How Much Do You Use Music Theory?

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When you're writing songs, or producing, do you go by what sounds 'right', or do you have vast knowledge of music theory, scales, chords, etc...

The reason I ask, is because up until this point, I've found myself simply writing by playing stuff until it sounds good together (I use a lot of keys and synths). But, I kind of want to stop being a noob and learn to know what will work together, before I play it. Plus, I've never really had any success when writing with my current methods.

I found a site which shows all chords / scales for the guitar in a designated tuning, and another which shows them all for the keyboard. So, if I'm writing a song, how would I use these? Would I just pick a certain scale, and use nothing but those notes for the entire song? /confused.
 
Truth about Music theory

1. Music theory is only about memorizing and learning notes, key signatures, chords, etc.

2. You don't need music theory, because if you learn too much, you won't be able to express yourself freely with music.

3. Theory is too much over analyzing, which isn't to make great music. Just sit down and write how you feel.

4. Music theory is too hard. In order to understand it, you need to be incredibly intelligent, attend a university, etc....

5. Learning theory will take away from your playing time, and overall experience as a musician.
 
Habsburgs said:
Myths about Music theory

1. Music theory is only about memorizing and learning notes, key signatures, chords, etc.

2. You don't need music theory, because if you learn too much, you won't be able to express yourself freely with music.

3. Theory is too much over analyzing, which isn't to make great music. Just sit down and write how you feel.

4. Music theory is too hard. In order to understand it, you need to be incredibly intelligent, attend a university, etc....

5. Learning theory will take away from your playing time, and overall experience as a musician.
Click to expand...

fixed
 
Habsburgs said:
Truth about Music theory

1. Music theory is only about memorizing and learning notes, key signatures, chords, etc.

2. You don't need music theory, because if you learn too much, you won't be able to express yourself freely with music.

3. Theory is too much over analyzing, which isn't to make great music. Just sit down and write how you feel.

4. Music theory is too hard. In order to understand it, you need to be incredibly intelligent, attend a university, etc....

5. Learning theory will take away from your playing time, and overall experience as a musician.
Click to expand...


I hope these are pisstakes seriously, especially number 2, yes it is optional but it's basically a language that you can speak to others ,and also it helps you get unstuck from those plateaus in your playing where you're playing the same lick, I apply music theory in composition only , when im practicing technique its not important but if I actually want to learn something I'll try and work something out that sounds good and is theoretically complex.


edit: i dont write entirely based on theory, I know enough to be able to bend it how I want and I can quite easily just switch off 'theory mode'. No it doesn't eradicate feeling, tell that to John Frucsiante, Joe satriani and Steve vai ( who all have great grasps of theory yet pull off the most cringeworthy solo faces)
 
In terms of composition and songwriting in order to write a song you need to know how to speak a language and be able to visualize what your are doing, and theory is that language. In its simplest form theory is the understanding of why music works the way it does, memorizing predictable patters and know why some things work and why others don't.

The better you get at theory the more you will notice that your songs will begin to flow better and have more dynamic because you are being conscience about it and as a result you will find a flow about working on a song that will result in your being able to pinpoint flaws that need to fixed to give you a better end result.

And theory will help you get out of staying in one key, as I find most musicians who know little of theory usually stay in one key, or never alter a scale.
 
I think it is fairly important and really not that hard to learn. I would highly recommend a teacher, and see if you can find on that is on board with your goals. A teacher will hopefully be able to learn from you what you need and show you what you want and what you need without all the extra hard boring strict memorization crap.

For instance you won't need to know the names of all the modes, all the clefs, and transposing and notation, and proper intervals for all the instruments etc. You just need to know why they are there and how they sort of play together and how they sound together.

You don't really need to know a lot of it, but I do find it handy. It does help get over plateaus or breaking through writing blocks since you can just try something else.

It definitely helps with communication and other musicians. But I find a lot of it really helps as a good starting point to make the musical expression more efficient. So instead of searching for notes, you know where to go. Ie. Happy feel.. go major... sad.. go minor, you know things like that. Same with chords and melodies. Also what notes work with what chords and by practicing, you will get better at hitting the notes you want.

Then after all that, you can hit the notes that shouldn't go... but on purpose for some really interesting expression.

I would highly recommend doing theory and combining it with piano lessons. Again, tell them what your goals are, and make sure they are on board. Otherwise you will be learning twinkle twinkle little star and hating it! But the piano technique will help you be a better player and be tighter with other musicians instead of relying on the computer.

The better player you are and the more you know will make your expression more efficient and more successful straight from the heart. That is the main idea.
 
The best advice I was ever given about music theory was this:

"Learn as much music theory as possible, then forget it all."

Basically, if you know the theory - you won't even think you're using it.
 
Habsburgs said:
Truth about Music theory

1. Music theory is only about memorizing and learning notes, key signatures, chords, etc.

2. You don't need music theory, because if you learn too much, you won't be able to express yourself freely with music.

3. Theory is too much over analyzing, which isn't to make great music. Just sit down and write how you feel.

4. Music theory is too hard. In order to understand it, you need to be incredibly intelligent, attend a university, etc....

5. Learning theory will take away from your playing time, and overall experience as a musician.
Click to expand...

One of the absolute worst posts I have ever seen on this forum...
 
I learnt some theory in college, and it never really did much for me. I just follow my ears and my gut and that does me just fine.

But to each their own when it comes to theory. I have seen more than a few fine musicians get ruined by them getting way too into theory and becoming total fucking nazi's though.
 
I think it's important for a musicians to ATLEAST know scales. I could only imagine that those who don't know them tend to play out of key a lot.
 
I don't use it actively, can't read sheet music, don't know scales worth dick, view the fretboard in shapes, and don't play out of key.


I know a crapload of rhythm theory, harmonization, chord-building, and nothing else. I've never once wish I knew more, either.
 
Habsburgs said:
Truth about Music theory

1. Music theory is only about memorizing and learning notes, key signatures, chords, etc.

2. You don't need music theory, because if you learn too much, you won't be able to express yourself freely with music.

3. Theory is too much over analyzing, which isn't to make great music. Just sit down and write how you feel.

4. Music theory is too hard. In order to understand it, you need to be incredibly intelligent, attend a university, etc....

5. Learning theory will take away from your playing time, and overall experience as a musician.
Click to expand...

Wow, this is a joke post right?:puke:
 
My approach to theory, which is the way many jazz musicians learn it, is to just learn it as well as possible to the point that when you play, you''re not thinking robotically, but just purely in an emotional sense.
Whenever I go improvising over a chord progression, do you seriously think I always know notes I'm playing?
Fact is you simply don't have the time to figure this all out when you're playing.
I've just learnt the modes of the major scale and some of the modes of the harmonic minor inside out backwards to the point where I no longer intellectualize any of it as I improvise. I just know where to put my fingers basically and know how to play over the changes without really actively thinking about it.

If you think theory takes away from expressiveness, tell that to Chopin, to Stravinsky, to Bach or to Liszt.
To me, something like Bob Dylan is just not expressive music nor the very early blues music. You need theory to broaden your horizons, to be able to express more emotions.
That's why someone like Bach is infinitely more expressive than Dylan.

Even people that claim to not know theory, like Marty Friedman and Mikael Akerfeldt DO understand theory, but they just don't understand how to explain what they're doing but clearly they have a good intrinsic knowledge of scales, arpeggios, chord/scale relationships and rhythmic theory
 
JeffTD said:
I don't use it actively, can't read sheet music, don't know scales worth dick, view the fretboard in shapes, and don't play out of key.


I know a crapload of rhythm theory, harmonization, chord-building, and nothing else. I've never once wish I knew more, either.
Click to expand...

That's all related to scales...

You're using theory without even knowing it, it's just nice to know what you're doing to make the music sound like, well music.
 
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