Interpretation of Theory

[Belgian Spice]

So I've been playing for a few months and I've been basically learning how to read bass clef and i have that down pat even though I still have some trouble regarding the different rhythms; sometimes they get tricky if I don't hear the song. Anyway, now I'm getting into theory and understanding music so that eventually I can make my own music and sit down without my bass and write a piece of music. My question is this: I understand the major chords and minor chords and I can pick them out in songs and I know the intervals for certain songs like when I play a blue song I recognize the interval patterns and can point out C maj. E min. B dim. whatever...but how does this relate to being able to play my own music in the future? How do I take what I know and convert it to useful information towards my own individual playing. I guess I just don't understand yet how chords and everything are relevant and how they'll improve my playing in the future. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated ... thank you

[Zombbg4]

Hey man, i'm not nearly as knowledgeable as Janek, but i do know that knowing chords have everything to do with playing your own music in the future. That's how your write music, chord progressions. Chord progressions ARE music, every tune ever can be matched with a chord, therefore making it chord related/based. This will have to do for you untill the Janek, the MAN, gets a chance to answer.

[Snarf]

What you need to do is start at the beginning and work your way to more advanced harmonic concepts. If you don't even understand that chords and harmony are the basis of western music, then you have some major studying to do.

[bass349]

To get you started before Janek jumps in, i always get my students started with major scale diatonic harmony. Ie, the chord/scale relationship, and how the diatonic chords are built of the different modes of the major scale. Learn them up to the seventh degree (ie, Cmaj7, Dmi7, Emi7, Fmaj7, etc etc). Once you get a handle on that then maybe take a tune like autumn leaves and figure out whats going on with the chord sequence.. label them using the the mumbering system. It will all build from there... I'm sure you can figure this stuff out by yourself, you could probably google everything i've said, but if you don't already it may be worth getting a teacher or friend to sit down with help you through it.

Andy.

[janekbass]

when you're talking about expanding you harmonic knowledge in order to use those tools to write your own music, i suggest you do some of the following:

1. listen to simple songs that really touch you musically, and figure out what chords are being used.

2. write down these chord sequences and work on playing them in all keys.

3. write new melodies over these chord changes and take a look at where they take you compositionally.

4. work on transcribing slightly more complex chord sequences to expand your command of the way harmony functions.

5. take small passages of songs and use them as pieces of a musical jigsaw puzzle. put them together with other short passages from other songs you've transcribed and start to mix and match them until you start hearing things you like.


all of this may sound a little haphazzard, but learning about harmony is really not something I want to write down as a theory based exercise. If you're looking to use harmonic tools to expand your composition then you should get into the mode of writing things that you hear, rather than writing something you learnt from a book. And in order to start hearing things that are original you must first check out what came before you, get a good working knowledge of harmony in your ear, and go from there. Then you'll start to hear things that you want to use to form your own compositions. And do forget that MELODY and FORM are the two most important aspects of composition!!!

easy,

Janek

[Belgian Spice]

Thank you Janek and thanks to everyone else too!