Is music theory useful?

[j2j]

You can not escape music theory if you are a musician. Even people who know nothing about music theory, seem to know how many kicks go in a bar of 4/4.


What do you call that? Ice cream theory?


Tempo, rhythm, even tapping on the note of C

Music and music theory are inseparable as the universe and quantum physics.

[knotkranky]

yes, theory is very helpful

[jsg4z]

knowledgeable musicians learn music theory, smart musicians know music theory, either way its crucial

[3osc]

Music theory is unavoidable. Anything you know at any intellectual level about music is music theory, whether it's that the drum sounds "different" when I hit it here as opposed to there, or whether it's about combinatorial 12-tone matrices.

Theoretical knowledge is useful for attaining expected results. The less you have the more experimentation you will be doing. Experimentation is necessary for progression, but it depends on what level the experimentation is happening. Having secure theoretical knowledge about how the timbre of the drum is affected by where I hit it enables me to attain an expected array of results from the instrument, which I can then purposefully organize in a way that I choose. Without this most basic theoretical knowledge even the lowest level tasks become an act of experimentation. In this sense one becomes not the creator but the "instigator" of the "music." The more theoretical knowledge you have, the more easily you can let experimentation occur at higher levels.

Exactly. Asking if music theory is useful in making music is like asking if linguistics is useful for writing poetry, or if physics is useful for playing basketball.

What matters more than just learning the theory is internalizing the knowledge. It's one thing to know that a Vdom7 to I7 is the strongest indicator of key, but it's another thing all together to be able to feel how it sounds. Once you can feel that movement like you can feel yourself around a language, then slightly more complicated things like tritone substitution and secondary dominants will make immediate sense to your ear. That's where the real benifit of music theory comes in - ear training.

Plus, opening your ear to training and new sounds opens your mind up to enjoy new types of music you may not have understood before. Pushing past your comfort zone will improve your own music considerably.

[the_antagonist]

10 years iv been pushing boxes of sound around the screen hitting space bar moving the boxes hitting space bar moving the boxes hitting space bar going to bed having acheived sod all.

one week reading the complete idiots guide to music theory (on advise from nick the zombie) one week building track as result. 1 month later signing first record to label.

music theory means I can draw the music on paper. transfer to computer hit space bar and have something audible.

still a lot of learning to do. watching classic Goldie was a real eye opener. some dudes with PhD of music theory can write the whole thing in detail in their head.


so my answer would be yes.

[DrXparaMental]

Hi all,

I have been studying music theory as an autodidact for over 1 year and I would like to know your opinions about whether music theory is really important when it comes to composing music on the computer and especially house and electronic music.

Best regards.

Not for your specific interests. In fact, it could cause mental blocks rather than any form of help. Music theory is great for certain aspects of being a musician, and is absolutely crippling in others.

[ethios4]

At the least it's good to know how keys and scales work. That way you can use some organ break sample and be sure it fits the bassline, etc.

[michael4u]

Ofcourse music theory is useful. My friend write the song. He is in this profession from last 5 years. He told me that once we learn the music we can express our emotional in music in write manner. Infact now he can write a music for complex things. Accroding to him now he can express himself in better way.