Using theory for different genres - university presentation

[woopscner1]

Hi guys,

Im currently planning a presentation based around what general theory rules are used in different genres. Im not a big theory user myself, i just play what feels right, so i was wondering if there was any typical scales / techniques used.....
any help will be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks in advance
Dan

[RhinoBass]

Yiikes,

That's a lot like saying "I am doing a presentation on the varied uses of water and air in different situations". Seriously, there's so much there that you should narrow it down. Maybe the use of the ii-V-I or the use of the I-IV-V throughout different genres of music.

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by woopscner1

Hi guys,

Im currently planning a presentation based around what general theory rules are used in different genres. Im not a big theory user myself, i just play what feels right, so i was wondering if there was any typical scales / techniques used.....
any help will be greatly appreciated!!Thanks in advance
Dan

This came to mind; Bob Brozman: The Evolution of the 12 Bar Blues Progression

Then there is a paper that goes into detail on the Beatles music. Perhaps someone will give you a link to that.

[woopscner1]

Thanks for the quick reply guys, im aware its a very broad topic, but thats the aim of the presentation....and i dont know anything about theory or scales to be honest, say if you were giving pointers to a new musician in a given genre, would you suggest certain scales or playing style/incorporating chords etc.

[Roscoe East]

Originally Posted by woopscner1

Im currently planning a presentation based around what general theory rules are used in different genres.

A minor quibble, but it might make the difference in how your presentation is perceived (I'm presuming this presentation is for academic credit in some higher institution's music department, right?)

Theory rules (sic) don't get "used" in musical genres; they're a tool for post-compositional (or post-performance) analysis. Attempting to create music based on music theory rules is putting the cart before the horse.

So a more accurate way of describing the process is to say you want to examine what general theory rules different genres exemplify, or adhere to, or perhaps follow.

Or perhaps you'd want to pick some common music theory conventions and then identify how those are universally found across different genres?

See the difference? It might be mostly semantic, but to a music professor especially it makes a difference.

[Groove Master]

Originally Posted by woopscner1

Hi guys,

Im currently planning a presentation based around what general theory rules are used in different genres. Im not a big theory user myself, i just play what feels right, so i was wondering if there was any typical scales / techniques used.....
any help will be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks in advance
Dan

In western harmony i would say that almost everything can be played with 5 scales and its modes:

Major scale, minor harmonic scale, minor melodic scale, Blues scale (maj&min) and pentatonic.

If that can help you out a bit,

[miguel master]

And posts like this is why I joind TB!!!!
Learning things like this.

[woopscner1]

Thanks for the replys guys, and Roscoe East, good point, i didnt mean set in stone rules, i just meant standards that are generally used =] I have a feeling that my presentation will be more on how there is no given rules, apart from say the typical walking blues lines, funk octave bass....which again, dont have to be used.