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Topic ClosedWho plays music or understands theory?

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cyclysm748 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Who plays music or understands theory?
    Posted: December 02 2009 at 23:14
I am just curious if most readers on here play music themselves, or know much music theory and what is going on in the music.  I just get the feeling that many people on here know a lot about theory and music. I'm not saying it's better to know these things, as you don't need to play or understand theory to love music, though it certainly helped me enjoy music more. I myself am studying music in college. Just curious.
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progkidjoel View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 02 2009 at 23:19
I played piano for quite a while, but I haven't been learning/playing much for a year now.

I lost interest in theory, mainly because it seemed like a small annoyance more than a useful tool. After a certain point it gets ridiculous for me.


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cyclysm748 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 02 2009 at 23:20
Yeah, I get what you're saying ProgKidJoel, I am in the upper levels of theory now, and it seems to get a little overanalytical. Thanks for the welcome. My brothers name is Joel.

Edited by cyclysm748 - December 02 2009 at 23:22
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 02 2009 at 23:21
Several of us play music and/or understand theory.  There's a thread you may want to visit if you're curious to find out who all plays what, etc.:

http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3874
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Henry Plainview View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 02 2009 at 23:21
I play piano (poorly), and I passed Music Theory 101, but I can't hear the different technical things when listening, and I don't know how other people can.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 02 2009 at 23:24
I am mostly self-taught when it comes to theory - I know enough to know what key I'm in, find the melodies and chord progressions I hear in my head, have my favorite modes to improvise with, etc...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 02 2009 at 23:28
I think it is much more common for people who like prog to be musicians, however personally I dont know a thing about music other than that I like to listen to it
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 02 2009 at 23:41

I'm a high school student but I understand music theory better than most people my age. The thing is I love knowing what things sound like. For example when I hear a whole tone scale run I find it very exciting to hear that unusual choice of notes, not only because it sounds cool but because I know what's going on. I love hearing a few bars and listening to the chord changes and trying to pick them out. I love listening to a song and getting confused by the rhythm, and depending on how unusual the time signature is I get a big thrill out of figuring it out.

I can understand why some people don't like it, but I find it fascinating. Of course, there's some music theory where you just have to learn the names of crap (Inversions on triads, the names of the note steps, stuff like that) that to me are pretty much a waste of time.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 02 2009 at 23:41
I had one real lesson of theory but I picked up most of what I know from my aficionado piano player friend, who is a theory genius. I play guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, flute, mandolin and glockenspiel. I actually have a thread for my own music in Music and Musicians Exchange.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2009 at 04:01
I had general music theory for two years (playing recorder) and 9 years of claasical piano training, and I followed some courses afterwards (classical; improvising)

I play piano and synth, and play in a band, and still find some time to compose for a three man outfit (two synth players and drums)


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2009 at 07:21
I'm an almost concert standard pianist and intermediate guitarist, and I do know my way around theory pretty well I suppose. Mainly harmony and chord progressions, and a bit about complex polyrhythms/meters and the like. I hate to err... blow my own trumpet but ye know
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2009 at 08:15
I know a moderate amount of theory. It's very helpful for me because my natural ear is average at best. I've worked on that aspect of my musicianship too, but theory saves my rear in lots of situations. I think knowing the basics of how I ii iii IV V iv iivo I and circle of fifths and basic stuff like that probably should be under the belt of anyone who wants to be a serious musician. There's a lot more out there which I find useful, but not everyone will want to spend their time on.
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2009 at 10:59
Plays bass, keyboards (&guitar)
Pretty good at learning stuff by ear
Knowns enough music theory, i know far from everything.
Oh, and mostly self-taught


Edited by Abstrakt - December 03 2009 at 11:00
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2009 at 11:08
I play drums, bass, guitar and a tiny bit of keys, self taught except for a couple of guitar lessons six or so years ago. I've recorded some tracks (one I'm working on right now) which are available for download here: http://www.last.fm/music/I+Am+Three+People

I know barely anything about theory, perhaps some simplest stuff on rhythm and harmonics.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2009 at 11:43
I've been playing keyboard for a few months and have studied Theory independently in the past. I know basic stuff, but my ear isn't too trained so I suffer there.
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2009 at 11:59
Originally posted by Henry Plainview Henry Plainview wrote:

I play piano (poorly), and I passed Music Theory 101, but I can't hear the different technical things when listening, and I don't know how other people can.


heh

---

I play the piano, and study music in all its major fields (except composition).


Edited by Ricochet - December 03 2009 at 11:59
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Negoba View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2009 at 12:02
Pessimist posted videos of his piano playing once...holy cow.
 
Steve Vai and Satriani know so much theory it's ridiculous. I don't think it hurt them.
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2009 at 12:35

I give guitar lessons and teach the proper dosage of music theory along with it. The problem that I run into quite often is that parents desire more for their child to read and dismiss the hard working process that goes into developing techniques on the instrument.  I played various styles of guitar playing for more than 30 years. Woopy do!   Now I sit at home with the kids and work on Wes Montgomery pieces. My musical ear was fully developed from hearing my uncles play jazz piano around the house. My father played jazz guitar in the 30's and 40's.. When I worked with showbands I would tape the chord charts to the stage floor as I only had 3 days to memorize 65 show tunes. I worked with a guy from New York that was multi talented. He taught me the N.Y. musicians short hand method of writing chord charts and reading them. I had a lot of primitive culture type musical training as well from blues and jazz musicians on the road. I told once that I sounded like a Dennis Sandoli student. Sandoli was an avant-garde composer and a master of guitar in Philadelphia. He would not except me for a student due to the simple fact that I was mostly a wrist kinda guy. At the age of 28 he wanted me to start all over and use the fore-arm. I use the fore-arm a bit when I play John McLaughlin pieces. But for Alan Holdsworth or Wes Montgomery I don't. He saw that as a flaw. So that was a bit of a blow.  

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2009 at 12:35
I do not believe in the theory of music because it's just a theory after all. Tongue

However I do play.

I have tried book lessons and even a live instructor before but never got very far.  I love to improvise and found I could do things much more interesting than the lessons.


Edited by Slartibartfast - December 03 2009 at 12:37
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2009 at 13:06
Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:

I do not believe in the theory of music because it's just a theory after all. Tongue

However I do play.

I have tried book lessons and even a live instructor before but never got very far.  I love to improvise and found I could do things much more interesting than the lessons.
This is true. It works out in most cases, especially if you have a good ear. It doesn't work if you study classical guitar. Then you have to work the pieces out that have been transcribed for guitar. If you wanted to work something out by Paganini which might be played by Steve Vai on electric guitar, you might have to work a percentage with tab or read the notes. If you have a fully developed natural ear, you can just pick the notes up right from the cd.
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