11/08/2024
Time to get busy here.
I was just on a Reddit thread, where somebody ran into an arrangement that had two different sets of chords with no explanation of why, and one of the sets of chords was either a Bm7 #5/D or an Em7 #5/G. The problem is that a minor augmented chord is not a thing. Minor augmented chords do not exist. I won’t bore you with the proper nomenclature, it’s something you’ll learn from me if you want to learn theory, but there are a couple of ways to interpret that, and it should be written accordingly. (Ok, it should either be a Bmb13/D or a Gadd9/D)
The point is that I’ve had too many students come to me for lessons with bad habits and bad information. This is not only frustrating for both teacher and student to correct, but specifically bad technique and ergonomics can cause physical damage to muscles, tissue, and tendons.
The result is students who get discouraged because we have to tear their technique down and rebuild it. I’m pretty good at that because I’ve had to do that myself, but it means the student has wasted a lot of time and money and isn’t as far along as they could be.
Please take from someone who knows their stuff. Ask questions like “why do we play it this way” or “does this technique have a name” to find out how knowledgeable your instructor is. Don’t be too hasty, us ADHD folks need a minute to put our thoughts together, but if they repeatedly can’t answer your questions or don’t value your curiosity, look elsewhere.
I teach in the Woods Cross, South Salt Lake, and Sugarhouse areas. Please message me if you’d like an introductory lesson.

