So I'm studying music theory as part of my fine arts and eventually music composition degrees, and I was wondering: do you enjoy music theory and think that it's necessary in order to create music?

From a personal standpoint I think it's good to be aware of what you're doing and all the possibilities of where you can go progression-wise.

Of course, there are plenty of musicians in the world who consider it a hinderance and some who have made millions, such as many pop and rock musicians through many decades.

What do you think of it?

I've studied music theory, my dad hasn't, we're both musicians. It's a matter of preference really. Music theory seems to be useful to the more analytical type. Indeed, in music theory there are many interesting perks of knowing how something resolves and knowing why it makes sense, and then utilizing that pattern in other original compositions. But some don't really see the point in doing that, and rely only on gut instinct and what 'feels' right. I tend to lie somewhere in the middle.

I personally believe that being somewhere in the middle is a good thing, but I dislike when people will disregard it entirely and consider it pointless. Having been one of those people for a long time, I kind of but don't entirely comprehend why someone would think that way. It's interesting, and most of all a part of music history.

I was playing guitar for many many years before I learned anything about music theory. I was learning through tabs alone. Developed a lot of technique but couldn't tell you what I was playing. Ever.

Once I started learning some of the theory behind it, I think I progressed more. When Iw rite, I mainly go by just whatever I like the sound of, but I'll use the theory I know to change it up if I feel stuck.

My #1 thought on music theory is to never forget that Music Theory is a set of tools, NOT a set of rules. Just because it works doesn't mean you're not allowed to try something else. (I'm all for really weird sounds and such.)

im using music in my psychology reaserch but im having a ha....
i just relized i could start a thred for this subject matter.

>>4

For sure. After all they teach you in the end to break all the "rules" that are initially imposed on you, in the end.

As my music theory teacher once said, you learn the rules so you know how to break them.

There's randomly composing with no regard to theory, and then there's composing with every regard to theory, equally aware of how you're violating it and how you're abiding by it.

>>4 is basically the best way you can go about it. There's nothing wrong with going with what sounds right, because that's what music is really. I like that "set of tools, not a set of rules" tidbit though, hadn't heard that before.

Music theory helps, sure, but I hate it. I understand the easy stuff up until like Tritones and shit.

>>7 Its a saying I came up with myself actually. *beams with pride*

Rhymes, painfully wonderful.

bump

When writing, would you rather move to the relative key or the parallel key? For example, E major to E minor, or E major to C# minor.

>>11 Really depends on what I think sounds best at the time. I don't know. I don't even think about the key that much. I don't know if you've seen my "Plug your own music" thread, but my latest project, I'm still not sure what key it's even in.

Bringing this back just 'cause I was wondering, does anyone know how jazz theory differs from traditional Western theory?

Theory is the only part of music that I struggle with. Well, that and recording.

I've gotten a very basic understanding of musical theory since I started taking formal piano lessons, although I'm still only learning them sort of half-heartedly, and because of that I'm worlds behind my brother in terms of keyboard skills. Theory just seem to take the fun out of music for me.

>>1
I took music theory last year and I enjoyed it very much. This year I'm taking AP music theory and last year everyone dropped the class except for me and 3 others. I don't think there's a true order of creating music. Music theory is more for composing music like orchestral, but it does carry over into other forms of music. It can be applied to any genre using scales, chords, progressions, etc. So yes I enjoy music theory very much and I think it's helped me right songs tremendously as a guitarist, bassist, and pianist.

Jazz is just more pliable in terms of chord structure, as well as dropping voice leading rules in traditional theory

I play guitar in a rock band. I never saw the use of theory until i learned some. It taught me many good lessons like thirds, fifths and octaves. But it really hit home when I learned more about the original bassist for Metallica; Cliff Burton. While not only an incredible musician he took influences from Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, you name it. Metallica fan or not I highly recommend listing to Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth) and Orion to see the best use of theory in (somewhat) Modern music.

>>14 Keep at it and you'll get it in time! Don't worry about where your brother is, you just keep on with yourself and you can do it. Think of it this way: you're learning what is believed to make music function. The history, why composers could have done what they did, and the like. Think of it as an adventure. It's a lot of fun for me.

>>15 Good! I'm glad that you're having fun with it! And you're correct in saying that there's no true "order," but the human ear has a tendency to hear certain cadences and the like, and often times (as is the case with through-composed or progressive music)most people can't listen to it because they need a certain amount of repetitiveness involved.

>>17 Personally I would disagree with him being the "best use of Music Theory," but that's me. I'd consider Prog-rock/metal or jazz musicians to make the best use of Theory (examples would be Between the Buried and Me, Coheed and Cambria, Bill Evans, and many others, I'm sure), classical musicians aside.