Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Key Signatures

I have this pet peeve.
I can't stand it when people completely ignore key signatures. If they just forget and play a wrong note but realize their mistake, that's fine with me. But you just don't completely ignore the few sharps/flats at the beginning of the bar!
 I am in the Sinfonietta Orchestra of our city youth orchestra, which I am not very proud to say. And, somehow, someway, I got into 6th chair and I don't know why. True, I did not do well enough in the chair tests to get either the 1st or 2nd chair but I did not do bad enough to get 2 chairs behind the one person who had to start over a couple of times to get it right. 
Anyway! I can't stand it when people play an F natural in the key of G major. You just don't do that! Every musician should know that the one sharp at the beginning of the bar means that when you come to an F, you play an F# unless you are told to do otherwise! And if you are hearing half of the cellos disagreeing on a note, I suggest that you make sure that you are right! And if not, take out your handy-dandy pencil and make a mark. and maybe do to all the F#s in your music!
We are in such easy keys! No more than two sharps or flats in all of our key signatures! I know that everybody in this orchestra is capable of playing the right notes. If only they would try.
So, if you ever start any kind of musical instrument that reads music, please take note of the sharps/flats at the beginning of the bar. And if you don't know what they mean, find out.

*phew* Glad that's finally out of my system. Now I can stop complaining this to all my friends and family!




Gracenotes

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