You can play your ass off, but why can't you explain the theory? - Page 4

quiqueguitar · 03-04-2010, 06:07 PM

Learning music theory is not essential to play music. It isn't even necessary. But you can only profit from it. I had always been reluctant to learn it, but when I did, my musical perception changed completely.

It's like learning a language. You can understand it and speak it, but not until you learn to read and write will you be able to get much better.

Parralax view · 03-04-2010, 06:22 PM

"I've been playing for 18 years, I have no knowledge of music theory whatsoever but that doesn't prevent me from being in bands and playing the music I love. I'm not going to write boring Vai-style solos, not gonna attempt to play jazz. My extent of music theory knowledge is "I'm tuned to dropped B, tune your bass down and let's go."

The purity of your musical direction is laudable, however, somewhere in the future, if you want to advance as a player and get past dropped B and power chords, you'll have to have some type of musical vocabulary that extends past that, someday, work or lack of might actually hinge on that ability.

A better comparision would be, I probably couldn't hang with your band with the drop tunings and such, but you couldn't hang with me...neither is better, but it would be better if both knew each others territory and could walk there freely.

jase · 03-04-2010, 07:54 PM

wrong post

Clifford D · 03-04-2010, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jase

Your the second one in as many days to say the same thing,hmmm,must be catching.

I think he/she was quoting the post you're thinking of. See the quote marks.

boyda · 03-04-2010, 08:13 PM

I'm all for theory, but it really needs to be utilized in a practical manner. It doesn't do a musician any good to know modes if he/she doesn't know how to utilize them effectively while playing.

Clifford D · 03-04-2010, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boyda

I'm all for theory, but it really needs to be utilized in a practical manner. It doesn't do a musician any good to know modes if he/she doesn't know how to utilize them effectively while playing.

Learning theory is entertainment, talking about it is entertainment.

I mean, I look at the floor and I know it needs sweeping,
still my guitar gently weeps.

ModeMan20 · 03-19-2010, 11:51 PM

I've found theory a real help. Learned in my first few years of playing, and it's quite practical. Helps me come up with compositional idea (hmm, maybe the relative minor here), solo, and arrange. But I know it's not for everyone.

Most people's biggest complaint seems to be that it takes the "feeling" out of music. That's never been the case for me.

Lander · 03-20-2010, 04:11 PM

I play 1 year now and I haven't really learned a lot theory till now. I do realize that it's important if you want to write your own songs.. Guess I'll start soon with some theory.

Cobalt · 03-20-2010, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clifford D

I teach guitar/bass/music at a local high school. I remember my first day in the jazzband class. Flutes, clarinets, saxes, trombones,,, all dressed in colorful pastels, these are the recruits from concert band. And then, the other side of the class, all dressed in black, the guitarists and bassists. There's no doubt that metal was/is their passion. Some of the students could play their asses off, three students stand out, all had big single note shred chops, not one could play chords with anything but powerchords. No understanding of music theory and application.

This is the way my friends learned (shred first) and it was part of my experience till I was 27 when I couldn't hang with a band because I couldn't read charts or talk shop. So I went to college, and then the real work started after college when I had time to apply all that schooling to my guitar and the real world.

So what is your experience with playing and goals for understanding music theory and different styles?
What do you want from theory and playing??

A few years ago my daughter had a friend drop by. He was in high school and had a nice tricked out squire. His influence was Steve Vai. He played solo after solo and went and down the fret board with ease. He then launched into the litte intro to I Walk The Line. I asked him what key it was in. He looked at me and said "what's a key"?

I think a better question is why do you know everything about theory and scales and modes without even thinking but you can't play a worth a damn? Lot's of that going around too.

Budda · 03-20-2010, 05:58 PM

All things need to find their balance.

03-04-2010, 06:07 PM	#31 (permalink)
quiqueguitar Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 27	Learning music theory is not essential to play music. It isn't even necessary. But you can only profit from it. I had always been reluctant to learn it, but when I did, my musical perception changed completely. It's like learning a language. You can understand it and speak it, but not until you learn to read and write will you be able to get much better. __________________ http://www.myspace.com/quiquebonal http://www.youtube.com/user/quiquebonal

03-04-2010, 07:54 PM	#33 (permalink)
jase Do what thou wilt. Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,283	wrong post Last edited by jase; 03-04-2010 at 08:04 PM.

03-04-2010, 08:13 PM	#35 (permalink)
boyda Spiny Norman Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,595	I'm all for theory, but it really needs to be utilized in a practical manner. It doesn't do a musician any good to know modes if he/she doesn't know how to utilize them effectively while playing. __________________ Without music, life would be an error.

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03-04-2010, 06:22 PM	#32 (permalink)
Parralax view Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Honolulu, Hawaii Posts: 1,393	"I've been playing for 18 years, I have no knowledge of music theory whatsoever but that doesn't prevent me from being in bands and playing the music I love. I'm not going to write boring Vai-style solos, not gonna attempt to play jazz. My extent of music theory knowledge is "I'm tuned to dropped B, tune your bass down and let's go." The purity of your musical direction is laudable, however, somewhere in the future, if you want to advance as a player and get past dropped B and power chords, you'll have to have some type of musical vocabulary that extends past that, someday, work or lack of might actually hinge on that ability. A better comparision would be, I probably couldn't hang with your band with the drop tunings and such, but you couldn't hang with me...neither is better, but it would be better if both knew each others territory and could walk there freely.

03-19-2010, 11:51 PM	#37 (permalink)
ModeMan20 Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 21	I've found theory a real help. Learned in my first few years of playing, and it's quite practical. Helps me come up with compositional idea (hmm, maybe the relative minor here), solo, and arrange. But I know it's not for everyone. Most people's biggest complaint seems to be that it takes the "feeling" out of music. That's never been the case for me.

03-20-2010, 04:11 PM	#38 (permalink)
Lander Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 18	I play 1 year now and I haven't really learned a lot theory till now. I do realize that it's important if you want to write your own songs.. Guess I'll start soon with some theory.

03-20-2010, 05:58 PM	#40 (permalink)
Budda Plank Spanker Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 292	All things need to find their balance.