How many of you know music theory?If not,do you feel limited

[ouroboros]

I would love to have a deep understanding of theory and become proficient with an instrument. I feel as though the creative spark is not what I lack, but the tools to build on it. I'd kill for enough time and money for a piano teacher and some theory classes.

[strav100]

The Walter Piston books give a good grounding in classical harmony/counterpoint. Schoenberg's is heavy and technical (and verbose!) but goes into harmony at an almost crazy depth.

[jackson]

Tell you one thing for sure; when I have a kid, I'm sending them to jazz school instead of classical.

let's hope when that time comes you let them choose

I highly doubt any kid of mine would choose classical over jazz. But sure, I'll give them the illusion of choice

[afreshcupofjoe]

"Music theory" and "music reading" skills have very little to do with each other. I don't feel that being able to read music or not in this day and age will make much of a difference. For a professional musician who does gigs in jazz groups, orchestras, pit bands, or for weddings or events it is very important. You have to be able to learn and interpret lots of music quickly and on the spot. But for the average producer or musician making music at home, or playing in a rock band with friends it is not important. Most of the guys who got famous doing this stuff don't know how to read music either. Notation is just a way of communicating with other musicians, and since technology has created many other ways of doing that, as well making it easier for solo musicians to do most of the work themselves, notation is becoming less and less relevant.

Music theory on the other hand is a whole different story. I am of the opinion that the importance and relevance of music theory is usually very personal thing. I couldn't live without it. I'm a very technically minded person and it's just how my head works. I know a lot of people that would probably be much better musicians if they would just learn some theory. It also, like notation, helps you to be able to communicate with other musicians easily. It's nice to be able to tell your bandmates that you are playing a A7 chord with a 3-4 suspension than try to spell out all of the notes, or even worse, show them the frets or keys. Even better yet, given that chord you will already know how different combinations of notes will sound over it, and you can easily pick out the notes you will use to construct a melody that is appropriate for the genre or mood you are trying to create. Some people think that learning music theory will make them think too much inside the box, but this is complete nonsense. If you actually follow theory past the basics (which CAN seem rather limiting) it will open up many doors and make you think about and understand music in ways you never would have without it.

However, there are some great musicians who just never really get theory. It just isn't how their head works, and for them it probably will never really matter. So I guess it's a personal thing.

For most genres of music I'd say that knowing music theory is great, but it isn't entirely necessary. Film may be an exception though. Because you have to know how to write for different moods and generate certain emotional responses or suspense in certain parts of the film, it seems like it would be very important to know your theory. This is exactly what theory is good at doing: it helps you create exactly what you want when you want it.

[Hink]

Tell you one thing for sure; when I have a kid, I'm sending them to jazz school instead of classical.

let's hope when that time comes you let them choose

I highly doubt any kid of mine would choose classical over jazz. But sure, I'll give them the illusion of choice

my kids seem to choose drawing over music and I can't draw a straight line ...but art is art...

[bduffy]

I would love to have a deep understanding of theory and become proficient with an instrument. I feel as though the creative spark is not what I lack, but the tools to build on it. I'd kill for enough time and money for a piano teacher and some theory classes.

That's totally how I feel. The biggest reservation, though, is finding a good teacher and not wasting my time and money.

I do feel somewhat better after reading on Thomas Dolby's blog that he cannot read music and has little-to-no training, just like me. I was floored. Listening to the complex jazz chords he favours and layered arrangements, you'd swear he knew all there is to know about theory! At the end of the day, you can't beat raw talent.

[kaden]

Theory is pretty essential if you aspire to actually play with other musicians.

Efficient communication, doncha know.

The agony of watching the guitarist teach the bassist a song the 'first string, second fret 4 times, then second string, fourth fret twice' method is likely the reason a lot of musicians develop substance abuse issues.

[nuffink]

At the end of the day, you can't beat raw talent.

Yeah you can. It's easy. Raw talent backed up by a solid knowledge of theory.

[Hannes_F]

When I was a kid I had a big band but no sheet music for it. So I took swing jazz arrangements, put them on tape and tone per tone, notated them. It was tedious and I can not tell how often I had to rewind. It did not help that I could not really play the piano and did not even know the bass key first. Really crazy jazz chords, and nailing down that third sax was not easy at all - but I succeeded finally.

This time has served me much because later on conservatory I just had to learn the official names for what I heard and knew anyhow. So yes, I have a theoretical background but listening was first. It is still so.

Hannes

[ouroboros]

At the end of the day, you can't beat raw talent.

Yeah you can. It's easy. Raw talent backed up by a solid knowledge of theory.

exactly.

I hope for a little of both.

[afreshcupofjoe]

The agony of watching the guitarist teach the bassist a song the 'first string, second fret 4 times, then second string, fourth fret twice' method is likely the reason a lot of musicians develop substance abuse issues.

Jesus don't remind me! I've left too many rock bands for exactly that reason. It's amazing that they can ever get anywhere. What's worse is when you're the bassist and you have to tell the freaking guitarist what to do. I'd rather shoot myself in the face than go through that again.

[bduffy]

At the end of the day, you can't beat raw talent.

Yeah you can. It's easy. Raw talent backed up by a solid knowledge of theory.

exactly.

I hope for a little of both.

Well, I didn't mean to imply that you shouldn't know your theory at all! Theory totally enhances talent. I'm just saying: natural talent counts for a lot, if someone that adept at music can't read music.

EDIT: ACtually, no, ignore that. He probably knows theory up the wazoo; that's different than reading. Anyway, I shouldn't have worded that so.

[adammann]

Man, 24 responses in 2 hours - I'm impressed.

I guess I meant just "reading music". While I can't read music, and could not say what a particular chord is (othar then simple, obvious stuff like major, minor, minor 7th, etc), as far as theory goes I guess I have an instinctual understanding of it. A feel for it.

...I know one guy who wanted some orchestral stuff on some tracks and was considering buying one of those fantastically priced orchestral rompler sets. He thougth about it for a bit, and because he is a bit crazy, he spent the same money on flying out to Croatia and hiring a whole orchestra for a week! He printed out his score from logic audio, setup his guitar in the middle of the orchestra and played then through what he was trying to get at. the end results are on a (reasonably) well known commercial recording and it sounds fantastic, so don't let anythign hold you back - if you have the ideas, go for it!

Oh god, I'd kill for the resources to do something like that. I can see myself spending sh!tloads on orchestral samples, but it would be so much better to just hire an awesome group of players to make what's in my head a reality.

[Sascha Franck]

I know a shitload about music theory. Sometimes it helps (even a lot), sometimes it seems to be getting in my way (even a lot). A tradeoff situation, really.

[Chuck E. Jesus]

Tell you one thing for sure; when I have a kid, I'm sending them to jazz school instead of classical.

let's hope when that time comes you let them choose

if that were the case, kids would eat candy all day....