• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Is music theory important?

#421
It is much better to have a written map than having someone else teach you the thing orally.

you know the telephone game ? the first person say something to the second person and that person repeat what the first person said to the 3d person etc ... and at the end ( no matter how many people there is ) the message is completly different.

with written map everyone will have the same info and future generation will have the right info.
 
#423
JimmyM said:
What makes you think they have to mutually exclusive? Only people who have had no theory training say that.

Obviously there are people who know no music theory and they manage to be good players, but they are few and far between, and they had to work a lot harder at learning music and how it works. The vast majority of people who don't learn music theory end up not being able to make sense out of music beyond a handful of chords and a riff or two, and they stick their instrument under the bed until their future spouse makes them sell it.
Click to expand...

I think that pretty much describes me up until now. I have been told I play well in our church worship band (chord sheets are right in front of us), but put me in a group that knows how to play and I have a hard time trying to figure out what to play other than the roots and some 5ths. Hopefully my learning theory will help me improve in this way.
 
#424
YES.......You can be fastest driver in the race,but if you do not know where the truns are you will crash........

Think of music as a language and theory as grammar
In order to make since out of a conversation you have to learn proper Grammar.
Now how much of that you need is up to you....most muscians can tell how skilled or what level of muscian your are by your muscial Grammar...
unless your born a composer and have perfect pitch or an Idiot savant,I would say learn as much theory as you can.....
Now having said that...there is another side... music is an form of art and you want to keep as much soul into it as you can , you don't want to become a schooled clone. so there is a thin line...lots of knowledge out there so I say learn what you need and protect your creativity and soul so you can become,,,,,YOU
 
#425
And what are the rudiments of modern music theory? what good books would you recommend to self teach?
for me music theory is simply harmony. What other aspects do you say?

I really would like to understand and apply this, simply because i think widens a lot more the spectrum from the limitations of normal tension/relaxation harmony (maybe is just snobism, and pretension):
http://www.amazon.com/Lydian-Chroma...ydian+chromatic+concept+of+tonal+organization

But i dont pass beyond 7th chords, dont really now how to play in modes, and locate tonal centers.
I think great musicians are born, and know the rules intuitively, as an average, the only thing one can do is study the basics, to improve beyond playing roots.

Is there a web seminar or web instruction camp, pay or free, to learn the basics of harmony? My harmonic analysis abilities really suck.
 
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
#426
I was actually just talking to my friend about this on Sunday and we were trying to figure out how if subliminally the music theory we've learned when we began playing our instruments actually still affects us or if it's just been forgotten.

Off the top of my head I couldn't repeat really any music theory that I learned for years while taking lessons, but depending on the person and how they work, sometimes people absorb the concepts of music theory and they subliminally apply it. I guess in reality though everyone subliminally applies it when playing whether or not they've even learned about it.

I think it's just one of those things that can be argued either way, but I really don't think it's going to hold you back from going places unless you want to maybe play in an orchestra and even then I think you might still be able to squeeze by without it.
 
#427
Snowman19 said:
...but I really don't think it's going to hold you back from going places unless you want to maybe play in an orchestra and even then I think you might still be able to squeeze by without it.
Click to expand...

When I played in a symphony orchestra I used zero music theory. I read my parts and played them. I don't consider reading music to be music theory; I consider music theory to be the foundation of harmonic analysis of a piece of music and the art of choosing chord substitutions and various scales within the tonality inferred by the chord changes.

I used my long-term study of theory extensively in jazz, quite often in prog, sometimes in blues and rock, rarely in bluegrass, and never in classical performance.
 
#428
Theory is there, as soon as one offers words about the structure. What theory matters? Theory about pitch is common. Much of it matters. Theory about rhythm, and processes that get at growing one's understanding, -this is critical. and often neglected.

I made a sabbatical video series (and more) to share with players and teachers:

It is free.

RhythmMeterWorkshop.com
This is a new learning site containing 40+ short (3 – 8 minutes each) video lessons, 20 or so drum track play-alongs, a user/me dialogue forum, and a few pages of text about practicing and process. New video lessons, guided in part by user interaction, are posted weekly.

I suggest looking through the Lessons Library first. The newest videos are called ‘Subdivision Basics in 4/4...’. These are being used by my ear training, improvisation, and ensemble students this semester. There are many lessons of many levels, -for improvisers primarily, although there are many hours of work for musicians of any style. And the lesson library will continue to expand to cover time-building regardless of style.

I’m hopeful this is something that is of use to musicians in your circles. I welcome any and all feedback.

Best,

Josh


Dr. Joshua Davis
Director of Jazz Studies
Susquehanna University
joshuadavis.org
646.229.6776
 
#431
FretlessMainly said:
When I played in a symphony orchestra I used zero music theory. I read my parts and played them. I don't consider reading music to be music theory; I consider music theory to be the foundation of harmonic analysis of a piece of music and the art of choosing chord substitutions and various scales within the tonality inferred by the chord changes.

I used my long-term study of theory extensively in jazz, quite often in prog, sometimes in blues and rock, rarely in bluegrass, and never in classical performance.
Click to expand...

It's true that when all you have to do is read a part, that's all ya have to do. I played upright bass in an orchestra, too, for about six years. Never had to analyze the harmony. But the conductor once mentioned to the violins to play those flat thirds just a little flatter to make sure to discern them from major thirds even more. At that point they had to understand what that meant. Of course, there can be other instances where knowing theory is helpful, or just interesting within the context, if you know it.

I've also played jazz gigs where all I had to do was read the parts all night. Theater gigs, the same.

But, I strongly believe in knowing the basics of theory, including rhythm as well as harmony.
 
#435
If you're going to put effort into playing the bass, why not learn some music theory? Otherwise, there really isn't much to work on except technique. How can you be a musician if you don't know understand music?

As others mentioned several times, a little really does go a long way.
 
#438
You know it's actually hilarious how if you search any other forum for advice on this topic you get the exact opposite replies. People will endlessly go on how Hendrix, clapton, McCartney and the list goes and goes saying they didn't know any theory, they couldn't read music and it is actually going to make you worse if you learn theory because then you will be trapped by all the "rules". I have so much trouble explaining theory to musicians I play with because of that mentality. I don't know maybe it's just us bassists that have a craving for theory because our role, like a many have already pointed out earlier, needs us to learn theory in order to reach full potential as musicians.
 
#439
Do you want to understand what you are hearing? Do you want to be able to describe what you are hearing to yourself? Do you want to know what are the elements that make it sound that way? Do you want be able to quickly and succinctly relay this information to fellow players?

Do you want to be able to voice chord progressions in a really smooth and good sounding way? Do you want to understand good counterpoint? - works really well in building interesting bass lines!

Super ultra necessary to be a good musician/player? No. But worth learning if you want to know the "ins & outs" of your craft.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back