On bad habits that occur among those who play instruments

Summary

Since I am an instrument maker, I am obliged to receive all sorts of persons in my shop. Some come to see and hear my products, others come to buy, and thus I have the pleasure of seeing all sorts of people play, and of witnessing all the grimaces and postures that are affected. Many people are not careful about these things, and the masters who instruct cannot be observing very well, as their students must be doing as they are taught. I, however, note everything but tell them nothing. I used to speak freely to them, but I realized that some of them took it ill, so I have restrained myself from taking this great liberty, and I have decided to do my speaking on paper. Perhaps people will not be so readily offended by this as by the spoken word.

Sometimes a foppish young man will come to me to request a good harpsichord or spinet. Thinking to perform marvels, he is more careful to turn his head, to see whether I appreciate what he is playing, than he is to pay attention to what he is doing. And to make himself heard, he makes more noise beating time with his foot than does the instrument he is playing. Others behave much more comically, playing half of a trill in the air and the rest on the instrument.