Music theory
- Thread starter Gucking Fod
- Start date
^ My first bit of advice pre-dates you trying to mock my second statement.
... and I stand by it, learn all the theory you like but in the end always trust your ear.
s
Night Reaper
ooo the reaper wants more
It is true though, learn the theory, practice it but don't let it restrict you when it comes to writing - let your ears judge what sounds good.
After writing a riff I'm often asked, what key is that in?
Answer: I have absolutely no idea.
In one case it turned out it was modulating all over the place between a few keys.
When I wrote it, did I sit there thinking, it's gotta be in this key, then that key, then that key?
Absolutely not.
s
TRUST YOUR INSTINCT, if you think it's in A or P or whatever it's in fuckin P, i'm currently listing to MODY DICK this sounds like C, so fuck you, whose gonna be the little cunt nugget to tell me im wrong ? yea that's what i thought !! POWER TO THE PEOPLE
aleta
Oldfag
except if you're tone deaf
Tone deafness is a myth, if you were tone deaf you wouldn't recognise music, it would sound like more like percussion.
I couldn't tune a guitar when I started playing, couldn't tell if a note was sharp or flat.
After years it just grew on me, I don't have perfect pitch, I can't hear a note and tell you what it is but I've built up relative pitch.
Perfect pitch can be built with exercises, you get someone to play you a note behind your back over and over then two notes then you take guesses on which not they're playing. When you get it right, you build up to 3 notes, etc.
It won't happen overnight ...
When I say trust your ear I meant: if you're playing something and it sounds good to you, chances are it will sound good to others as well.
Go with what sounds good to you and not whether it has to fit into some scale, etc.
When I write, the music has to make me 'want to listen to it' - headbang to it, rock out to it, mellow out to it, etc.
I don't pick out a key or scale and stick to every note in that key - that would get boring.
s
aleta
Oldfag
not tone deafness in a medical sense - there are people who aren't literally tone deaf, but it's almost as if they are 
they just don't realize that they're... well...
they just don't realize that they're... well...
nettitaikatalvi
up goes the monkey...
<Arcane>
Active Member
I play an instrument for 23 years now but all I know about theory is where is which tone on piano and how to play standard chords on guitar like Eb, a#,... if anybody would ask me which is on d-string 8 fret I couldn't tell and I also don't know any scale. Sharp and flat? Don't know. But what I want to say is, if you play long enough an instrument you don't need any theory. I can easily play a solo over any basic chord without any wrong notes
nettitaikatalvi
up goes the monkey...
yep that's true i used to play the bass and the only thing that i can teach are the open strings no theory- easier life
i used to play the bass and the only thing that i can teach are the open strings no theory- easier life
It depends on what you want to do.
Today you have midi and computers and whatnot, making knowledge of music theory unnecessary for making music. But if you're someone who, for example, wants to be able to write music for an orchestra, you need knowledge of things like harmony and orchestration. You can definitely teach yourself that stuff, but to do so you need to at least be able to read a score as all resources on the subject use music notation. Another example is if you're someone who works a lot with other musicians and needs to communicate with them; and by other musicians I don't mean your death metal band mates, more like trained musicians who are used to communicating that way. But if you're not someone who has to deal with stuff like that, then as muffin said it's pretty much ears and experience.
Today you have midi and computers and whatnot, making knowledge of music theory unnecessary for making music. But if you're someone who, for example, wants to be able to write music for an orchestra, you need knowledge of things like harmony and orchestration. You can definitely teach yourself that stuff, but to do so you need to at least be able to read a score as all resources on the subject use music notation. Another example is if you're someone who works a lot with other musicians and needs to communicate with them; and by other musicians I don't mean your death metal band mates, more like trained musicians who are used to communicating that way. But if you're not someone who has to deal with stuff like that, then as muffin said it's pretty much ears and experience.
<Arcane>
Active Member
I agree with the second thing but I think I don't need any knowledge of harmony an orchestration. I play long enough to know how to play any kinds of harmonies and I think you don't need theory for orchestartion. For this you have ears
Night Reaper
ooo the reaper wants more
look at this 12 year old kid writing orchestras, fuckin genius, he was writing orchestras before you was potty trained
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