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

[Martin E]

I'm another theory-yes/reading-no guy. I'm not defensive about it, I don't wish I knew more, and I make music that makes me happy. If I wasn't happy with my abilities, I might imagine that being better educated musically would make a difference. And I might be right - but we'll never know.

+1 That applies for me as well. I know quite some theory but I think there's room for more knowledge. But I can 't really be bothered since I actually like what I'm producing so far.

I think a basic knowledge of music is indispensable and won't get in the way of being creative yourself. In the end it will only help you being more creative. Furthermore it will make you understand how other musicians and composers created their music.

[CypherOne]

nah, I've never needed more than 3 notes..

[aallvor]

Do you know music theory? If not,do you feel limited

No. Sometimes.

[cptgone]

Do you know music theory? If not,do you feel limited

No, and not at all - i'm a postmodern romantic, i run naked through woods chasing muses instead of taking the cerebral approach.

[HunterKiller]

I am the post-modern aural element assembler, a self-proclaimed king of the wave file and he who puteth the notes in the proper order!:harp:

[Dunbar]

After many years flapping around blindly i made myself sit down and read up on harmonic theory. It's the best five minutes i've ever invested in education.

[nuffink]

After many years flapping around blindly i made myself sit down and read up on harmonic theory. It's the best five minutes i've ever invested in education.

There's a fair bit of truth in that. Its difficulty is massively overstated.

[duncanparsons]

I have more than a passing aquaintance with music theory, which I'm happy with, it can help me out of a sticky situation if I want to sound really generic

I normally break rules, but some are worth at least bearing in mind, for instance, if I'm writing a 4 part brass section, paying attention to the normal rules on 4 part harmony (about parallel movt, use of moving 4ths/5th, etc) helps alot to sound better, but there are times when going against the rules gets the results; but I know how to reassemble it if I need to...

Reading? it takes me hours! But after 20+ years of it, I'm gradually getting the hang of it. I can read drum scores OK, but then I've worked as a pro drummer so it just helps...

At times I feel quite limited by knowing theory, especially when I have no inspiration - just falling back on the rules can be death to making anything good!

DSP

[CypherOne]

my problem is that every chord progression I try just sounds gay (i.e. very predictable and cheesy). if I try and do something away from the rules, it sounds shite. That's why I make lowest common denominator dance crap (well that and I actually like it)...

[2windy]

None really and yes, I feel limited a lot. I get by but wish I knew more.

[darkinnerbeing]

My level of music theory is basic. I understand time signature, key signature(major and minor), reading in treble clef, reading in bass clef, chords, tempo, accent(soft & loud), etc., etc. But, my level of sightreading and ear-training has went down. Mostly, due to me barely touching an instrument. This is due to life(in general)and the little time I have I spent sequencing in Cakewalk Sonar.

Trying to schedule my time wisely now.

[garret]

I'd love to be able ... to know when a flat5 sharp 13 chord would be better than a good old major 7, etc.
-Scott

That one's easy, Scott.... Almost never!

And none of em is better than a good old sus4!

[mayan]

I feel both limited and liberated. I would love to know and understand theory in order to better learn song structure and straight composition development. Historically, I play piano (took classical lessons until I was in 7th grade and then taught myself blues, barrel-house, very rudimentary four-chord jazz and classical ragtime). If I knew theory, I'd be better able to bump up my playing to a higher level of jazz.

At the same time, my current passion is making pieces in a realm where the old rules don't apply. I don't think that notation has any sway in this kingdom. I'd need a whole new construct (the key of Msharp, anyone?). While theory would undoubtedly help me with rudiments like harmony and or thematic development...I don't have much use for them with what I'm currently doing...maybe if I knew theory, I wouldn't have been forced into making my own musical universe but I gotta say that I'm happy as a pig in shit wallowing in what I invent to disguise my lack of knowledge.

[Ubiety]

Rules only come about when referring to certain styles and genres of music. They are not really necessary, though, when creating for the sake of creating. However, if one wants to develop her own style, then she has to at least create a set of parameters for herself in order to define her own unique style. Lots of artists do this. Still, learning music theory won't hurt you unless you are given to following rules in the place of following your own intuitive sense about what it is that you like and don't like. One certainly can loose the special thing that they have if he is not careful of how he internalizes the newly acquired information. The point, I suppose, is that if you already have a strong musical identity then it is best that you identify what it is that you want out of learning music theory. If you are still developing an identity then you probably want to learn music theory through the types of music that influence and interest you, or through music that you are completely unfamiliar with. If you are only curious about music theory then it really doesn't matter how you approach learning music theory, anything that you learn will open up a new and fascinating world to you through which you can make more discerning choices about how you approach music, what it is that you like and don't like, and how you use the information learned.

Personally, I believe that learning music theory is a good thing. It allows you more clarity to the invisible.

[wrench45us]

since i can't play or read very well, but for various historical reasons I'm very interested in chords and song structure, I've been studying theory just about since I got my music software together 4 years ago now.

back in the 80's when i 1st got interested in synthesizers I tried to teach myself keyboards and it was a disaster -- very slow to read music, impatient with my progress, melody lines just don't do much for me -- coming at it through chords and voicings and comping has been much more rewarding

but in my usual hit or miss approach of picking up a style/theory music book, I got very confused earlier this year about how different voicing styles related to each other. I ended up buying a lot of books from amazon -- Hal Leonard books by John Valerio and Mark Harrison and a couple of books from Alan Swain through Swain music. And I think I finally have a working bigger picture.
I'm making the transition from standard 3 voice chords to the jazz 4+ voice chords and working on the smooth inversion transitions.
started with just right hand 3 voice chords to adding a bass note in the left to two note left etc etc

I have a terrible ear for music and can't pick out a melody or identify chords reliably, so maybe that's why I actually enjoy this approach.
However when I sit down to 'compose' what I know may be a starting point, but it's still wandering fingers that find a progression that works. But if I get stuck for where to go next, I can now sit back and figure out what's going on and have a lot of choices of where to go from there.
i'm just getting started
and now divide my time betwen practice exercises and making music. i know that would be tedious for a lot of people, but I'm actually enjoying it.