Was my teacher a fraud?

[India_Sierra]

Why don't you contact the school and see if he ever attended as a student? Being discreet, of course. I'm not sure if the state data protection law will allow for that, but most educational establishments take a dim view of people trying to piggyback their reputation if they never actually attended! Alternatively, if you're not afraid of losing the tuition of this teacher, why not just outright ask him? The information this thread alone should be enough to equip you with the knowledge that surely any Berklee grad would be at least able to read treble clef.

Where the grey area may be, is that he does not feel confident in teaching treble clef and may be out of practice with reading it. But if that were the case, wouldn't you just say so?

 

[sean_on_bass]

I've played with folks who graduated music programs who were not the best readers or had other deficiencies in their playing/knowledge. Likely because they didn't have a need to exercise the skill since graduation or didn't want to. Personally, i wouldn't give a poopie if my bass teacher couldn't read treble clef well as long as they were teaching me valuable information otherwise. Also, being a skilled musician doesn't necessarily make you the best teacher. Teaching is a skill in and of itself.

 

[basscase666]

I just remembered something else peculiar about this teacher. He said several times that the bass was different from a regular guitar because basses are tuned in fourths, while regular guitars are tuned in fifths. I was always puzzled by that statement because I played regular guitar before picking up the bass, and except for the B string, regular guitars are tuned the same way as a bass.

 

[Lee Moses]

I just remembered something else peculiar about this teacher. He said several times that the bass was different from a regular guitar because basses are tuned in fourths, while regular guitars are tuned in fifths. I was always puzzled by that statement because I played regular guitar before picking up the bass, and except for the B string, regular guitars are tuned the same way as a bass.

Are you sure he wasn't comparing bass to violin? A violin is tuned G, D, A, E; i.e., the exact opposite of bass.

If he did say guitar and didn't just misspeak, I highly doubt he graduated from Berklee or any other college of music.

 

[Lownote38]

Trombone often uses tenor clef.

Cello uses a movable C clef. I had to be able to read that on bass in music school. I don't know of any music program that doesn't include piano as part of the program. Without reading treble clef, your right hand would be lost on a piano.

 

[Lownote38]

I just remembered something else peculiar about this teacher. He said several times that the bass was different from a regular guitar because basses are tuned in fourths, while regular guitars are tuned in fifths. I was always puzzled by that statement because I played regular guitar before picking up the bass, and except for the B string, regular guitars are tuned the same way as a bass.

I'm starting to think your teacher only went to a Berklee summer session and that's it. I mean, wow!

 

[Spin Doctor]

I'm starting to think your teacher only went to a Berklee summer session and that's it. I mean, wow!

LOL.

 

[Spin Doctor]

Personally, i wouldn't give a poopie if my bass teacher couldn't read treble clef well as long as they were teaching me valuable information otherwise.

If you're just a student, how can you determine if what you are taught is valuable?

 

[sean_on_bass]

If you're just a student, how can you determine if what you are taught is valuable?

Good question. For bass playing, i would argue the teaching is valuable if it is actively helping you conquer measured/identifiable challenges on the instrument. For a beginner, that could be picking up on a new song or exercise that you couldn't play before, or playing in a certain area of the fretboard, or learning how to arpeggiate chords, etc. Also, students come from all levels of playing, so many might already know a bit about playing and are not totally ignorant. I've played for 20 years and still consider myself a student, personally. I would gladly take a lesson from a player above my level.

 

[murph7489]

There is no way you can get through any music major in ANY university or college without knowing how to read treble clef..You wouldn't be able to pass freshman music theory...I think unless you got all A's in every other class that F in theory might get by but then you have to take more theory and I just can't see it being possible to do it without at least a basic level of knowing it..I mean its actually easy..every good boy does fine? right..or face?..if you know those two phrases then you can read treble clef...no way did he graduate from Berklee or any music school that is 4 years..