Hubris:
Someone asked me if an accidental applied to all the octaves in one measure, or only that note. I quickly answered: all. It's what I've always done, in 20 years of arpeggios. My questioner looked very disappointed. He had previously argued strongly for the other camp.
Turns out I was wrong. Went home and looked up the rules on the gold standard of accuracy (wikipedia). But I was curious as to why I was so sure of my answer. I started asking other musicians. Most fell into the same trap I did.
I wondered what the reason was for this oversight. Looking through my old music, I began to see the new patterns. What I thought to be courtesy to the musician was actually a rule to the system. I selfishly had thought that everything on that sheet of music was for me, and that those markings were no more than a helpful reminder of my own personal rules. Maybe they still are. Wikipedia fails too, right?
But at least it sparked a question: when does a courtesy become a rule? I know I often do inconvenient things to be polite. But when we saturate our lives with these rituals, will we have the freedom to take back the habit? How will society react when we realize, while eating out in a large party, that waiting for all the food to arrive before eating results in n-1 lukewarm servings? and that, in casting shame on the eater of the last piece, we require vigilance at the dinner table, all eyes open for the penultimate portion?
I wish I could think of examples that don't involve food. That would give this matter more weight :)
Questions of the Day: Did you know about the octave accidental rule? And what are the stupidest manners you still do? Or that you're fighting?
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