Your Theory-Sense Revealed

[b to g is yummy]

How do you rate your level of theory knowledge as it applies to your bass playing? ie scales, key sigs, etc.. Also, if your in a band, rank how 'pro' your band is.

Your Theory Level: 0 - 10
[ 0 - total ear player, what is theory?
10 - knowing every scale like the back of your hand]

Your Band 0-5
[ 0 - meaning you aren't in a band, or what you have can't be called a band ,
5 - You're in a band with a major record label, touring extensively, very popular or should be ]

I'll go first
MTL (my theory level): 3/10
Bad! I know a couple variations of the major scale I think, thats about it. I learn songs by ear, using the patterns I've learned by observations of what's comman in my genre. The middle hunk of my fretboard I have to think to figure out what notes I'm playing, if for some reason I want to know..ie tell my guitarist what note I'm playing

MB (my band): 2/5
Original band, ages 18-22 have played under a dozen shows over 3 years, currently rebuilding do to lead singer quitting, moving guitarist to lead vox and adding an additional guitarist. We're never set foot in a studio, hoping to record first studio demo around december. fan base limited to mostly personal friends at this point.

[Dogbertday]

theory level- 7/10
I know what I'm playing and I can effectively read chord charts well. I am studying music in college as a jazz studies major. I have enough knowledge to play effectively. however I still have lots to learn and I think that the last 3 points are very difficult to achieve.. I plan on being an 8 or hopefully 9 by the time i'm done with school

for the record.. scales aren't even a sliver of theory. It's all about the chords baby.

My band- 3/5
I'm refering to my main band at the moment and we're mildly popular in the state, and have a great reputation with the other bands. We play out at least once a month and play our set pretty tightly (well as tightly as heavier punk is supposed to sound)

[MrBorisSpider]

I'd give myself a 5. I can't sight read, but I know my scales and modes and how to generally apply them most of the time. I'm not a theory-machine, though.

[aikakone]

I could conduct a symphony, and have already done so with bands/wind ensembles and choirs. That comes more from my music education background and not specifically my bass playing. I use a different "mind" of music when I'm playing bass. I use a LOT more ear and feel, but I know the theory behind it.

[Deacon_Blues]

I think I have a pretty good theory knowledge a bit over the average (5). Yet it's far from the knowledge of a seasoned jazz musician (10) so I gave myself a 7/10. In the general instruction forum I guess I can give sort of an answer to most questions, and can follow most of the more high-flying discussions. I just don't always answer, because describing theory phenomenons and other stuff isn't always easy, especially in a foreign language.

Band: 2/5 - I play in a couple of bands which gig occasionally.

[namraj]

Theory wise i'd go 8/10 as I have learnt grade 6 theory but not done the exam and have done grade 5 and got 1 mark of a distinction, I know all my scales, modes, cadences and how chords and keys work together, in my previous band i was the go 2 guy for musical content rather than just song content.

band wise i'd go 3or4/5 I am in two bands, one a professional wedding/function band, the other a original material's band that have just come out the studio and are starting to build a really solid following (1,835 myspace views only having a very basic instrumental track uploaded) also i have lost the go 2 position in this band as our pianist is ATCL (diploma in piano) and has a grade 8 in some sort of horn and our drummer has two grade 8's (drum's and piano) so they're alittle ahead of me in their theory.

[bradjonesbass]

Theory - 7 or 8/10 - two years of harmony/theory in college, serve as musical director on occasion at church (if the worship leader is out and we have one of the singers who isn't schooled musically "leading" worship). Always looking to keep learning.

Band - 3/5 We handle our business and work fairly regularly, though by no means full time.

[joelc1319]

Theory Level 9/10 - college music student, I don't really have a choice but to know it all...:P I definitely utilize and pay attention to voice leading and harmonies when playing bass.

My Band 4/5 - guitarist is a jazz pianist as well, and we are on the same level theory wise, and the drummer knows theory as well.

[Dave Muscato]

Check out this thread:

How good are you at bass? (Poll)

and here:

... so, how good are your EARS? (Poll)

P.S. This probably belongs in General Instruction rather than Bassists.

[JimmyM]

My theory knowledge is good enough to conduct a symphony, though I never have. But I have written string and horn arrangements for popular music before, so I think that counts for something.

I'm good at what I like to call "working theory," I know most chords, I can sightread pretty well, I have great hearing and perfect pitch (though age is starting to take its toll on my perfect pitch), but I can't remember which mode is which without going through the order, and I have a hard time with remembering musical terms.

[Solarmist]

Originally Posted by Dave Muscato

Check out this thread:

How good are you at bass? (Poll)

Thanks Dave - Thats the one I've been looking for ... again - I remember reading it some time ago - it gives you a good idea where you really stand - everyone should check this one out.

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by Dogbertday

for the record.. scales aren't even a sliver of theory. It's all about the chords baby.

Heh... just you wait. Couple more years of college, some work in the trenches with a variety of bands, maybe some grad school or dedicated self-study complete with exposure to a variety of non-jazz or non-pop musics...and you'll look back on this statement and laugh at your own naiveté.

If scales are a sliver, chords are a splinter. The real trick is to see the whole tree.

[joelc1319]

Originally Posted by Hoover

Heh... just you wait. Couple more years of college, some work in the trenches with a variety of bands, maybe some grad school or dedicated self-study complete with exposure to a variety of non-jazz or non-pop musics...and you'll look back on this statement and laugh at your own naiveté.

If scales are a sliver, chords are a splinter. The real trick is to see the whole tree.

While I agree, I think neither is more important than the other. It's about the interaction between the scales and chords that's important.

However I guess that's what the "whole tree" means...

[dj150888]

My theory level - 3-4 I know quite a bit but I don't really know the correct names for a lot of it. I know what'll work, what won't but I wouldn't be good at explaining to others

My Band - 4 - On an indie label with worldwide distribution, playing international gigs with original material and a couple of releases under our belt.

[DudeistMonk]

My Level - I said 6, college music theory 101 got a B, used to read fairly well in HS, but not so great anymore (don't really need to anymore). Need a lot more practice to get to that machine like level of applying the theory to bass on the fly.

My Band - None Auditioning and jamming right now, wasting a lot of time with non dedicated people, I'm sure you guys know how it goes.

[ryco]

I'd say my level is 7+. Two years college theory. Some arranging buddies run circles around me. I can follow what they're saying enough to be able to discuss stuff with 'em.

I couldn't score a symphony or band, but know chord/scales well
I continue to study theory here on TB, on the net and books like Levine's Jazz Theory
Voice leading, counterpoint and analysis contributed to my bass lines; definitely to songwriting and vocal harmonies.

I rarely play with people who can discuss much theory.

[DocBop]

Since it takes about 10 years of playing to really get your act together you could use that as your scale. It would apply to an ear player as well as a schooled player.

[E2daGGurl]

You can conduct a symphony without knowing chords on a particular instrument the way one would expect a musician to know.

I'd say if you know music theory well enough to teach graduate level (or professional) classes in it, you're a 10. I know a couple of people like that. They aren't bass players, though.

Scales and modes are easy - that's beginning music theory, to me, along with keys and signatures, rhythm. It's the chords and their progressions and the way songs get structured using chords (not scales) that is more advanced and difficult to understand.

I'm of the functional harmony school of music theory, which is usually taught after people learn the elementary ways of understanding scales and keys. I'm working very hard to know immediately how to compose any chord on the keyboard and then transpose that to my fretboard - slow going (keyboard part is easy, transposition still hard). So, I'm saying that a keyboard player with the same amount of music theory is not as good at theory as a string player, yep, that's what I'm saying.

[winstonthecat]

I would say 4/10 on theory...I know chord structure pretty well, decent on scales, and getting better on modes. My rhythm sight reading is barely adequate, but the notes aren't there.

In the band level, 2/5. I play in two bands, but only modest bar gigs once a month or so.