Is music theory overrated?

[fenderjazz]

Do you think knowing music theory enhances your playing ability? I've played with dudes who can play Mozart pieces and don't know what a triad is. I've also played with gospel, jazz, and rock musicians who are very knowledgable with theory and are great players. In my experience, I've noticed that we gospel musicians sort of slack off in music theory but make up for it in being able to play well. This leads back to my question. Is music theory overrated?

[JoyCH]

I understand what you are saying. I have a girlfriend from Thailand who is a concert pianist but can't play chords. I play by ear and everytime we meet (once a month) her sheet music looks like scribble to me, no matter how many time we go over it. It just takes a while to click.

I think we all want to learn how to play, some faster than others. And we get use to our own styles to do it. But, think of it this way, if we were to learn the basics, the other stuff would be a breeze. Its like learning whow to write a theory paper but yet you speak English. You can pretty much tell a person's educational level by how they express themselves in their writing. Its the same for musicians. You are only as good as you want to be by what u learn. Don't put the brakes on just yet.  :wink:

Joy

[hitechjunkie]

It's helpful to understand some music theory.   Long ago, I forced myself
to learn how to construct chords on 6-string guitar and has helped when
I've played in impromptu settings, when the keyboard player is yelling
out chord changes (Gmi9, EbMa7, Ami+11, D7#9,...)...

[B3Wannabe]

Yea. I had an experience, once, when I had to play organ in a band behind a keyboardist and a singer. As we practiced, he told us the chord changes. Thankfully, I knew some tricks to get the correct sounds, so I was able to follow.

I know of a guy, that I went to high school with, who had only been playing piano for a year. He learned the theory way and within that year, he progressed further than a lot of people that I know. I think he probably practice 8 hours a day too! He may have played at church also...I don't know. I was a heathen then.

[BBoy]

In my humble opinion, no . . . it is not at all over rated. Look at the advantages it gives you . . .

One, you can play with people that are theorists, and with those who are not . . .

If you don't understand theory, it is pretty sure you can't teach anyone else what you know, so your ability to bless someone else is severely limited since you can't explain why progressions / chords are built the way they are . . .

With theory, you can study on your own and get better on your own. You won't be stuck waiting for some new musician with "tight skills" to come to town . . .

Lastly, the Bible says my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Knowledge, when built on a foundation of love and faith, is a good thing.

Just my 2 cents . . .  

Be Blessed . . .  :lol:

[B3Wannabe]

LOL

Indeed! I know I wish there were some people here, IN CHURCH, that could teach me some of the distorted stuff I want to learn. But to my surprise, God is always there to give me a morsel every now and then, when I'm in my musical closet!

[edit]

I think all the good players here--I know there have to be some---are out clubbing in the Korean clubs.

[/edit]

[b3maniac]

I don't think that it's overrated at all. I agree totally with BBoy, theory has many advantages. One thing for sure, to teach music properly and in a way that gives the student an understanding, you must be up on your theory! I use to just sit at my keyboard and play chords that I figured out on my own or chords that I learned from someone else but I was still so limited until I really started buckling down on theory and it has worked wonders for me. Now I will say this, there are some dynomite things that are beginning to happen in todays gospel music that blows your theory out the window. Stuff that there's no theory behind it. Stuff that's done on impulse that can't be explained at that particular time. This usually happens when you done got in that zone!!!!!!!! But theory is always good. Peace.

[Perfessor]

Just take your time. You will want to learn more as you play. You can learn the chord patterns and then you'll want to learn the keys, etc. How far along are you in learning notes and music theory?

[fenderjazz]

I actually have a pretty advanced knowledge of music theory although I don't consider myself a guru yet. I agree with theory being a great teaching tool.  However, I have a friend who can improvise over the chord changes in Giant Steps by John Coltrane. I mean this guy just breezes through all that modulation at lightning speed, playing some very thoughtful, imaginative phrases. He is self-taught and doesn't know much about theory. When I hear him I have to scratch my head. It makes me wonder if theory makes you a better player or does it just make it easier to communicate with other musicians. There are songs that I would probably never be able to play if I hadn't learned theory and then there's people who can play the same stuff very well without it. It all just makes me wonder.

[Eggs]

I'm not expert.... but I agree with the previous poster.... that theory is how we communicate.  

I think that theory is what ties the sheet music readers, and the by ear players together.

I see a lot of websites where the musicians just call out every single note, when teaching progressions... so you memorize this.... but what happens when you need to tell someone how to transpose it?

Theory helps me remember things.... and how to work in different keys...
and how to better understand how God designed music.


I am glad that I have studied, and continue to study it.

God bless,
Eggs

[uriahsmusic]

There are arenas in music you can't get into unless you know your theory and reading.....most people dont bother....

I think knowledge is power...I have never heard a person say..."I wish I didn't know theory!...but I have heard many people say I wish I knew what they were talking about!!"

[Count]

That question will elicit responses from two fronts.
As a church musician for over thirty years and a musician all my life, the answer is both yes and no. There are a lot of gifted musicians that play by ear EXTREMELY WELL and never picked up a theory book. You don't need theory to know how to play music.
But, on the other hand, musicians are at a lost if he/she ever wanted to write down their creation for publication without the knowledge of music theory. Sure, they can find a vendor to transfer their sound to ink but it's more gratifying to have the knowledge to do it yourself. So the question, if music theory is over rated or not, depends on the individual and how far they want to take their skills and gift. In the movie, "Drumline" a young student told an old band director that he couldn't read music. The old band director responded, "A lot of people can't read the word toilet on a bathroom door, but that doesn't mean they don't know how to use one".

[browntree]

My response will be short and sweet... No matter what discipline (and this is coming from a physicist), it is always good to know theory.  Theory is the foundation, and when you are playing by ear you are using basic theoretical concepts (you just don't know it).

[Davelong]

Knowing theory gives you more musical freedom.  Once you know theory, you can take any song and completely rechord it in many different ways, revoicing, and write out anything. If you can do these things, you already know a lot about musical theory. Learning more about music is just plain FUN!  And, I find I get lots of musical freedom through this knowledge.