So why DO people get so emotional about music theory topics?
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 5703 posts since 8 Dec, 2004 from The Twin Cities
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experimental.crow experimental.crow https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=6258
- KVRAF
- 6895 posts since 9 Mar, 2003 from the bridge of sighs
can't help myself ...herodotus wrote:2 months later and the question still needs an answer.
my girl was stolen from me by a music theorist ...

- addled muppet weed
- 111237 posts since 26 Jan, 2003 from through the looking glass
its because they spend 4 years learning classical theory and still end up producing lifeless turgid shite, which whilst being technically perfect in every way is actually painfully embaressing to listen to.
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- KVRAF
- 2830 posts since 2 Mar, 2003 from The only civilized county in Texas
I thought this thread was dead and buried.
Pick up a copy of Helmholtz for some fascinating reading.
Victor.
You would be right if your ears were spectrum analizers. Since they are not, the situation isn't quite so all-or-nothing.liqih wrote: I totally disagree that Music Theory has "laws", it's not at all like Physics
where you have theorems and proofs of them,
you can proof nothing in Music,
Pick up a copy of Helmholtz for some fascinating reading.
Victor.
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- KVRist
- 149 posts since 27 Jan, 2007 from Eyeth
Indeed. Or other books that deal with the acoustical foundations of music and properties of sound, as well as books and encyclopedias on acoustics, musical acoustics, psycho acoustics, etc. Since music is sound and sound is a physical phenomenon that depends on the physical laws of this Universe and possesses certain properties, music is connected to and works thanks to these physical laws. How one exploits them is another topic.
- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
maybe they should just change the name of this forum to "testostezone".herodotus wrote:2 months later and the question still needs an answer.
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- KVRAF
- 10597 posts since 13 Jun, 2004 from Alberto Balsam
Hit the nail on the f**king head...vurt wrote:its because they spend 4 years learning classical theory and still end up producing lifeless turgid shite, which whilst being technically perfect in every way is actually painfully embaressing to listen to.
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JumpingJackFlash JumpingJackFlash https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=44005
- KVRian
- 1227 posts since 10 Oct, 2004
Speak for yourself!The Chase wrote:Hit the nail on the f**king head...vurt wrote:its because they spend 4 years learning classical theory and still end up producing lifeless turgid shite, which whilst being technically perfect in every way is actually painfully embaressing to listen to.
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- KVRAF
- 2830 posts since 2 Mar, 2003 from The only civilized county in Texas
Oh? Care to give some examples?The Chase wrote:Hit the nail on the f**king head...vurt wrote:its because they spend 4 years learning classical theory and still end up producing lifeless turgid shite, which whilst being technically perfect in every way is actually painfully embaressing to listen to.
Victor.
- addled muppet weed
- 111237 posts since 26 Jan, 2003 from through the looking glass
you want an example of a musician who creates painful to hear music even after many years of study?
i give you chris de burgh.
i give you chris de burgh.
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- KVRian
- 689 posts since 5 Mar, 2003 from Sir Osis of Liver
He needed years of music theory to write The Lady in Red?!vurt wrote:you want an example of a musician who creates painful to hear music even after many years of study?
i give you chris de burgh.
Buy my cd here (Prog rock/synth pop/classical/soundtrack-ish music):
http://cdbaby.com/cd/cyanogen
Newer songs/unreleased material:
https://soundcloud.com/cyanogenmusicpage
http://cdbaby.com/cd/cyanogen
Newer songs/unreleased material:
https://soundcloud.com/cyanogenmusicpage
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 5703 posts since 8 Dec, 2004 from The Twin Cities
I feel privileged in that the names of most if not all of these people are unknown to me.
So much evil can be averted just by not listening to the radio.
Of course, I have had day jobs where the radio was just there. Right next to my head. All day. 14 hour shifts.
Now THAT is f**king evil.
So much evil can be averted just by not listening to the radio.
Of course, I have had day jobs where the radio was just there. Right next to my head. All day. 14 hour shifts.
Now THAT is f**king evil.
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- KVRAF
- 10597 posts since 13 Jun, 2004 from Alberto Balsam
Well that would be a bit malicious if I were to point out members here.VicDiesel wrote:Oh? Care to give some examples?The Chase wrote:Hit the nail on the f**king head...vurt wrote:its because they spend 4 years learning classical theory and still end up producing lifeless turgid shite, which whilst being technically perfect in every way is actually painfully embaressing to listen to.
Victor.
Obviously it doesn't apply to ALL theory heads as not ALL people get super emotional over this. In my experience though, if someone can't make decent music before theory, they wont make decent music after (of course "decent" is utterly subjective but I'm saying I think it is a general rule of thumb). I'm in no way knocking theory. To do so would be stupid, and it very much can make a songwriter grow. It's kind of like what nuffink said in that one thread. Just because great music has been made by some who dont know theory doesn't mean that theory is remotely useless.
Last edited by The Chase on Tue Mar 06, 2007 5:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- KVRAF
- 2830 posts since 2 Mar, 2003 from The only civilized county in Texas
Yes, welll.... If someone can't make decent music before starting to pray to the Flying Spagheti Monster, then they won't make decent music after.The Chase wrote:In my experience though, if someone can't make decent music before theory, they wont make decent music after
I'm not sure that your statement has anything to do with the merits of theory.
And for a lot of people who know theory there is no "making music before theory". I started learning piano at an early age, so I was reading music from the first day. Later you learn about chords and harmony, just in the course of learning to make music. So when I started to write an arrange I already had all that theory. I'm hardly unique in starting out with a classical education and then moving in freeer directions.
Anyway, if you want to argue that it's bad musicians who grasp at theory as their last straw, and then get emotional in defending theoretical correctness, fine.
Victor.
