Is it always necessary to follow Music Theory rules?

[armanski]

Hey guys,
I am an FL Studio user. I have a question regarding creating chords and melodies.
I bought the Hooktheory books advised by Nicky Romero in one of his videos. He was right, it contains all the information about music theory but the content is huge. I mean diatonic,secondary,sevenths and so on...Is it possible for a human to remember so much information when he opens the piano roll and tries to create a song? Do you always follow the theory or you create music by ear? I watched Julian Jordan and Garrix masterclasses and they seem just to put the notes by they ear, especially JJ.
I mean music is about feeling imo, you can't watch a list about theory and try to create music(but that's my humble opinion) If there's an other way you guys are using, please advice me.

regards

[Michael L]

Welcome to KVR!

To me, the more ways you can play the more feelings you can engage. As a simple example:
viewtopic.php?f=99&t=537386

However, you may quickly find a suitable view on this topic at:
viewtopic.php?f=99&t=552375
viewtopic.php?f=99&t=553670
&c...

[NERF_PROTOSS]

there are no rules. theory is a description of things musicians do / have done, not a set of commandments on how to make music.

confusion about this is where I think the "I got less creative after I learned music theory" stuff seems to come from. it's like someone saying they got worse at drawing after they learned the word for circle, it just doesn't make sense.

that being said, following specific limitations or 'rules' can be useful for practicing or generating ideas, but you always have to remember that these are self-imposed limitations for the sake of practicing. there's no music theory gods commanding you to do this stuff.

you might see something like a rule if you want to emulate a really specific style, like baroque counterpoint, or as a teaching tool, like species counterpoint.

[clipnotic]

Hey guys,
I am an FL Studio user. I have a question regarding creating chords and melodies.
I bought the Hooktheory books advised by Nicky Romero in one of his videos. He was right, it contains all the information about music theory but the content is huge. I mean diatonic,secondary,sevenths and so on...Is it possible for a human to remember so much information when he opens the piano roll and tries to create a song? Do you always follow the theory or you create music by ear? I watched Julian Jordan and Garrix masterclasses and they seem just to put the notes by they ear, especially JJ.
I mean music is about feeling imo, you can't watch a list about theory and try to create music(but that's my humble opinion) If there's an other way you guys are using, please advice me.

regards

Well, my opinion is definitely not very important here, but I made music without "theory rules" many years and meanwhile since also many years I'm very happy that I spent much time to learn it, because it also saves much time and gives me much more possibilities. Many "musicians" are thinking, that "theory rules" are a restriction, but that's not true! If you learn, what you can do with a scale and how many chord possibilies you have, you have much more possibilies like "only by ear" musicians!

[Dirtgrain]

In asking the question, you know the answer. Use ear above everything else.

[ChameleonMusic]

Hey guys,
I am an FL Studio user. I have a question regarding creating chords and melodies.
I bought the Hooktheory books advised by Nicky Romero in one of his videos. He was right, it contains all the information about music theory but the content is huge. I mean diatonic,secondary,sevenths and so on...Is it possible for a human to remember so much information when he opens the piano roll and tries to create a song? Do you always follow the theory or you create music by ear? I watched Julian Jordan and Garrix masterclasses and they seem just to put the notes by they ear, especially JJ.
I mean music is about feeling imo, you can't watch a list about theory and try to create music(but that's my humble opinion) If there's an other way you guys are using, please advice me.

regards

There are no music theory rules - just guidelines and possibilities.

Do you always follow the theory or you create music by ear?

They are NOT mutually exclusive...far from it! Anyone who plays effectively by ear is by definition using music theory of some sort.

I watched Julian Jordan and Garrix masterclasses and they seem just to put the notes by they ear, especially JJ.

Julian Jordan is a highly experienced and trained musician from a very early age who has a lot of musical knowledge under the bonnet...he instinctively may well put the notes in the right place by ear, yeah... and that will be directly linked to his vast experience / knowledge of music, including music theory!

I mean music is about feeling imo, you can't watch a list about theory and try to create music(but that's my humble opinion) If there's an other way you guys are using, please advice me.

Yeah, but how do you create those feelings...what particular musical elements combine in what ways to help move your music towards the emotions that you want to convey?

It all takes time, practice and perseverance more than anything else and definitely will involve at least a little bit of music theory...Anyone who says they are a successful musician who just winged it and didn't use some music theory is a total douche who doesn't understand the vast scope of the term.

It's a very misunderstood phrase that certain people still associate with a narrow, traditional viewpoint - 100% nonsense!

[vurt]

yes! just do as youre told!
no room for rebels in art.

[Hink]

yes! just do as youre told!
no room for rebels in art.

reartbels rartebels rebeartls artrebels rebelarts

by golly I think you're onto something

[vurt]

yes! just do as youre told!
no room for rebels in art.

reartbels rartebels rebeartls artrebels rebelarts

by golly I think you're on something

i think you may be correct!

[Hink]

wow no I'm not...that's art in rebels

[vurt]

i fixed it for you

[ChameleonMusic]

yes! just do as youre told!
no room for rebels in art.

Dude.. Stop it!

You know full well that there's loads of room for rebels in all arts... But the idea that any musical conformist, anarchist, agnostic or even AntiChrist can join in effectively without at least a bit of basic music theory is total bollocks!

Music theory is an enabler and it expands possibilities rather than restricting them... Anyone who argues against that just doesn't understand the wide scope of the phrase!!!

Now Vurt. I want at least two unicorns or even a flying horse.

[Dirtgrain]

“. . . you’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view. . . . The truth is often what we make of it; you heard what you wanted to hear, believed what you wanted to believe. . . . If you define yourself by the [music theory rules], the desire to [follow them], to [understand them], then you have nothing. . . . [The Ear] is what gives a [musician] his power. [It must become one with the] energy field, created by all living things, [that] surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together. . . . Use the [Ear].”

[digitalboytn]

In answer to the question if it is always necessary to follow the music theory rules...

The answer is absolutely ...100%

If you deviate just one little bit from the rules that are set in stone,your computer will sense that there has been an error made and it will shut down as a safety measure...

In extreme cases if you stray too far from the music theory rules,your computer will blow up....

But if you are using a pencil and manuscript paper,you will be OK

[cryophonik]

I was imprisoned for two years in a minimum security prison for reckless use of parallel fifths. I’m still on parole