Can you learn music theory pretty good on your own?

[KingOvHell]

Or is it something that would be wise to take lessons for? I consider myself i pretty good learner and catch on to things fast. i just bought a book but was wondering if i should just forget about it and call and get lessons.

[Beast]

Personally, what always has worked for me was learning the actual theory by my self off of a book, and then using the lessons to learn how to apply the theory and make it musical, instead of just theory.

[AlphaMale]

I suggest learning it from other musicians, not really from a teacher nor a book, or a school. You can learn the basics of playing music just from talking to people. Find someone really knowledgeable and talk to them a bunch about stuff, that's how I learned my theory, and I know more than most of the people around my town that are self-taught. Books will tell you stuff you don't know, or confuse you most of the time. Once you feel you've gotten a handle on it, you'd might want to take some lessons or classes. The basic stuff is pretty tedious but doesn't require teaching IMO.

AIM message me sometime if you want to learn some stuff. I'm studying music in College starting monday by the way.

[BassChuck]

If you learn on your own by getting the information you need to complete your projects (such as learning how to form scales, how scales and chords relate, what makes standard progressions work, how to write for wind or string instruments etc etc) you will have a clearer and more useful body of music theory in your mind. Practical application of information is a very powerful lesson.

On the other hand, if you learn from a teacher or by enrollment in a course (assuming a good teacher and/or high quality program) you'll have a broader, more complete scope of understanding theory and music in general.

In the end, knowing yourself and how you learn, and understanding the time in your life you are able to give to learning music theory, and your need to have the information will help you go the direction that is most productive for you.

[DocBop]

You can do it but it takes a lot of discipline and hanging with other player who actually know theory to ask questions of. Good to find someone else wanting to learn and work together. Explain what you are learning to each other mean you understand it enough to talk about it.

I would say best is to find a bass teacher who incorporates theory with your lesson. Seeing theory at work as your learning makes it stick and more usable in long run.

[ryco]

I enjoyed learning theory in the classroom because of the discussion factor.
Putting out questions and ideas to see how they fly.
If you are confused or hung up at some point you have someone you can ask. There is probably someone else in the class who is having trouble with the same thing.
Also because other ppl may bring up questions you yourself may not have thought to ask.
And the ear-training factor. It was easier on the ego singing solfége with others who aren't all that great at singing.

Of course it all depends on having a good theory teacher! Check out some Community College courses.

You could just pick up an old used copy of "Harmony" by Walter Piston and answer the questions at the end of the chapters,
and then study Levine's "Jazz Theory" for modern harmony.

[ZonGuy]

All good stuff above.

Music theory was an abstraction until I started playing jazz. Then it became very useful. My real books got heavily marked up from playing combo ensembles in community college. Eventually it all made sense - and, ultimately, my ear became sensitive enough that I no longer needed to lean on the theory, I knew it internally. The things you learn in theory can also apply in music other than jazz very nicely.

If you are going to take ONE course in theory, make sure it is a course in JAZZ theory as opposed to the 4 semesters of conventional music theory some schools offered. In other words, one that is geared towards functionally playing contemporary music instead of of talking about Neapolitan chords.

[JTE]

I wouldn't suggest learning from other players unless you KNOW that they know it. Otherwise you might learn correct concpets, but with totally incorrect applications or terminology. And that can lead to real problems. For example, a guitarist I knew called the minor pentatonic scale "the major scale" becuase it was the main scale he used for soloing. So when I was trying to teach him how to build chords, and told him to take the 1, 3, and 5th of a major scale, he grabbed A, D, and G instead of A C# and E.

Just look how much mistaken stuff gets spewed out here on TBL.

I'd suggest a good basic theory book along with listening and analysis. I highy recommend Edley's t http://www.edly.com/mtfpp.html. Why this one?

A. Because he approaches it NOT from the piano, but as music.
B. He has lots of diagrams that are exactly what I used to give my students years ago (except his are much more legible, neat, and more clear!)
C. He discusses all "western" musics, not just classical or jazz.
D. He includes bass clef in his discussions.
E. It's very clear and very well organized.

jte

[Revvv]

Yes, you can learn on your own. However, in order to get things headed in the direction they need to be, you will have to play with others so you can apply what you have learned. At the same time, ask plenty of questions of those that are skilled above you.

You don't need a teacher for everything, but they sure do help when you have the right one.

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by ZonGuy

All good stuff above.

Music theory was an abstraction until I started playing jazz. Then it became very useful. My real books got heavily marked up from playing combo ensembles in community college. Eventually it all made sense - and, ultimately, my ear became sensitive enough that I no longer needed to lean on the theory, I knew it internally. The things you learn in theory can also apply in music other than jazz very nicely.

If you are going to take ONE course in theory, make sure it is a course in JAZZ theory as opposed to the 4 semesters of conventional music theory some schools offered. In other words, one that is geared towards functionally playing contemporary music instead of of talking about Neapolitan chords.

+10 I studied Jazz/Modern harmony first and it relates to what you are playing so have lots of current examples to check out. I later took some traditional harmony and most the time it was a matter of learning different labels for things. What's the saying... Everything old become new again.

[Lorenzini]

Originally Posted by AlphaMale

I suggest learning it from other musicians, not really from a teacher nor a book, or a school. You can learn the basics of playing music just from talking to people. Find someone really knowledgeable and talk to them a bunch about stuff, that's how I learned my theory, and I know more than most of the people around my town that are self-taught. Books will tell you stuff you don't know, or confuse you most of the time. Once you feel you've gotten a handle on it, you'd might want to take some lessons or classes. The basic stuff is pretty tedious but doesn't require teaching IMO.

AIM message me sometime if you want to learn some stuff. I'm studying music in College starting monday by the way.

Rarely is a good music teacher NOT a musician, so there goes your whole theory. Also, you say the basic stuff is pretty tedious but doesn't require teaching.. Oh god, THIS is the reason there are so many musicians without a clue of basic theory. It becomes painfully obvious which musicians truly understand the basics, and which ones do not.



Back to the OP's question:

I would relate it to something like trying to learn advanced math on your own with no teacher or advisor.

I totally recommend jumping into the books and learning yourself, but a GOOD teacher can put you on the right path, rather than you figuring that path out through trial and error and much hair-pulling.

[ryco]

I'm glad to have studied traditional harmony first and then into "modern" harmony.

The trad stuff set up a nice fundamental foundation of labels and guidelines, so when the modern harmony took things a step further, I could understand where the composer was coming from.

Traditional harmony is only a scholastic year of study. One has a whole lifetime to explore this stuff! No hurry!
Second year dealt with more modern harmony, mostly from the teacher himself, seeing as Levine's book wasn't put out 'til '95 (Piano book '90).

[DudeistMonk]

If you don't want to spend all that cash on bass lessons to learn theory basics take a class at Community College, or audit a class through your alumni program or something. I did that and then started taking bass lessons to apply it all, its been working pretty well.