Music Theory helps playing

[Sylash]

Music theory helps you understand music itself and composition, it is useful and not mathematical. Having a musical ear and playing by ear is one thing, but if you go back to the roots of the composers, without theory there wont be composition itself. All music you can say, is based on theory. Playing by ear and all that are just the application to it.

Theory is part of a musicians' tools; just like the way you pick, your gear, etc.

Why not use every tools in your arsenal? The more tools@your disposal, the more choices you'd have. And more easier it will get with your music playing.

Learn anything and everything you can. Even if it's boring or you think you'd not need that particular tool. You never know.

Agreed. Practical = Theory = Equally important.

 

[Cheez]

i feel that too much music theory will cripple your hearing and feel. One might tend to think of notes in a mathematical way instead of paying attention to how it sounds like.
IMO, hearing ability > music theory

Not true. Theory without proper application may cripple, just like many things. Theory is never about maths. Theory applied expands the horizon greatly. And with theory (applied), "hearing ability" expands as well. You can't really dissociate the 2.

 

[truelove]

I'm glad i started this thread in Nov/Dec last year and it has come a long way with all of you contributing to the discussions and people can learn by reading the whole series of threads, it's really beneficial i must say. Thanks to pf, Cheez and a few others (sorry if i forgot to name you) who pushed the topic up a few levels.

And good examples of Tommy Emmanuel and Jimi Hendrix were brought up.

Well, for my experience, just to share, there is this Argentine composer named Astor Piazzolla. (go youtube his song: Libertango) i read from wikipeida that he was a student of the late Nadia Boulanger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadia_Boulanger), one of the best theory teachers in the world who is able to bring out the best of eash student. Piazzolla, being trained in classical theory brought his compositions to her (kilos of symphonies and sonatas) and he was ashamed to tell her that he was a tango player in a night club. and the story goes....

Today Piazzolla is known as one of the best tango composers.

So, my point is that knowing music theory can develop music 'music' regardless of genre into astronomical heights, especially in composition and practical playing as well.

when i started this thread, i was Grade 7 and now i am preparing for my Grade 8 for the october exams.

all the best, hope this helps

 

[AEnimic]

Reading this thread demoralises me so much. I know so little theory...

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

At least knowing a lil bit of theory is better than knowing none! Helps me in improvising!

 

[AEnimic]

There's such a thing as knowing nothing about theory? I mean, the least someone should know is the note of each string/key right? That's considered theory too?

 

[trickstop]

Knowing theory doesn't always mean you can compose well. What is ESSENTIAL, is really a good ear. Then you can play what you hear in your head. Take people like van halen for example, who know no theory, yet having a good ear helps to hear what notes go over what chord progressions, and slowly knowing where these notes can be found on the guitar and how to use them.

Knowledge without creativity is dead. You always hear people boasting about playing 'from the heart' and knowing 0 theory. It just means they've been blessed with a good ear, or have done a lot to improve their ear so that they can hear the music they want to play without first trying to playing it, and then they make it happen.

 

[coolhand]

van halen knows no theory ?? that's a first...

Edward Van Halen is a son of saxophonist/clarinetist father Jan Van Halen
Eddie learned to play the piano as a child and has won many different talent shows...

i wonder how he learn to play the piano and won talent shows and knowing no theory...
hell...his stuff is being taught at GIT, MI....

the thing is the "cool" "rock" musicians ...guitarists in particular ie Slash for example..were actually schooled musicians..with a background in theory,harmony,etc...Slash scored a distinction in music in his high school...that's probably one of the subjects he pass...hehehe

bottomline...if you seriously wanna make a career in music..maybe doing session work for example..having the extra "tool" certainly helps...the studio producer would probably ask to play something in a certain key and the progressions would be like a I, V, VII of that key...so knowing this is really useful..

as some fellow members have told, knowing how to sight read is only a certain aspect of music theory...there are still lotsa other things to learn and apply...

 

[trickstop]

whoops my mistake, must've got that off a shady website. how about jimi hendrix for a better example then. the need for a good ear still stands though.

 

[coolhand]

agree that a good ear is essential...

hendrix....well..he is god..totally different from us mere mortals...
nevertheless..he is notorious for his perfectionism in his studio work..

 

[lester_music]

When I play with musician with NO theory knowledge, they tend to argue that it is not necessary...

Problem they have : cannot communicate if they wanna put a musical idea across, they tend to use words that does not have enuff details or accuracy in telling the other musician what they want...

When a note fall on a usual off beat or when a song changes time signature halfway, it is easier with theory to know what is happening...To the person don't know theory , it may sounds kinda funny or special but for a person who knows, he immediately know what the composer did to get that mood or "effect"

Theory is not totally needed to play music, but it act as a support for you to understand what is going on, why like these and like that...

YOu know what is going on in a song, what kind of notes are use to generate
what kind of mood, what kind of feelings etc....

Unless you have SUPER SUPER good ears and I have not really met anyone like that....

I read a book by an american blues sessionist, he claims that even to play blues, you better know some theory unless you have ears like a satellite dish...HAHAHAA.....

 

[slumdogmilonaire]

theory is very important as its will help to broaden your playing.. especially for improvisation & originals. you can spice your music up..