# Google Doodle Debussy goof **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-doodle-debussy-goof/666942 "2013-08-23T03:14:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-doodle-debussy-goof/666942/1 "2013-08-23T03:14:38Z")
Go to [Google.com](http://Google.com) and listen to the lovely Clair de Lune. But what’s that bad note? A flat sign on the C seems to have been missed by the player. This wrecks the chord; not to be a snob, but I can’t believe Google used this version to honor Debussy. (0:56 in the video version captured [here](http://youtu.be/XQXgB8uenRQ)) ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-doodle-debussy-goof/666942/2 "2013-08-23T04:35:53Z")
I heard more than one spot where that version did not match what Debussy wrote. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-doodle-debussy-goof/666942/3 "2013-08-23T05:10:44Z")
Thank you for pointing this out… I had previously enjoyed what I thought was a wonderful piece, but now I realize it was utter crap. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-doodle-debussy-goof/666942/4 "2013-08-23T05:22:29Z")
> [@Briny\_Deep](#): > > Go to [Google.com](http://Google.com) and listen to the lovely Clair de Lune. But what’s that bad note? A flat sign on the C seems to have been missed by the player. This wrecks the chord; not to be a snob, but I can’t believe Google used this version to honor Debussy. > > (0:56 in the video version captured [here](http://youtu.be/XQXgB8uenRQ)) Probably because, unless you are really good with music and have the music in front of you or have heard it many, many times, you won’t notice it. It’s not as if Google is known for employing musicians. Heck, I don’t even hear it. Nothing sounds messed up. The chord sounds perfectly pleasant in that impressionistic-way. Plus, this recording is probably public domain, perhaps even from Wikipedia. If the latter, I’d assume that people would have replaced it by now if it were messed up. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-doodle-debussy-goof/666942/5 "2013-08-23T12:21:26Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > Thank you for pointing this out… I had previously enjoyed what I thought was a wonderful piece, but now I realize it was utter crap. Well, it’s not utter crap - I like the rendition very much, actually. It _is_ a “wrong” note, when compared to the manuscript, and it surprised me since the work is pretty well known and Google’s a pretty big company. But there seem to be exactly two people on the Internet who noticed, so never mind, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-doodle-debussy-goof/666942/6 "2013-08-23T12:43:15Z")
> [@Briny\_Deep](#): > > Well, it’s not utter crap - I like the rendition very much, actually. It _is_ a “wrong” note, when compared to the manuscript, and it surprised me since the work is pretty well known and Google’s a pretty big company. But there seem to be exactly two people on the Internet who noticed, so never mind, I guess. Definitely not utter crap. Maybe that comment was irony directed at the poster? I sometimes miss irony. That was a simplified version, too. I have one in my Easy Piano book that even I can play. It leaves out a looooot of notes. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-doodle-debussy-goof/666942/7 "2013-08-23T14:05:18Z")
That was the alternate version, aka “Clear the Saloon.” ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-doodle-debussy-goof/666942/8 "2013-08-23T15:07:19Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Definitely not utter crap. Maybe that comment was irony directed at the poster? I sometimes miss irony. Not irony… sarcasm. And it was meant in a fun loving way. I’ve been here long enough to realize that someone will detect the one note out of several hundred (thousand?) and point out there is a flaw.