Steve Lukather: The Biggest Lie in Music

I sort of agree. I think another big lie in music is that ear training and/or ear ability is not valuable. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

 

Absolutely.

 

100% spot on. Knowledge is power, I write music now that I never dreamed of and it’s because I took lessons and learned theory. It open a huge door in my mind and allows me to be creative on levels I’d never thought of even ten years ago. Like anything put in the time and you’ll be rewarded

 

My regret is I didn't play when I was younger, I didn't start until 12 years ago

 

I wish I had decent ear ability, It's something I'm working on right now

 

Steve trying to pass that off as his own hair is the biggest lie in music. My grandma had that same wig. Cost her about forty bucks.

 

THAT'S the biggest lie in music?

Hardly.

 

"You should record that!"

 

It seems to me, that if he PAID for that wig, it IS his own hair.

 

When I read the introduction to the article I was already preparing an argument against it but; after reading it and giving it some thought, even being “self-taught” I have extensively used lessons, whether it be Ed Friedland’s bass method books, SBL or random information from here, to great effect. They may not be traditional teaching methods but they have helped me get a lot further than I could get alone and theory is language that makes the concepts understandable.

I won’t agree with him on Tablature though. I can read music but Tab gets me going quicker and allows me more time to learn the important stuff; like why those specific notes work together.

 

No, there's absolutely not. But neither is the end all or the be all. You can know a lot of theory but be lost in an improvisational situation if there's a key change and you don't have the ear to hear where others are going.

This is starting to be a pet peeve of mine here. If I were still into starting threads around here (I'm not) I'd start one about this. Why don't we value ear development?

 

Ear training is of no value to those looking to package and sell "theory."

 

Sounds like you've been studying the right things

We have another thread here somewhere about a member playing a sub show where he didn't know two songs. I think that ear training would have probably given that guy an edge that a lot of other people might not have had. Knowing by ear where to go when the unexpected happens is what makes some subs worth what they demand.

 

Seems like an attitude exclusive to rock and roll. I mean most (all?) of my jazz heros had at least some formal training. Certainly all my classical heros. I never played in a latin group where the leader didn't have a solid working knowledge. The notes on the page are lingua franca in bands where half the guys don't speak English and the other half don't speak Spanish.

 

Dissin' the study of music theory is just another manifestation of envy/intellectual laziness.........akin to the current day predilection to trash expertise/ intellectual pursuit in general. What is often said of science can also be said of music theory....it "works" whether one understands/ believes in it or not.

 

Ear training was a big part of my formal training. Particularly in Europe they teach a lot of sol-feg sight singing. String players, vocalists, wind players... How do you think they play in tune with 60 other people?