[Tode]

The ongoing debate on music theory being bad for your music creation is getting old.

Originally Posted by Greeny

I think we should have a poll as to how many people learned theory and it a) helped them, b) made no difference or c) hindered them and made their music robotic. then we'd see

So I figured people could see if the people who's actually learned music theory feels that it hinders their creative output.

[Greeny]

now after learning some theory i don't feel like i'm shooting in the dark so much any more, if i think of something i can much more easily put it in.

It's like learning synthesis for me, going in with the education and knowledge of the tools and what they do helps you reach your creative ideas.

And much like synthesis i have a shit load to learn

[I/O_Madness]

Music theory has helped me, as you tend to need to know music theory to read music. Music theory is about understanding the way a song moves, or sounds, or how it was built. Sure it may mean practicing scales to one person, but it is those scales that make up many, many songs we love. This is not to say we have to use them. But the songs we like did use them. Think of songs that were played to you a lot when you were a kid. Or old folk songs you learned in elementary school. Sing alongs and things of this nature. All music theory is is the understanding of why these sound good. To me it's about memorization of musical passages and structures. I know chords, however most of how I play is by ear, so I normally don't think "dm7 to a gmaj7", at least as they appear at face value, as a string of characters, but the sound it represents. A dm7 is more dramatic, a nice jazzy point in the scale.

It's all about understanding music is not random. It's all very determined, in a sense. Of course music like John Cage's where it relies on chance and others of this nature are of course not exactly determined, but they do lead to an area where you can expect something unexpected, in my opinion.

Music theory encompasses quite a bit, and it's not all about using 1-4-5 progressions or what have you. It's just what has been done in music to date, and why it works, why it sounds good.

It's a way to understand music is all.

[Automageddon]

It has obviously hindered me, the tracks I wrote before, under the monicker 'Keithy" were much better....




It actually feels nice to know which keys I can press which ones I shouldn't press, I only wish I had more time/money to invest in proper training.

[bandcoach]

never looked back, but then we all know my position on music theory and composition now don't we?



Hint for the new members, check my spam, it's right under the spam on my spam.

[DoctaMario]

I tend to think that when someone talks about being worried that learning theory will "hinder their creativity," that's code for "I'm too lazy to learn it." Just because you know something doesn't mean you have to actively use it. I say, if it screws up your creativity, it's because you LET it screw up your creativity, but that's just me.

[Fid]

To me this is like asking if it's a good idea to learn how to change a tire on a car.

[Tode]

I think jacob described my thoughts nicely in an old thread:

I think that people sometimes forget that music theory came about to describe what we've already been doing for millenia. It's not like music theory was created first and then everyone's expected to only write music according to the rules. So people can be completely ignorant of music theory and still write great music. They can claim that using theory will lock them in to an uncreative box, but ultimately I'd be willing to bet that most of their music fits perfectly well within established theory. In fact, I would wager that those who have challenged music theory the most are those who have studied it deeply.

I'm having the same view point; the more I learn about music theory and the more I manage to understand of what others have done / are doing, the more I'm able to create interesting music.

Originally Posted by DoctaMario

I tend to think that when someone talks about being worried that learning theory will "hinder their creativity," that's code for "I'm too lazy to learn it." Just because you know something doesn't mean you have to actively use it. I say, if it screws up your creativity, it's because you LET it screw up your creativity, but that's just me.

Yeah, the ones with the most negative view on music theory are often oblivious to what it actually does and how much it helps you.

I mean B.B. King didn't even know what a scale was or what notes he was playing, he was a great musician but he said that he had a really slow learning process since he had to "figure out" a lot of stuff on his own. Music theory is basically a short cut to knowledge and also a much broader and better paved road than fumbling in the dark trying to get to terms with it on your own.

[RMNC]

Definitely helps to know where you should press on the keyboard and WHY you should press there and not somewhere else.

[mischjok]

I studied classical composition at the university, albeit roughly a year. I had had classical training before. It has helped me. I frankly don´t believe in explorative composing methods.

[bandcoach]

Originally Posted by Automageddon

It has obviously hindered me, the tracks I wrote before, under the monicker 'Keithy" were much better....

You were/are Keithy???????? I bow down to your greatness!!!!!!!

this deserves the lolFish

[Automageddon]

I wish Bandcoach, I can only wish I could achieve such greatness and freedom from rules...

[musicophilia]

Keithy was truly a maverick.

[Greeny]

Originally Posted by Fidelium

To me this is like asking if it's a good idea to learn how to change a tire on a car.

great analogy, i'd agree with this

[Empty Reach]

Originally Posted by bandcoach

You were/are Keithy???????? I bow down to your greatness!!!!!!!

this deserves the lolFish


.......

Now its a fish, not a tie

[bodfhgjkl2]

Originally Posted by Tode

I think jacob described my thoughts nicely in an old thread:

I'm having the same view point; the more I learn about music theory and the more I manage to understand of what others have done / are doing, the more I'm able to create interesting music.

Yeah, the ones with the most negative view on music theory are often oblivious to what it actually does and how much it helps you.

I mean B.B. King didn't even know what a scale was or what notes he was playing, he was a great musician but he said that he had a really slow learning process since he had to "figure out" a lot of stuff on his own. Music theory is basically a short cut to knowledge and also a much broader and better paved road than fumbling in the dark trying to get to terms with it on your own.

thats how I feel about music theory, I don't know a whole of the technical details but a lot of the time I can sort of feel whats going on and why they're doing what they're doing, I just cant explain it, since I dont know the language of music, in the same way that its written in the books, I guess.

to the person who wrote "To me this is like asking if it's a good idea to learn how to change a tire on a car." I'd say a better analogy would be if you need to know what the function, name, and materials used on every bolt of a tire to change it

[Tode]

Originally Posted by bodfhgjkl2

thats how I feel about music theory, I don't know a whole of the technical details but a lot of the time I can sort of feel whats going on and why they're doing what they're doing, I just cant explain it, since I dont know the language of music, in the same way that its written in the books, I guess.

to the person who wrote "To me this is like asking if it's a good idea to learn how to change a tire on a car." I'd say a better analogy would be if you need to know what the function, name, and materials used on every bolt of a tire to change it

There's more to music theory than just terminology.

[bandcoach]

The words exist to facilitate communication.

The concepts are almost universal, which is why some people can absorb them without studying them.

However, for the underlying concepts to be best applied, takes long, deep study and practice to appear fluidly in an individuals writing

[Greeny]

Originally Posted by bodfhgjkl2

to the person who wrote "To me this is like asking if it's a good idea to learn how to change a tire on a car." I'd say a better analogy would be if you need to know what the function, name, and materials used on every bolt of a tire to change it

i'd disagree with you on that, i mean someone fumbling around trying to put a tire on a car without learning how to first sounds analogous to composing without any theory to me. Learning the function, name and materials used on every bolt sounds more comparable to professor or professional composer level of theory if you ask me (even if we assume those things are even relevant to changing a tyre)

[Fid]

I only meant that learning music theory is extremely useful information to know, even at a basic level, and thinking that it won't help you under stand music better is like thinking that the knowledge of how to change a tire won't help you, that's all.