11 Comments

1. 
   cjwrightoboe

   November 10, 2008 at 8:10 pm

   That is the most creative-looking B major scale I’ve ever seen!
2. 
   timdowd

   November 11, 2008 at 8:19 am

   Do you suppose he did that because of the octave in which the scale was written?

   And at least he’s not a slave to convention…:)
3. 
   Patty

   November 11, 2008 at 8:31 am

   I dunno, Tim. He did write them in exactly the opposite order of appearance, as well as doing the wrong octave on some sharps. It sure is odd. But it caught my attention, and I’ll have to take more “lessons” from this guy. 😉

   Gee … this time I’m getting an advertisement first. Do others get that too? Ugh.
4. 
   timdowd

   November 11, 2008 at 9:09 am

   Fat Cats Go Drink Allen’s Egg Brew

   A little dated now, but that was the mnemonic I was taught by one of my piano teachers (one of the few I’ve ever actually retained, in fact).

   For the flats it was just that BEAD thing (followed, of course, by the last three – QL and 7).

   For some reason, my kids have always hated the way I sing the alphabet song (not counting having to listen to my voice, of course) – “A B C D E F twelve…H N…something…Q…”

   Oh, and I got the advert the second time around as well – defiantly annoying.
5. 
   Patty

   November 11, 2008 at 9:12 am

   I never learned he mnemonic for the sharps and flats. Maybe I’ll think of something clever for my “kiddos”. Maybe not. (I’m not feeling terrible clever!)

   My dad used to recite:

   Thirty days hath September, April, June and no wonder, all the rest eat peanut butter except grandma. She rides a bicycle.

   Hmmm. I miss my dad. 🙁
6. 
   timdowd

   November 11, 2008 at 9:13 am

   (It’s actually even more fun to conflate the alphabet song with twinkle – “A B C D little star, how I J K LMNO are…)
7. 
   nordogs2

   November 11, 2008 at 12:02 pm

   Hi Patty, I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while, but have never ventured a comment before, but I just had to offer the mnemonic I learned in my pre-oboe days, when I was taking piano lessons.

   For the sharps: Father Charles goes down and ends battle.

   For the flats, a simple reversal: Battle ends and down goes Charles’ father.

   And now I have to go do battle with a couple of sections of Beauty and the Beast that have just way too many sharps for this amateur oboist, and that I have to conquer before Thursday.
8. 
   Patty

   November 11, 2008 at 12:05 pm

   Thanks “nordogs2”! I love those. Even with this old brain I might be able to remember them. 😉
9. 
   Patty

   November 11, 2008 at 12:10 pm

   PS Have fun with Beauty! I’ve played it twice. It’s a toughie!
10. 
    Bill Brice

    November 12, 2008 at 5:29 pm

    What do you use to help remember how to spell “Mnemonic”?
11. 
    Patty

    November 12, 2008 at 11:41 pm

    The dictionary.

    Duh. 😉