, with one easier to get than the other?

I have seen key signatures with double flats, but only in wind ensemble music, usually German (they use a lot of flats anyway).

The most common examples I can think of offhand were Db minor pieces.

You don't have to "figure it out." Just continue adding enharmonic keys around the circle of fifths - so you pair Gb and F#, Db and C#, like usual, but then just keep going - Ab and G#, Eb and D#, Bb and A#, F and E#, C and B#, G and Fx (!), and you can even keep going after that - D and Cx, A and Gx, E and Dx, B and Ax, F# and Ex, etc, etc, etc. For example, Dx major consists of Dx, Ex, F#x, Gx, Ax, Bx, C#x, Dx - the same notes as E major (or Fb major, or Gbbb major, but those are another thing altogether.)

If you can sightread in Dx major, you are way ahead of me.

I think I would use a fine point felt tip and write the notes on my finger nails, then never move my hand.

Polyphonist, your post constitutes a type of "figuring it out", even if honed into a brief procedure. It's still figuring and calculating. It may not be so for you -- you might just have all the double sharp scales memorized. But if you're determining the notes of the double sharp scale on the fly from another scale, then that's still "figuring it out."

There's a great deal to be said for knowing more than one way to figure something out. So while your method may be useful, it's also useful to know other methods.

I don't know if I could do that. Maybe very slowly.

I love it!

Or just take A major (3 sharps) and lift it all up one half by adding 1 sharp to all notes

Our piano teacher recently has been helping my 9 year old to explore different styles of music, in addition to the classical.

On our way back home, I asked "Classical, Jazz and Pop", which one do you like more? "Let me see..... I would say Pop", he replied, "you know, I like 7 Up"

Awkwerti Bass: when the left hand starts playing Alberti bass in a piece that doesn't call for it. A student came up with that maybe 2 years ago and I still giggle about it.