Do you need music theory?

[quickfix]

Good to have when working out arrangements with band mates.
A quick understanding of various theoretical nuances can lead to smoother practice sessions, with more playing rather than trying to get your point across to someone who, through no fault of their own can't keep up technically.

 

[Russell L]

This subject always creates an argument. All I'll say is that if you learn some theory you'll be amazed at how it helps you out.

 

[IamGroot]

I play jazz and I play walking lines mostly by ear but theory was the training wheels that got me here.

I dissect jazz solo transcriptions using theory and learn cool stuff everytime i do this exercise.

If you want to maximize the benefit of theory, you should know where you are in real time in terms of scale degrees and tonality - great advice from a pro sax player.

 

[Chasarms]

This guy does okay. Watch this video through the end. It captures the essence of the question perfectly.

 

[IamGroot]

This guy does okay. Watch this video through the end. It captures the essence of the question perfectly.

Id agree that its about the feeling first. But i keep my tools in the front seat cause i am always pushing the boundaries. I automatically reach for D lydian or Dmajor pentatonic over Bm7 cuz i figured it out with theory and now its part of my thing. I hear that.

I think Vic Wooten is a great bass player and a wonderful person. He started out playing young and hard to develop his ear on his own. If you dont have 20 years to duplicate that, music theory can be a shortcut to get you there faster.

Again, I love Vic, but when he says there are 14 major keys and 14 minor, I just let it go.

 

[IamGroot]

Wes Montgomery was a fantastic jazz guitarist with a lot of very sophisticated harmonic ideas both for solo and accompaniment. Definitely worth studying if you want to get outside the bass neighborhood.

Wes taught himself soloing by listening and exploring. Didnt now any theory per se but he could pickout and play a part automatically. After years of hard compulsive work, be had developed his ears and toolbox , do he didnt need theory.

"Theory is a tool for compensating for shortcomings in our musical ear."

 

[stringtapper]

Again, I love Vic, but when he says there are 14 major keys and 14 minor, I just let it go.

15 of each, actually (30 in all). And he’s right. There are three key signatures that have enharmonic equivalents.

 

[IamGroot]

15 of each, actually (30 in all). And he’s right. There are three keys that have enharmonic equivalents.

You are right on the 15 and the enharnonic, but there are only 12 keys plus however many enharmonics you want to count.

Do you look at the lug nuts on a car tire and say there are 96 of them?

 

[stringtapper]

You are right on the 15 and the enharnonic, but there are only 12 keys plus however many enharmonics you want to count.

Do you look at the lug nuts on a car tire and say there are 96 of them?

If you have to read a piece in D-flat major and then the same one written as C-sharp major I promise your reading experience will be different.

Your second sentence doesn’t make much sense. Is the question how many lugs are on the tire or how many lugs are on *the car*?

(Hint: “the car” answer is the proper analogy for what we’re talking about in terms of enharmonic keys, i.e. the totality of the musical system)

 

[IamGroot]

If you have to read a piece in D-flat major and then the same one written as C-sharp major I promise your reading experience will be different.

Your second sentence doesn’t make much sense. Is the question how many lugs are on the tire or how many lugs are on *the car*?

(Hint: “the car” answer is the proper analogy for what we’re talking about in terms of enharmonic keys, i.e. the totality of the musical system)

Yes, it is the correct analogy, but dont take my word for it. Go ask someone in college music department.

And yes, there are enharmonic keys that you need to sight read, esp with Stevie Wonder and big band charts.

 

[stringtapper]

Yes, it is the correct analogy, but dont take my word for it. Go ask someone in college music department.

I tried your suggestion by talking to myself in a mirror but it felt silly.

 

[Mario Afonso]

I know music theory, but can't think while I'm playing, so I just use my ears and taste.

Maybe my ears and taste are set this way because I know music theory...

 

[TreySonagras]

 

[Droopy_TX]

Theory and experimentation are not mutually exclusive concepts.